Words of Comfort
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Words of Comfort
Words of Comfort
We are in the third of a four part series on the so called Servant Poems in Isaiah.
For me, these are so relevant today.
And, there may be surprising things in here too.
Now, I am uncertain that the author of these texts had the Messiah in mind when these were written.
However, they can certainly apply to Jesus, and perhaps, they will help explain WHERE Jesus’ theology was formed.
Again, Jesus’ theology was so opposite to what was expected.
His theology is opposite to what many Christians think and are taught.
How do we handle conflict?
In other words, when you feel like you are taking a beating from life, work, family, spouse, kids, or even your own body, what do you want to happen?
If you are religious and pray often, what would you pray?
Specifically, what would you ask for?
Our text addresses this very subject, written to a people who are engaged in conflict, have been dispossessed from their homes, and are living as refugees under a foreign leader. (Some of you might feel like that, and some people are actually living that life right now in our town.)
The Lord GOD has given me a student’s tongue (experience),
that I may know how to use a word to bend a weary person.
Every morning he wakes my ear to hear like a student.
Isaiah 50:4
So far, so good. No conflict.
This is preparatory, the servant here seems to be prepared.
But, this single verse is packed, PAUSE for a moment, let it sink in.
This servant has the experience of a student, one who has to LEARN
And EACH MORNING, the servants ear is awoken to hear, like a LEARNER
And that instruction, WITH the experience of a LEARNER, can be USED to help a WEARY person break the FUNK.
Amazing…words, instruction, teaching can have this impact.
NOTICE…it is the WEARINESS that is broken
NOT the CIRCUMSTANCES!
The Lord GOD has opened my ear and
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned my back to him.
Isaiah 50:5
Why is an ear opened?
And notice, this servant can RELATE to the WEARY.
The servant UNDERSTANDS the CONFLICT.
And they do not BLAME God for it.
They just…LISTEN and LEARN...
But, the world around this servant is NOT FRIENDLY...
And WHEN YOU FACE God…where is your BACKSIDE?
Instead, I gave my back to people who beat me
and my cheeks to people who tore out my beard.
I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
Isaiah 50:6
This image is one of a servant who is IN FRONT of God,
LISTENING TO GOD...
Who have set WHAT IS BEING DONE TO THEM...
BEHIND THEM...
Think of today’s culture wars and how easily people are offended.
The servant handles CONFLICT in a very different way.
What is GOD going TO DO?
His SERVANT is beaten, and has their BEARD TORN OUT.
They are SPIT on and INSULTED...
How will the SERVANT handle the CONFLICT?
But, the Lord GOD he will help (ezr) me, therefore
I have not been shamed and
I have made my face like a rock knowing that
I will not be shamed!
Isaiah 50:7
It DOES NOT say, the Lord GOD will SMITE THEM WITH FIRE.
(Even though that might be what we want to happen)
No, the SERVANT measures their PUBLIC SHAME against their relationship with God.
At this point, has the SERVANT done anything wrong?
No.
DISTINCTION…If you violate moral laws, then you have shame that is deserved.
But THIS CONFLICT, for THIS SERVANT, we are not TOLD WHY.
It is as if the SERVANT is INNOCENT of WRONGDOING.
How does the servant HANDLE THE CONFLICT?
They bring the beard-pullers and violent people before God.
My vindicator has come near, so
who dares to judge me?
Come now, let’s stand together!
Who will be the master of my judgement?
Let him approach me!
Isaiah 50:8
In other words…CATCH THIS...
The SERVANT goes to the JUDGE, God, and dares their accuser to come with them.
Will the ACCUSER or GOD be the MASTER of the servant’s judgement?
See! My Lord GOD will help (ezr) me, so
who will declare my guilt?
See! All of them are like worn out clothes,
a moth can devour them.
Isaiah 50:9
Oh my, so important here...
If God is for me…then who can really oppose me?
And the SERVANT recognizes people for what they are.
Like WORN OUT CLOTHES.
So weak that a moth can destroy them.
The allusion is that you are WEARING THE INSULTS of others,
when you could be WEARING the WISDOM of GOD.
NARRATOR BREAKS IN…THEREFORE...
Who among you fears the LORD and
obeys the voice of his servant?
Whoever has walked in darkness,
with no bright light inside,
let them trust in the Name of the LORD,
let them depend on their God.
Isaiah 50:10
The Narrator is asking you a question.
Again, we have two characters here.
The LORD…fear (awe) him.
The SERVANT…OBEY his voice.
***** Whoever has walked in darkness
Who does this apply too?
