Our scripture readings for this week include: Isaiah 40:1–11; Psalm 85; 2 Peter 3:8–14; Mark 1:1–8. My hope is that these short reviews of each passage will work like an Advent devotional this year. Also when these passages are read on Sunday we will all have a better understanding of the text what praising our God should look and sound like because of them.
Readings for the Second Week of Advent
Advent Devotion – Isaiah 40:1-11
Up until this point in Isaiah there are only a few glimmers of hope. Only a couple promises from God for some good. The rest is a revolving door of sin, judgement, and threat of exile.
Starting in these verses though the Prophet gives hope. And it is a strange kind of hope because now he has fast-forwarded to a time when the exile has already taken place. Judgement has happened and God’s people are scattered. And what does God have the boldness to do, forgive the sin of his people. He is now going to give to them twice more comfort than they ever received judgement.
And here is the crazy thing, this comfort–what v.9 describes as good news–is going to come from the lips of a preacher. The preacher is described as a “Voice”.
Get ready, keep your eyes open says this preacher because God is coming. And not only that, he is coming in his glory.
In v.6 this preacher tells all the people to yell out a confession that everything fades but not the Word of God, it lasts. This too is good news. His arms will be strong–carrying judgement for the enemies of God–and also tender–ready to pick up his flock who he will care for as a good shepherd.
And that is it. That is the Good News. Even for you.
These exiles and their families are eventually returned to their land. But they do not find the double comfort there that they were hoping for.
Instead these words of God, these Good News words that do not fade, are spoken 700 years later by that “Voice“ that Isaiah spoke of, John the Baptist.
And who does he speak these Good News words to? Exiles. But not the kind of exiles that first heard this. These exiles were Jews living in and around Israel. These were people in the promised land and yet were a lost people. They were sheep who needed to be gathered and so God sent his voice to announce the arrival of himself. The arrival of that true and good Shepherd. The arrival of that tough but tender arm. The arrival of the true Word of Good News, Jesus.
That same double comfort and Good News. That same word. That same shepherd is what saves us. The Apostle Peter refers to you and me as exiles with the need to be gathered and cared for. And this is just what we celebrate this time of year. That God himself, our God Shepherd, came to gather us exiles and bring us to the place we were meant to be, with him forever.