Passage: Isaiah 40:9-11The Greatness of God.
9 Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
"Behold your God!"
10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Journal: Isaiah has spent a good 40 chapters or so detailing the wretchedness of God's people and the justifiable wrath and discipline of God in the midst of the rebellion. Yet, God has made a way to placate His wrath, and finding this way is dependent upon what we do with His provision and atonement. He "heralds the good news," and the exclamation point to the herald is "fear not." He is justifiably wrathful and yet we are to "fear not." Our fear is replaced by wonder, for we are to "Behold [our] God." As we behold Him, we see Him not only One who righteously punishes, but also as One who mercifully redeems. Thus, we "behold [our] God" on a cross bearing our iniquities.
Isaiah points us to the cross by declaring some of the attributes of our God. Isaiah 40:10 tells us that He comes with "might." [40:10 -- "Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."] Thus, He comes with power. Yet, Isaiah 40:11 points out that He also comes with tenderness. [40:11 -- "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."] The gentleness of God is lovingly displayed - a shepherd carrying his lamb close to his heart. I picture wolves howling all around, and Christ taking me up and gently carrying me to safety with my head next to His heart.
Heard 'Round the House:
I felt like I was watching a Monty Python segment yesterday afternoon as I was staring out the kitchen window into the back yard. First, Alex [age 12] motors by on the sidewalk on an electric scooter. [Pause] Next Vera [age 9; down syndrome], perched standing on a regular scooter, comes into view dressed in a dinosaur outfit with a long tail trailing the scooter. [Double Pause] Finally, here comes Emma [age 7; down syndrome] into view on a tricycle swaying back and forth singing a song at the top of her voice. The only thing missing was an English voice saying, "And now, for something completely different . . ."
