Isaiah was a visionary. He lived in Jerusalem near the end of Israel’s kingdom period in a time of unrest and yet his life was marked by prophetic vision. On the LORD’s behalf, Isaiah spoke boldly to the leaders of Jerusalem in a way that would impact the entire community. Can you imagine the weight of that responsibility?
Isaiah’s dreams and visions concerning Israel were extensive and profound. The people of Israel were rebelling against the covenant of the LORD and they were in great danger. Isaiah had the unpopular task of warning the people that the LORD would judge the community if they continued worshiping false idols and oppressing the poor.
For the past nine weeks, as the coronavirus upended the world with fear, stay-at-home mandates, financial loss and isolation, we’ve turned to Scripture for the hope we each need to endure rough times.
Ancient Israel had a hope: to return to the Land God had promised to give her. Yet, she had been in exile in Babylon for so long that I’m sure the hope of many began to wane, if not completely disappear.
Our God is the Master Composer. The intricacies He has purposefully arranged on His grand scale of time are often indistinguishable to the human ear, unless we strain to hear. As we journey through the story of Ezra-Nehemiah in the days ahead, listen in for a pattern, a 3-part harmony, as God composes another movement in His song through the mouths of His prophets. See if you can make out the sounds.
The words God gave to His prophets often told about events in the current time, near future and a time even further in the future. They are always pointing us forward, but what were they pointing us forward to?
