Refusing God's Rest, Quietness, Peace (Isa 30:1-17)
God called his people Judah stubborn for carrying out their own plans by trusting Egypt, whose help is utterly useless (Isa 30:1,2,7). Since they reject God's prophets and God's word, preferring illusions (Isa 30:8-12), they are like one who depend on a unsteady wall (Isa 30:13-17). God gently presents to them the way of victory in Isa 30:15: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." But they refused.
The Amazing Logic of Grace (Isa 30:18-26, 27-33)
God's people forsake God for a false salvation (Isa 30:1-17); therefore, God is gracious to them: "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you" (Isa 30:18). God gives us adversity to help us overcome idolatry (Isa 30:19-22), and showers us with an abundance (Isa 30:23-26). God disciplines and heals us by his grace. As Isaiah promises Judah's redemption (Isa 30:18-26), he also promises Assyria's destruction (Isa 30:27-33).
It is through His grace, His calling, our living faith in Jesus Christ, our Baptism, our gift of the new heart and the new human spirit, the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Sacrament of Confession that make us righteous in the eyes of God, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that gives us the living bread as our assurance of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us so we may grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit to become shining lights in the world. How abundant are the gifts of our loving Father!
ReplyDelete