Day 52-53: What I've learned from Isaiah

So it's taken me about a month to get back into things.  I must admit I've been plagued by a bit of passivity lately, thank you Joyce Meyer.  On the other hand, I've faced a lot of stress lately, getting sick consistently, starting a new job and trying to ignore God.  All three of these things will keep you very busy, if you let them.  The new job is going well.  I'm an investigator for CPS now, but I still have other things to look into, like Linguistics...  I'm trying to figure out this health thing, thankfully my insurance contracts with Mayo Clinic, Woo hoo!  Ignoring God, well that's just stupid and stubborn.  I get that way sometimes, but according to Isaiah, I'm not the only one with that problem.

Isaiah is a beautiful book and reading the Bible as I am, from start to finish, I find it is easier to engage.  I understand what's happening in Israel and Judah because I read that background in Kings and Chronicles, etc.  So reading what Isaiah has to say makes more sense in light of that.

God is understandable in this book and maybe it's because of the poetry and voice that comes out here in Isaiah, that indeed Isaiah uses, inspired by God himself.  I would like to make a brief comment on the theory/ies posited that Isaiah is written by multiple authors and that there is more than one Isaiah.  I think this really is a compilation of one man's prophesies/writings.  Why?  If one were to gather all my writings together, over my lifetime, they would be much like Isaiah's.  They wouldn't all be in order, they'd be different genres and voices and rather eclectic.  That's the way I am and I think we all are.  I say why not?  Why couldn't it be one man?  It makes sense to me.

Back to what God is saying.  I love God.  He is God, holy and wonderful and terrifying, but he is also loving and good and all of these things saturate Isaiah.  God has a heart, not only for Israel and Judah, but for all the nations.  Really there is no difference between Israel and the other nations, except that God chose them to be his people and bring his salvation to the world through them.  I mean look at their track record, they really were no better than any other nation (they should have known better, being God's people, but that is another matter).  If you don't think the God in the Old Testament is merciful, read Isaiah.  If you don't think is merciful AND just, read Isaiah.  If you don't think God is feminine as well as masculine, read Isaiah.

I never really cared much for Isaiah, before, but reading it now and reading it in light of all that has gone before, well it makes so much more sense.  It makes more sense and I am still amazed.  I am still amazed by God.  Isn't that how it should be?  In spite of everything God calls to his people, he pours his mercy and judgment on them and at the same time says, I am bringing hope, not just for you, but for all peoples now and peoples to come.  Thank you God!  Thank you my LORD and my life!  Thank you and forgive me for taking you for granted.

Tomorrow: Jeremiah.  Now: sleep.