4th Sunday after the Epiphany Es 40.12-31
songs available:
Mansion with us by your grace LIS 3: 1-5
I sing Lord, LIS 22: 1-4
O sweet Providence LIS 24: 1-5
12 Who measured the oceans in the hollow of his hand? Who determined its measurements of the sky in a measure and shall maintain all the dust of the earth in a measure?
13 Who understood the Spirit of the Lord and what a man was to instruct his counsel?
14 With whom did he intentionally to be enlightened by it? Who taught him the path of law, he taught his skills and introduced him to the path of understanding?
15 nations are like a drop of water falling from a bucket, they are like dust on a scale, and islands like dust that flies.
16 forests of Lebanon would not suffice to fuel the fire of the altar and his animals would be insufficient for the Holocaust.
17 All nations are reduced to nothing before Him, they have less to his eyes that nothingness and emptiness.
18 Who do you look for God? Which representation would you compare?
19 is a craftsman who merits the statue, then covers it with a goldsmith gold and casteth silver chains.
20 He who is too poor for such an offering selects wood that will not rot, it uses the services of a craftsman skilled enough to make a sculpture that is not sacred bobble.
21 Do not you know? Do not you learned? Do you have we not learned from the beginning? Have you ever thought about the foundations of the earth?
22 is the Lord who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are, for him, like grasshoppers. He held up the sky like a curtain, it unfolds like a tent to make his dwelling place.
23 He who reduces rulers to nothing, which makes the judges of the earth like a vacuum.
24 They are not even planted, not even seeded, trunk has not yet developed roots in the ground it blows over them while they dry, the vortex carries them as a straw.
25 Who will you compare me to that I like him? asked the Saint.
26 Look up at the sky and watch! Who created it? This is the one who brings the heavenly bodies in order. He calls them all by name. His power is so great, his force so powerful that not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, Jacob, and why you affirm, Israel "My situation is out of the Lord my right goes unnoticed to my God! " ?
28 Do not you know? Do not you learned? This is the everlasting God, the LORD, who created the ends of the earth. It does not get tired, it does not end. His intelligence is impenetrable.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the resources from that in the end.
30 Teens get tired and exhausted, young people begin to stumble,
31 but those who rely on the Lord shall renew their strength. They take flight like eagles. They shall run and not run out, they walk without getting tired. "
Dear brothers and sisters who have " right " to the solicitude of the Father Heavenly!
We rarely pondered a text as long. Already scheduled to play today - verses 12 to 25 - was not very short: Why, then, have added six more verses?
Because the last six verses of this chapter indicate why God put this long list of questions.
To get all the "pith and substance" (Rabelais) of a text, it is good to see what is the context, why it is so said here.
course we could talk in the abstract, the omnipotence and omniscience of God of the universe, just as in a course of dogmatic. But this is not the intention of God in our text.
He wants that we should withdraw something that enlightens us, which we built, which strengthens our faith in him. There is no theory, answering questions, he intervenes in a situation. And we can not really understand that with the last six verses.
In fact,
TO THOSE WHO SAY:
" My situation is beyond the Lord
my right goes unnoticed to my God! "
MEETS THE LORD
1. it "does not get tired" ,
"not exhausted" and
that "His mind is impenetrable. "
2. it " gives strength to the weary" and "who relies on him. "
YYY 1 YYY
To those who say
" My situation is beyond the Lord
my right goes unnoticed to my God! "
The Lord replied
it " never tires " ,
" not exhausted " ,
and "his mind is impenetrable. "
Who among us has not already experienced the discouragement, doubt, maybe even a real coup de blues? Who among us, if he has not formulated well, at least not ever feel: " My situation is beyond the Lord, my right to my God goes unnoticed ! " (v. 27)?
Oh! Certainly, I know I learned in Sunday school, I hear it in worship and Bible studies, I read in the Bible: " His power is so great, its force so powerful! " (v. 26)
But then why should I fight well? Why, despite my prayers - or have I ceased to pray? - Nothing changes? Why is not he intervene? Would it not as powerful as he claims? Or what I saw him he would be indifferent?
