July 5

Isaiah's prophecy is tough to listen to. He speaks of final destruction, of devastation of the earth, and of punishing people for their sin. Then he speaks of restoration where there is no more suffering, only rejoicing. I wonder what did the people of Judah thought when they first heard these words. His prophecy if full of symbolism about major things that are to happen. Some are scary, other full of hope. How did the people of Judah accept that? Those same questions are valid for us. Even though we can't understand everything, the tone is clear. The urgency for turning away from sin and following God is clear to me. God is righteous and just and that wickedness has to be punished. Yet, it is also clear in God's message through Isaiah that there is salvation possible from sin:

In that day they will say,

"Surely this is our God;

we trusted in him, and he saved us.

This is the LORD, we trusted in him;

let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."(Isaiah 25:9)

But only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the LORD will return. (Isaiah 35:9-10)

The people of Judah didn't know how at that time, but we now have seen that the Messiah was born and that he provided the way to be saved. Jesus already bore our punishment when he was crucified. The righteous who will be saved are not people who've never sinned (no such people), but those who accept what Jesus has done for them, repent from sin and are redeemed by their faith in Jesus. Salvation is a gift from God to be accepted:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (Romans: 1:16-17)

God gives hope for everyone who believes, hope for a full redemption of the world, when there will be no more suffering, even no more death. The earth will be restored and those redeemed in Christ will see it. This is something worth looking forward to! How do we accept God's words? How do we understand them. How do we believe them as truth? Seek to know Him more every day. Ask Him. God is not afraid of questions. He will explain at the right time the things we need to know.