Devotion 2.31/83: Isaiah 11:9: Waiting

Presented to River Street Cafe, 09 December 2016

Read Isaiah 11:9-10

We spoke about this on Sunday. We know what is God’s holy mountain? It’s Mount Zion. It is the mountain where Solomon’s, Zerubabbel’s, and Herod’s temple’s were built. It is the mountain where the Dome on the Rock currently stands. It is the mountain where God spared the life of Isaac, as he was about to be offered up to the Lord as a sacrifice. Zion, for many years, was where some people even thought that God himself lived. God says when the His kingdom is fully realized on earth here no one will hurt or destroy on His holy mountain. As God’s seat of power, when Jesus ultimately claims his throne, no one in authority will ever hurt anyone again. No more will politicians or their handlers exploit the rest. No more will governments wage war or the powerful take advantage of the poor.

We are in a season of Advent now. Advent is about waiting. We remember waiting for the birth of our saviour millennia ago as we eagerly await his return now. And when He returns what a day that of rejoicing that will be. When Jesus comes back, we will no longer be subservient to the brutal politico-socio-economic systems we are today. (The Lord has already provided more than enough resources for the whole world to be fed and clothed many times over.) These systems of oppression will end. The rulers of this world will be brought low. The presidents, money people, and other rulers of our age who oversee all of this will be brought down. This will come to an end. Isaiah promises that. Jesus fulfills that.

When Jesus comes back there will be no more elections, rigged or otherwise. There will be no more ignorance. There will be no more wars. There will be no more death. There will be no more tears. When Jesus comes back, everything will be okay. He promises it will be okay and this is what Isaiah is telling us today in the text.

   

Added to that truth is this: as you serve Jesus, as we follow him instead of the others who want us to follow them - politicians, money people and powerful people and their systems: this ‘ism’ and that ‘ism’ - as we serve Jesus instead here and now; even while there is so much death, dishonesty, pain and suffering all around us and even while there may be so much pain even within us, Jesus promises that he will comfort us in the midst of all the very real struggles of this world as indeed we look forward to that day when he will return and wipe all of the injustice off the face of this earth… and then God alone will rule over us with His righteousness and His faithfulness forever more.