As for the people of Israel, our faith in God is sometimes strained, let's face it. We sometimes have to make the big difference between the claims of the omnipotence of God and our situation does not change significantly between the assertions of the holiness of God and the injustice that we face, between the statements that God knows and sees all and our test that does not release an inch.
is what the people of Israel lived at the time of the prophet Isaiah. The Kingdom of Israel with Samaria as its capital, in the north, had fallen under the onslaught of the Assyrian power, and the small kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as its capital, in the south, feared to go equally to the pot.
This does not he demonstrated that the Lord was not so strong as that? The idols of stone, precious metals and even wood, pagan peoples had other resources, benefited more in their worship?
And we, as also happened with the Psalmist, we see that the unbelievers around us does not seem to fare so poorly without God. Should we not look elsewhere? Seek salvation in the money in the career in science? Or Islam or Eastern religions? Even in the religions of the ancient Celtic Gaul who know, indeed, a revival, albeit marginally, in Britain? Or visit the myriad of fortune tellers who appear in magazines and on the web?
If happiness can lead some to find God superfluous, misfortune may also turn away from God. The test can lead to blindness. Suffering, whether physical or otherwise, can we hide God can make us forget who he is, what he has done for us and continues to do for us.
God is trying to shake hers in their lethargy. He tries to open their eyes to get them out of their blindness. It does this by asking us to think a range of issues.
It uses Isaiah as a spokesperson. Happy are we if, when we are helpless, we have Isaiah makes us think about issues that awaken!
Happy are we if, when we are at the bottom of the hole and we cling to them, God places on our side or we meet someone who makes us reflect on the senselessness of our attitude.
the Israelites, God said that nations - including the superpowers - are only teardrop " that " dust " in his hand (v. 15). "All nations are reduced to nothing before Him, they have less to him than the nothingness and emptiness" (v. 17).
And indeed: Where is the Assyrian power today? - Swept 90 years after crushing Israel. Where is the power of Babylon who conquered Judah and Jerusalem 25 years later? - Extinct well. Where is the power of ancient Egypt with its unique civilization? - Extinct!
Here, speaking of Egypt, it goes back to the news. But we might as well think of the famous "Eastern Bloc" or the French royalty, or both Napoleonic empires. Capacities are ephemera. They pass. God, it is still there. "He reduced the leaders to nothing, which makes the judges of the earth similar to the vacuum. " (v. 23)
And with the different civilizations also spend their idols, both ancient stone, metal or wood, as new: wealth, immorality and so on.
No, when it goes wrong, we do not turn to these lures to replace God. The money, career, property are not to be rejected as such. These are blessings we owe to God for the care and happiness of this life. So much so, that God protects the property with the 7 th Command: "You do not steal! " (Ex 20.15), to the point he also blesses honest work or medical treatment.
But do not do our gods, our idols. Do not organize our lives around them, just for them, as if our salvation and happiness came from them. Do not think this could replace God.
God asks us "To whom will you compare me to that I like him? " (v. 25) It is true, if God has " created in His image " (Gen 1.26-27) of holiness and perfection, once fallen into sin, humans have forged their idols sinful image. The gods imagined by the mythologies from antiquity formed couples had children, committing adultery, were in occupations, fought, and killed just like humans.
And today, the world produces a character that resembles him, to "image" its sinful tendencies. This is no different.
"And you want " I compare " them even prefer them to me? Asks God. But "stand [Therefore] eyes to heaven and see! Who created it? " (v. 26)
" Who hath measured the oceans in the hollow of his hand? Who determined its measurements of the sky in a measure and shall maintain all the dust of the earth in a measure? Who has understood the Spirit of the Lord and what a man was to instruct his counsel? With whom did he intentionally to be enlightened by it? Who taught him the path of law, he taught his skills and introduced him to the path of understanding? " (v. 12-14)
Person! To all these questions there is one and the same answer: Nobody! Nobody "was his advisor for teaching" nobody "understands the Spirit of the Lord" nobody him "taught know-how" nobody "introduced him to the path of intelligence" . All this he has decided and done by his wisdom only by its power alone. He is the one God. The replacement is based on the nil and "empty" (v. 17).
