12/6/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 35 shows God’s vengeance in a light which should surprise us. Normally when we think of coming with vengeance, we would imagine great destruction, anger, and fearful desolation. In other places of Scripture we do see some of that. However, here, in Isaiah 35, we see that God’s wrath against sin results in healing and restoration. We may well say that God is so very angry about the things which alienate and kill that he is going to come and bring life and hope. He will turn the barren places into places of plenty. He will make the hazardous wild animals depart. There will be no fear lest, but God’s people will be able to approach him with joy.
In fulfillment of this, we see in the New Testament that Jesus is the one who comes, hating our death so much that he dies in our place. He hates our sin so much that he becomes sin for us. He takes vengeance on Satan’s curse by bearing the full penalty of the curse for us.
If this is God’s idea of vengeance, I’m ready for it. How about you?
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 35 shows God’s vengeance in a light which should surprise us. Normally when we think of coming with vengeance, we would imagine great destruction, anger, and fearful desolation. In other places of Scripture we do see some of that. However, here, in Isaiah 35, we see that God’s wrath against sin results in healing and restoration. We may well say that God is so very angry about the things which alienate and kill that he is going to come and bring life and hope. He will turn the barren places into places of plenty. He will make the hazardous wild animals depart. There will be no fear lest, but God’s people will be able to approach him with joy.
In fulfillment of this, we see in the New Testament that Jesus is the one who comes, hating our death so much that he dies in our place. He hates our sin so much that he becomes sin for us. He takes vengeance on Satan’s curse by bearing the full penalty of the curse for us.
If this is God’s idea of vengeance, I’m ready for it. How about you?
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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