Remember the SERVANT had a STUDENT’s tongue?
***** With no bright light inside...
Have you ever felt this way?
So lost you cannot believe there is a way out?
WEARY...
Have you been walking in CONFLICT, UNCERTAINTY, NOT KNOWING WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO?
THEN YOU are a PERFECT CANDIDATE!
***** Let them trust...
That is WHO God is looking for.
There is NO CONFLICT with the one who:
Does NOT SHAME YOU
Does NOT HOLD YOU GUILTY
BUT TO YOU WHO KINDLE CONFLICT...
The NARRATOR has a message...
Watch out, all of you who kindle a fire,
all of you who hug flaming arrows,
all of you will walk in the flames of your
flaming arrows and fire you kindled.
From my hand, it will be for you
like lying in a bed of torment.
Isaiah 50:11
WARNING: Are you a fire starter?
What is meant by fire here?
Kindle, that means you get some tinder, you have something that will burn, and you go to work trying to INTENTIONALLY start a fire.
***** Hug flaming arrows
And when you get the fire going...
You light arrows, take your bow, and shoot it away from you TO THE INTENDED TARGET.
(SICK BURN)
But for real…your goal is to DESTROY others or things with FIRE.
WHO IS MAKING THE FIRE?
PEOPLE...
***** All of you WILL WALK in the FLAMES....
This is the judgement, and it should not be surprising.
(Reap what you sow…)
NERD: Any of you ever wonder where JAMES gets his theology of the tongue?
The tongue is LIT with HELL’s FIRE and we use it to SLAUGHTER others?
Humans SPREAD the FIRE of HELL on earth with our WORDS?
TORMENT comes at the HANDS of other HUMANS...
*****From my hand...
Who is making the torment?
Is it the speaker?
In other words, who kindled the fire?
And what happened?
Their own fire burned them.
And the speaker says, from my hand, as in, I am not going to rescue you from the hell you created for my servant.
We might say something silly like, “Well God is giving you want you deserve.”
How ridiculous.
They have made their own bed of fire.
Their fate is on them, not on God.
This SERVANT POEM TESTIFIES to our DESIRE for:
Revenge
Conflict
Destruction
Jesus addressed this when we went through Luke...
Do you remember this from Luke?
He sent messengers ahead of him. They came into a Samaritan village to get them ready, and they refused to receive him, because his mind was set on going to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Master, do you want us to call down fire from heaven and burn them up?’ He turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.
You see, this servant that Isaiah describes, who much later turns out to be Jesus, is not what we expect from God.
Why would Jesus say this? Where did he get his theology?
The Apostle Paul picked up on this too...
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The teaching is to TRUST in God and ignore what comes your way.
But, if you participate in SHOOTING FIERY ARROWS…you have joined the EVIL ONE in their mission.
How do we handle conflict?
Are you a flamethrower?
Are you a student?
What is the source of your light?
The flaming fiery arrows you kindled?
The bright light of Jesus inside?
SOCIETY DRIVEN BY REVENGE...
SO EASY TO TORCH OTHERS ONLINE...
*****Do you prefer to shoot fiery arrows at others...
*****Do you prefer to TUNE OUT and LISTEN to the Lord GOD?
This author is very black and white about this.
***** What is the source of your light?
***** The flaming fiery arrows you kindled?
***** The bright light of Jesus’ love inside
(It used to be DARKNESS)
In other words, what kind of light do you prefer?
Your enemies and the ones who hurt you in flames?
Is that the “light of the world” you want to live?
Do you want to bathe in the warmth of the fire you started?
Do you want to use your tongue to be a FIRE STARTER?
Or, do you prefer the Light that comes from God’s teaching?
Jesus claimed to be the “light of the world,” be he never picked up an arrow
Do you want to bathe in the warmth of God’s mercy and grace?
Do you want the tongue of a STUDENT, who knows what it is like to be hurt and has been taught by GOD?
CHRISTIANS and PEOPLE OF FAITH and MORALS are EASY TARGETS.
We mingle Christianity with Western Values and JOIN THE FIGHT!
You say something against me, I will return it to you
You do something I don’t like, I will EXPOSE you
I have FREE SPEECH, so I WILL UNLEASH my Tongue!
It is as if the constitution and Bill of Rights are part of our scripture.
And it is not...
Our scriptures teach us how to live in a FALLEN WORLD.
FLAMING ARROWS of TRAUMA…are horrible, because TRAUMA causes our MIND to FIRE FIREY ARROWS at OURSELVES.