Saturday 10 December 2022
- Bible Book:
- Isaiah
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus, it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing… and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing. (vs 1-2, 10)
Background
Isaiah of Jerusalem paints a picture of what Bishop David Atkinson has referred to as a "life-giving triangle of relationships between God, the earth and humanity." The welfare of the land and its inhabitants are inextricably bound together; the land rejoices and so do the people. It is an amazing vision of creation as God intended it to be – in the words of Genesis it was "very good". (1:31)
Note all the references to water: streams, pools, springs, a swamp. In a dry and parched land, water is life-giving and rivers, streams and wells are highly significant. Jesus refers several times to himself and to his ministry in terms of ‘living’ water (John 4:13-14; 7:37-38), water that is flowing and springing up.
Isaiah’s visions of the rejoicing community are full of promise, the promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who came that all "might have life and have it abundantly" (John 10.10). During this season of Advent, we prepare for Jesus' coming – as a child in Bethlehem, but also in glory at the end of time. Roger Rushton, theologian and one-time Dominican priest, has written an evocative hymn 'Promised Lord, and Christ is he, May we soon his kingdom see'. It is based on a Jewish Passover prayer and is sometimes sung at Advent. It captures our longing for the fulfilment of the vision and the realising of the promises of God.
To Ponder:
- What am I doing as I wait for God’s kingdom to come? John the Baptist said it was at hand! (Matthew 3.2)
- Take time this Advent to live expectantly, waiting for the promises to be fulfilled in Jesus.
Prayer
Loving God, make my waiting 'hope-full' and 'joy-full'! Amen.