U<\/span>ncertain times give us pause and challenge us to ask questions. I don\u2019t want to sound negative, but given the uncertain start to this year, economically and politically, not to speak of the rise of terrorism, many people are anxious about the future.<\/span><\/p>\n In times of uncertainty it is always helpful to consider what encouragements we can draw from a richer understanding of God, his interactions with men and women, and his expectations of those who trust him.<\/span><\/p>\n In recent weeks we have been identifying highlights of God\u2019s promises to his people through the prophet Isaiah. More than one hundred years before it happened he prophesied the conquest of the southern kingdom Judah and the fall of Jerusalem. But Isaiah also had a message of comfort and hope for people who trusted God. This is his theme from chapter 40 onwards.<\/span><\/p>\n In Isaiah 49, we read of the emergence of a new figure, known as God\u2019s \u2018Servant\u2019 whose task would be to restore God\u2019s people. For Isaiah\u2019s first readers, \u2018restoration\u2019 meant the restoration of God\u2019s people to their land and their city. Against all odds this occurred from 520BC.<\/span><\/p>\n But in Isaiah 49 there is another layer to the meaning of God\u2019s Servant: Isaiah is also speaking of the coming of Jesus Christ whose work would bring the light of God\u2019s truth to his people and to the nations. Indeed this Servant of God \u2013 Jesus Christ \u2013 would provide the means of restoration for a broken humanity:\u00a0\u201cI will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth\u201d<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/i>(Isaiah 49:6).<\/span><\/p>\n And there is more, for in Isaiah 49:7 there is a subtle but significant shift in the meaning of the word\u00a0Israel<\/i>.\u00a0Israel<\/i>\u00a0reverts to its meaning as the people of God<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 not just an individual figure.<\/span><\/p>\n With this shift there are significant nuances. In 49:6, the \u2018Servant\u2019 is told the Lord would make him\u00a0a light for the Gentiles<\/i>.\u00a0In 49:8 Israel is told that the Lord will not just make a covenant with them,\u00a0<\/i>but that they will be the means of bringing God\u2019s light to the nations<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n This is profound<\/b>. Isaiah is saying that the rescue and restoration of God\u2019s people,\u00a0Israel<\/i>, will be a sign of his commitment to bless the nations. As we view this through the lens of the New Testament\u00a0we see this applies to the church today<\/b>. God\u2019s people who are now freed by God\u2019s grace through Jesus Christ, from a life of captivity to sin and death, are to say to those who are still captive to their fears,\u00a0\u2018Come out\u2019, and to those in darkness, be free\u2019\u00a0<\/i>(49:9).<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n As Isaiah 49 moves on,\u00a0the focus is<\/b>\u00a0not so much on the return of the exiles from Babylon or even on their spiritual restoration, but\u00a0on the mission of God\u2019s people to the nations<\/b>. Indeed, in Isaiah 49:13 there is a great shout of praise to God. It is the sound of God\u2019s people rejoicing as people come from all nations into the light of God\u2019s truth and salvation.\u00a0It is one reason for joy in our churches today.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n In this election year<\/b>\u00a0in the United States millions of dollars are being spent and many thousands of volunteers are involved in the election process. Consider the impact God\u2019s people could have for good, if only one tenth of these resources of money and people were put to the mission of Jesus Christ.\u00a0Yet too often we are caught up\u00a0with our own concerns and anxieties<\/i>\u00a0rather than\u00a0living as God\u2019s light<\/i>.\u00a0<\/b>What was it that Jesus said?\u00a0\u201c<\/i>You are the salt of the earth\u2026 You are the light of the world; a city set on a hill cannot be hidden\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(Matthew 5:13-14).<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n A paradox in life is that when we serve the needs of others we often find our own anxieties will fall away.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UNCERTAINTY ncertain times give us pause and challenge us to ask questions. I don\u2019t want to sound negative, but given the uncertain start to this year, economically and politically, not to speak of the rise of terrorism, many people are anxious about the future. In times of uncertainty it is always helpful to consider what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":873,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-word-on-wednesday"],"yoast_head":"\nLIGHT<\/h2>\n
FOCUS<\/h2>\n