22nd December – Isaiah 9:2-7
“You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and they will rejoice” – In the Old Testament the nation of Israel is described as God’s chosen people. It says in the passage that God will enlarge this nation, this means that not only are the descendants of Israel God’s chosen ones, but it opens this nation up to every person before us, and every person after us, no matter where they come from or what they have done in their lives. WE ARE ALL the chosen people of God.
In verse 3 it says “they will rejoice before you, as people rejoice at the harvest”. This idea of rejoicing like at the harvest carries a great deal of significance. In those times harvest was the end of the labour and the work that the farmers had put in to produce the crops. This was a time of celebration of the final product. To me, the fact that the enlarged nation of Israel will rejoice in front of God in this way will be a celebration of God’s end product (When “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”)
Why would God do all these things for us? It says that God “will break the yoke of slavery” so that we can be free and without a heavy burden upon our shoulders. This freedom is given to us, not through our own actions but through God’s love for us. As I was thinking about this there was lyrics from a song going through my mind (they are from a song called a Scandal of Grace) “Too much to make sense of it all, I know that Your love breaks my fall, The scandal of grace, You died in my place, So my soul will live”.
Prayer Challenge – “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” (1 Corinthians)
Thank you that you have enlarged the nation of your chosen people, so that every one of us can be a part of your family and experience your love. Father we pray that you help us to show your love to those around us. It says at the start of the passage that those in dark places will see a great light. This light is as bright as you, this light is your love; Help us to live this life of light in those dark places. Amen.