Let's trust him! "It does not get tired, it does not end. His intelligence is impenetrable. " (v. 28)
YYY 2 YYY
To those who say
" My situation is beyond the Lord
my right goes unnoticed to my God! "
The Lord replied
it " gives strength to that
who is tired"
and "who relies on him. "
God responds within two doubts can creep in us. He wants to reassure us on two issues that could destabilize us. He wants to show us how he acts when in fact we feel that our situation is beyond him and he does not treated as we deserve.
" Why do you say [...] and affirm why you [...] : "My situation is beyond the Lord!" ? " (v. 27) Of course when this happens to us is that we do not move: the healing is delayed, the unemployed can not find a solution, the tension in the family or kinship persist.
But after what we just heard, it can not be due to the impotence of God, his power is unlimited. Nor can it be due to his indifference to us. In the next chapter, he continues his speech. There he states: "I chose you and you do not reject. Do not walk around worried glances, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I come to your aid, I will uphold you [...] " (Isaiah 41.9-10)
Oh! But how, if I still see nothing moving? Is that in his great kindness and great wisdom, our heavenly Father "knows what we need," (Mt 6.8). He also knows when and how we help. He knows us better than ourselves, we, our needs, our strengths and weaknesses, and "it will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength, but with the temptation," with proof that we are experiencing, "also make a way out so that we can cope" (1 Cor 10.13).
For Isaiah, God promises us: "Those who rely on the Lord shall renew their strength. " (v. 31) Again this applies Paul's question: " If God be for us, " him, God's faithful love and unlimited power, "Who can be against us? " (Rom 8.31) what can really hurt us because it" mastered "all, to speak like young people?
"Rely on the Lord" do trust him: his hands we're in good hands, hands that protect and bless, hands reassuring and never waver.
With this faith or "confidence" , we will take courage, we will find the strength to surrender ourselves with patience to his business management because "will act" ( Ps 37.5)
And do not think he treats us as opposed to what we "right" . God asks us, because he knows our excesses: " Why do you say [...] and affirm why you [...] : "My right goes unnoticed to my God!" ? " (v. 27)
Because we " rights " with God! Maybe we do not emphasize enough. Too often we confine to repeat at length of days and years - and worship! - That we are sinners and saved only by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It is true, and is the basis of everything. But we forget to say and sing what Jesus did for us by saving us: the children of God with rights.
After confessing our sins with humility and received absolution at the beginning of worship, we should no longer continue to move forward in continuing to worship in fear of beatings: absolution we can move straight and proud and happy rights that are now ours. Certainly not their birthright, but vested rights, acquired through our Lord Jesus Christ. In redeeming us through His Son, by adopting us as his children, he has granted us immense.
"You are all son and daughters of God through faith in Jesus Christ, you who have been baptized, have put on Christ! " (Galatians 3.26-27) God sees us through His Son, as brothers and sisters of her Son, with rights as children of God. Paul reminds us that we were "adopted" and have now rights pertaining to children, children of God. (Rom 8.15)
It is true, as the Israelites, everything happens as if sometimes "my right went unnoticed by my God" (v. 27), as if God forgot my rights child, the right to its protection, the right to his care, the right to his aid.
This is only an impression. Not that our suffering or our events are imaginary: they are real. But this is not a sign that God would deny the rights that we acquired his Son. God "remains faithful he can not disown himself " nor the rights granted to us (2 Tim 2.13).
Let us trust in our God of love. It's not amnesia, he knows what we deserve because of Jesus, he knows what he is committed to provide us as care in the covenant of Baptism.
Let's trust him. He has his reasons when he gives the impression of having forgotten that he is our Father and we are his children, when we have the impression that he forgets his duty as a father.
Here, listen to what we said a few chapters later (we'll finish with this wonderful promise): "I will never forget you. Look! I have engraved on my hands. " (Isaiah 49.15-16)
Amen.
Jean Thiébaut Haessig
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