Saturday 09 February 2008

Background

The second half of chapter 65 ignores the unfaithful who havebeen criticised and judged in the earlier verses. Now the emphasisis on the faithful and time is taken to reinforce the promises thatGod has made to them.

The new situation that is prophesied (verse 17) is not so much thedestruction of the old and the creation of the new but theredemption of the old so that it returns to former days - a timewhen all was new. A time when the faithful worshipped joyfully inJerusalem (verse 19), when the patriarchs lived long lives (verses20) and there was security, hope and prosperity for all (verses21-23).

Such a transformation is the desire of many today - that we mightknow God's blessing and the joys God desires to share with us. Thechallenge to the faithful is to remain true to God when themajority do not and to cling to the hope of redemption andtransformation.

If this is your take on the state of things today, you will alsoknow that the other side of the coin requires that we remainfaithful to God in spite of our circumstances and, in order to dothat, we need to maintain that hunger for God that has been thefocus of our passages this week.

The God who knows us better than we know ourselves is ready to hearand answer those who seek God (verse 24).

To Ponder

How far can comparisons be effectively madebetween the experiences of today and those of Isaiah's time?

Do you believe that a transformed society isstill possible? Why?