A sermon by The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr. preached on the third Sunday of Advent, December 13, 2009.
A sermon based on Isaiah 12:1-6
What would a worship service be like without music? Songs are like a vast landscape on which hundreds of millions of people through the ages have sung their faith, joys, sorrows, and hopes. The writers of the Holy Scriptures record many songs. Our Old Testament lesson from the twelfth chapter of Isaiah is actually a song of thanksgiving. The song is a response to the promised salvation entrusted to the prophet Isaiah. He tells us to give thanks, call upon his name, and sing for joy!
Yet the prophet Isaiah lived during a period when people experienced little joy. The people failed to appreciate God and really had no desire to sing of God’s praises or His promise of salvation. The people wanted more from God. They complained when things did not go their way instead of being thankful for what God gave them. How often in life do we express this same attitude? How many among us have not wanted more in life—more money, more power, or as I’ve experienced with young David who is now three years old eagerly awaiting Christmas Day, more toys?
During the time of Isaiah life was difficult for many countries because they were at war with each other. One thing which the people of the southern kingdom of Israel, known as Judah, wanted was more of God’s protection from the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were attacking and conquering neighboring countries. King Hezekiah, the ruler of Judah, was encouraged to join in an uprising against Assyria. The prophet Isaiah argued against such an uprising. He assured King Hezekiah that God would eventually cause the country of Assyria to fall and be defeated. The people agreed to be patient but they failed to trust God. A few years later King Hezekiah ignored Isaiah’s advice in seeking to protect the nation’s interests. Isaiah pleaded with the people to continue to look to God for deliverance, not to another nation but Judah formed an alliance with Egypt to fight the Assyrians. As a result of this alliance Judah was defeated and conquered by the Assyrians. By setting out to liberate themselves from Assyria by their own abilities, the country paid a high price. Assyria made Judah pay large sums of money as an acknowledgment of their dependency upon Assyria for protection. King Hezekiah even had to strip the plating from the doors and pillars of the temple because they were made of gold, to help pay the Assyrians.
What did the people of Israel learned through this painful lesson you might be asking? They learned through this experience that God is the ruler of history and is one who has the power to save. Our lesson from the Old Testament from Isaiah stresses this point when he says, “Behold, God is my salvation.” We have become accustomed to thinking of salvation primarily in terms of our hope for heaven and beyond this life. When Isaiah spoke of salvation, he was talking about something that can happen in the land of the living, in the present time. Certainly, the past, present and future experiences are included in this particular moment. The praise here in these verses is for redemption. While Isaiah speaks as if his own contemporaries will experience redemption, he is actually depicting people in the future in terms of his contemporaries. The one voice of all generations may and must be united in eternal praise of our God in heaven both in the midst of continued adversity and in the eternity of heaven as well.
In our times of joy or adversity, we must also acknowledge the God of Isaiah as our strength and song as well. Isaiah compares the eternal joy that may be ours to the value of water in Palestine. Just as water proved precious in the dry desert climate of Palestine so the joy of salvation is likened to the joys of a cold drink of well water in a dry thirsty land. All of those who have received the grace of waters from the well of salvation are encouraged in verse four to rejoice, give thanks and sing.
In our land of the living, our present time, it is so easy for us to forget this song from Isaiah. During the Christmas rush, our minds are on those dreaded credit card bills soon to come, having to fight traffic in the malls, or going back to work or school Monday morning. Wrapped up in our complaints, we forget what we should be thankful for. The song in our hearts should not be a “Blue Christmas” but songs of thanksgiving and excitement that we will soon celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah pointed his people to a loving Savior who would come to save future generations from their sins. All the while the people of Israel looked to heaven and longed to have God step down not realizing that they should be thankful for God’s mercy in the present. During the season of Advent, we look forward to the future coming of Jesus. Yet, like those in Israel long ago, we often want and expect more from God. We want God to intervene in our life more directly, we want God to heal those who we love who are ill, and we want God to wipe away any horrible thing happening to us.
What we forget is that we can see God’s power and Christ’s saving work among us every day, we need only look more closely. As God through Christ provides us salvation, we in turn our blessed to bless others. I’d like to share this illustration about what it means to be a blessing for others. This comes in a story about an elderly woman named Hope who lived in Detroit, one of the poorest and most economically depressed cities in our nation these days. Hope went to her mail-box and there was a letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter.
Dear Hope,
I’m going to be in the neighborhood this later this afternoon and I’d like to stop by for a visit.
Love always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.” With that thought, Hope remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. I’ll have to walk to the store and buy something for dinner. She reached for her purse and counted out her money which only amounted to $15.00 cash. “Well, I can get some milk, bread, and cold cuts at least. She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of bread, a half pound of sliced turkey and a gallon of milk left Hope with a grand total of $2.27 cents to last her until her social security check came later that week. She headed toward home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm. As she was walking home, Hope became so absorbed in her dinner plans and possible conversations with her special guest that she almost didn’t notice two people, a man and woman who were obviously homeless approaching her. “Excuse me miss, could you help us please?” The man explained to Hope that he did not have a job and that he and his wife were living out on the streets. He shared with her that now that the colder weather had arrived they were in need of warmer clothes and that they were in need of some food. Hope looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly she wanted to get as far away from them and as she could as quickly as possible. Hope replied, “Look, I’m poor myself and all I have are these cold cuts, bread and milk and I have an important guest coming for dinner tonight and this was what I was planning on serving.” “Ok, Miss, I understand. “Thanks anyway.”
The man put his arm around the shoulder of his wife, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Hope felt a sudden twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she walked towards them. “Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the couple her grocery bag. “Thank you Miss. Thank you very much!” Yes, thank you said the man’s wife, and Hope could now see she was shivering. “You know, I’ve got another coat at home, here, why don’t you take this one. Hope unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Hope turned and walked back to the street without her coat and nothing to serve her guest. Hope was very cold by the time she reached her front door and she began to worry about the excuse she would have to offer Jesus of having no food for him for his arrival. As Hope fumbled through her purse for the door key, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. Perhaps the mail carrier had placed this in the wrong box and a neighbor had placed this in her box. She took the envelope out and opened the letter which read:
Dear Hope
It was so good to see you again. Thank you very much for the food and thank you for the beautiful coat.
Love always,
Jesus
We are indeed called to be a blessing to others. The message of God’s salvation is told in the prophets words:
Surely God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
(Isaiah 12:2-3 NIV translation)
Our lives unfold in a continuous succession of experience and expectations. Every day can bring new complaints or a new sense of compassion. As troubles linger in our lives, we are promised that times of happiness are on the horizon. The season of Advent is a time we look forward to the kingdom of God that is to come. Jesus Christ is the life giving well that continually refreshes and provides for us salvation. As we look forward to the future coming of Jesus Christ let us remember these words from the great prophet:
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.
(Isaiah 12:4 NIV translation)
For centuries these words have sung in the hearts of the followers of the Lord God. The source of its joy has been the gospel of God’s love in Jesus Christ. May these words sing in our hearts until Christ comes again.
Finis
The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr.