Advent 14

The Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2008

Isaiah 13:6-13 

Howl, for the Day of the LORD is at hand; it comes, a mighty blow from Almighty God. 

Babylon is coming!  Its mighty and ruthless army will overrun Judah and take God’s chosen people into exile where they will languish for 70 years.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will enter the fiery furnace, and Daniel will be put into the lions’ den; all four will survive, thrive, faithful to the God who orchestrated the Day of the Lord and the captivity of His people. 

But what about us?  If these words of God’s anger are for us, today, how do we receive them?  If we receive these words with blind terror, we are to be pitied.  If we receive these words with glee, knowing that they are addressed to Others, those who will be “left behind,” we are in deep trouble. 

If God’s anger terrifies us, we can examine our lives, repair the sinful parts and begin a relationship with the Creator; that is, repent and amend our ways.  All one needs is the desire for a relationship with God for it to begin.  God does the work.  Talking to the Father (prayer), reading His word (study), and meeting with other believers regularly (worship) will begin a relationship with Yahweh, and He will restore your brokenness. 

If God’s anger makes us gleeful because we know that those who don’t believe as we do will be punished, we need to take the same steps as the fearful, because joy at another’s destruction signifies a broken relationship. 

We have a stalwart role model in this work, in Job.  More than the Day of the Lord came to Job.  He was a righteous man who lost everything he possessed, including his health.  He was a physical and mental wreck, being comforted by so-called friends who urged him to appease an angry God.  If you haven’t read the book of Job, I encourage you to read it this Advent. 

In the face of so much hardship, Job was discouraged, of course; but he was not afraid. We need not be afraid, either.  Job’s words can be our words, through daily troubles, even through the Day of the Lord:  I know that my vindicator (redeemer) lives…my defending counsel, even God himself, whom I shall see with my own eyes…  (Job 19:25-27). 

Job was righteous.  For those of us who know we are less than righteous?  Our redeemer lives, too.  He is coming, soon, to live beside us, to take on our daily trials as well as those which overwhelm us.  When the Day of the Lord comes, we need only be found next to Him.