The Promise

I'm tired of waiting.

I'm tired of pain and suffering.

Of evil winning.

Of laziness. 

Of watching the masquerade where the powerful climb the ladder of success on the backs of others.

Of justice being usurped simply for a man's pride.

Of those who are truly hungry and oppressed.

Of those who whine and winge and complain about being oppressed, and honestly have no clue what it means.

Of people who confuse "raising the issue" with doing something.

But most of all, I'm tired. I'm exhausted from the pain I see day in and day out. The depths of people's eyes that are simply a reflection of their souls. The silent scream of the cry that resides deep inside so many; longing, desperate to be known. Creating identities. Trying to "find yourself," instead of listening to the deafening whisper that gently declares that you are called Beloved. 

I'm tired from all of the sleepless nights spent on my knees, begging the One Who Sees to speak. To call His Beloved to claim their identity and live as if it is true. The sons and daughters of the King. That we would no longer trade our birth right for the illusion of safety and security but rest solely in who He has made us to be as His own. 

But this time is not different... For the whole world had seemingly gone to hell. Half of the kingdom demolished, but Judah still had a chance. 

War seemed eminent. So day and night Isaiah begged on his knees. The King heard his cry and sent a message so that the king might hear the cry and the people saved. As Assyrian expansion threatened every day life, Ephraim and Aram formed an alliance. When the kingdom of Judah refused to join, the leaders began to exert pressure. They thought only with military might could they win and hold off Assyria, and retain their freedom.

The news of another invasion became imminent and the people's hearts quaked with fear. For what do you do when your very life is threatened? When each and every day, you wonder if it would be your last, with the vast uncertainty...

And so Yahweh heard Isaiah's cry and sent him to the king. To remind King Ahaz of the promise. While destruction seemed eminent, the simple and profound wisdom that the might of Aram and Ephraim was no match for Assyria. That this threat would soon be snuffed out. 

But the issue wasn't politics. Military. Or treaties. Rather- if Ahaz would trust God to keep His promise - that God would deal with Assyria. Would Ahaz seek his own salvation by political alliance or through the gift of God's promise?

And so Isaiah tries desperately to move Ahaz to faith. To help him remember. That while things may appear dark and the day lost... 

A beautiful opportunity is given to Ahaz. To secure his hope and a permanent & tangible reminder of the promise. Does he respond with gratitude in a deep moment of worship? No- he dawns a mask of hypocrisy and false piety. Making an excuse veiled as faithfulness. 

God has had enough. Every gift has been rejected. He was wearied by the lack of faith His people possessed, mirrored in Ahaz's response. The sign that God promised, this beautiful tangible gift? No longer would it be an invitation, but confirmation, a guarantee that The Word of God stands true. 

In that moment in history, God wanted to prove He was with His people Judah and Ahaz, a gift for those who believed and judgment for those who didn't... 

But Ahaz turned his hope to that which he saw and did himself- the salvation he sought with an alliance with Assyria became his undoing. 

And so the people waited for the promised sign. Immanuel - God with us. "The name of the overlord power would change, from Assyria to Babylon to Persia to Greece and finally to Rome before Immanuel would be born, but when he was born, it was to share the poverty of his people, to inherit a non-existent throne and to feel the full weight of the oppressor. The blame for all this rested on Ahaz and his failure to believe the Lord's word. The promise awaited its time..." (A. Motyer)

Year after year. Generation after generation. The deafening silence. The abscence of kings. Until another dreamer named Joseph heard the voice of the King. That God had not forgotten his people- then or now. For Mary was to bear a son and his name was to be Jesus, for he would save his people from their sins. And all this took place to fulfill the prophecy: "Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel."

And so we wait on the other side of the cross. For all of the wrongs to be put right. For the restoration of the kingdom. He is God with us, leaving with us a deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance, choosing not to simply dwell with us, but in is. 

In the moments when it seems darkness threatens light and that evil may overtake good... When you are tired of waiting, hold fast, do not forget the promise. 

"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9