Running Into the Road (Isaiah's second half)

 It has been interesting to transition from the "gloom and doom" chapters of Isaiah, (up to about chapter 39) to the "hope for the future" chapters of this week (40-47)

Last week in Sunday School I told the students that the first half of Isaiah is like a practice I did when my children were very small.  When I had a child that had just learned to walk, I, of course, tried to teach them not to run into the road.  The first time they disobeyed and ran toward the street, I scooped them up and gave them a firm swat on the bottom. When this happened they each looked at me in a moment of surprise, and then burst into tears. I wasn't the kind of mother that spanked my children usually, but teaching them not to run into the street was so important for their safety, I thought it merited a heavier hand. 

In the first half of Isaiah, Israel and Judah were both about to run into the street, (metaphorically).  They were facing, not only defeat, but destruction and captivity if they continued to disobey God. God, because he loved them, sent Isaiah and other prophets to give them warnings in the most blunt and dire terms to try to spare them that consequence. That is why these chapters are so dark and angry sounding. 

Imagine, if one of my children had, even after my warnings, run into the st

reet and been hit by a car.  Imagine me calling the ambulance and riding with my child to the hospital. Do you think that I, as a loving mother, would look at my child, lying in a hospital bed, and berate them for being disobedient?  Of course not. I would show them as much love and support as I could, and try to give them hope for a bright future. I think that is what is happening in the second half of Isaiah (or whoever wrote these chapters, there is some scholarly dispute). God sees the downfall and captivity of Judah.  They have suffered the consequences of their poor decisions, but God wants to tell them that there is hope and that he still loves them. 

If you look at isolated verses of the Old Testament, the LORD can seem like a cruel and vengeful god. But if you look at the story line, as a whole, you see that he never gives up on Israel, even when they are disobedient, and always offers covenant care if they are willing to return to him.

(I didn't have much time to write this between Conference sessions last week, but I hope it is thought provoking.)