Lessons from a Master Teacher: Dr. Maya Angelou

Lessons from a Master Teacher:

Expressions of Enduring Gratitude for the Life and Legacy of

 Dr. Maya Angelou – Part One

“A mighty tree has fallen.”  That sagacious and enduring African proverb honors the passing of an elder and griot whose physical absence resounds throughout the village. Just as the sound of a falling oak, sequoia or fir reverberates in the forest, the loss of a literary giant, Dr. Maya Angelou, deeply affects the hearts and minds of countless millions of citizens in the global village who learned from her poetry, novels and literary criticism.  Her personal pilgrimage from the brutality of rape at seven years of age through paralyzing silence to completing her earthly journey as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, further inspires nameless, average persons.  Spanning her humble origins in segregated Arkansas on 4 April 1928 and her formative years in St. Louis, Missouri to periods of residence on the continent of Africa and ending 28 May 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she taught on the faculty of the prestigious Wake Forest University, Maya Angelou’s impressive Pan-African life, personally powerful legacy and intriguing myriad experiences connect African-American, Caribbean and native continental segments of the African Diaspora. 

Conversant with her brothers and sisters of each major component of the Diaspora, she encouraged and empowered various cultural, linguistic and ethnic strands of people of African descent to appreciate their interrelatedness and interdependence within the global community.  As griot to the Diaspora, she taught her racially monolithic yet experientially and existentially diverse community to find self-acceptance and self-love in the nuances of being a Black person.  Cosmopolitan in the genuine sense, she transcended the stark limitations of her origins; she equally resisted the comfort and familiarity of bourgeois culture in America.  Thereby, she proactively forged an identity that enabled her to speak to all neighbors in the global village.  Her seminal poem, “On the Pulse of the Morning,” delivered for the first time on the occasion of President Clinton’s First Inauguration, enduringly demonstrates her inimitable ability to translate a Pan African perspective to the world.  She challenges the nation and world to see personhood, worth, dignity and respect in each person as you greet someone with a sincere “Good morning.”  In so doing, everyone affirms and accepts himself or herself.

In many ways, Dr. Angelou was just an average person who overcame formidable obstacles.  Her fame emerged as an outcome of her steadfast spirit.  The tragedies of her formative years are far too common for many people.  She lived down a brutal rape and seven-year period of substantial silence, shame and self-blame.  She harbored untold and unspeakable guilt for the “mob justice” and wanton retribution that necessitated the murder of her rapist.  Her silence became an ironic period of compassion for her victimizer.  Had she not said anything, he would have lived longer; quite possibly, he eventually would have met a similar fate as he was bound to repeat his dastardly deed.  Her voice saved other girls!  Equally, her silence became a cocoon which defined, developed and nurtured one of the most important American, African American and woman voices in the twentieth century.

Her life teaches the definite probability of healing that awaits victims of trauma who courageously confront their fearful and foreboding experiences.  Dr. Angelou refused consistently throughout her life to be a victim.  Her period of silence prevented the petrification of her victimization.  Her story contains many powerful motivations and encouraging and empowering examples for any average person.  She became a college professor though she did not earn a doctorate degree.  She maintained her quest for love and romance despite several challenging relationships.  Using writing as a cathartic, therapeutic and healing mechanism, she became an international bestselling author.  Notwithstanding Dr. Angelou’s humble origins, she transcended provincialism in her appeal to an international audience.  She fostered inner resources and abilities to overcome the psychological wreckage and fierce adversity of her formative years.  Her acquisition of celebrity did not spoil her authenticity or contaminate her personality.  Dr. Angelou rebuffed affectations thereby remaining an average, approachable and accessible person.  Her humility and genuineness enabled her to gain the respect of younger generations.  Literary critics, scholars of literature and historians undoubtedly will study her body of work for decades to come.  Their analyses will not compare with the transformative epiphanies which average people will experience when they read her work and learn from her unique and powerful human experience.  Chief among these lessons will be her powerful example relating to conquering fear in daily living. 

Within Dr. Angelou’s stimulating and inspiring collection of writings, three works particularly empower me: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Heart of a Woman and “On the Pulse of the Morning.”  Her first installment of a five-volume autobiography contains several vivid and realistic church scenes.  Reading them mystically transports me back to the milieu of the African-American Southern church, “The Black Church,” a setting in where I was reared and for which I hold lifelong endearing reflections and heartfelt devotion.  On the first Sunday of each month, regardless of where I happen to be, I travel through the corridors of my personal history to New Zion AME Church in Wisacky, South Carolina where I brilliantly see the celebration of The Lord’s Supper.  I hear the celebrant’s rhythmic recitation of the “Second Collect” as he recounts Christ’s indescribable and illimitable sacrificial gift of His life as a propitiation for the totality of humankind’s sin.  I join in the jubilant singing of the Senior Choir adorned with white robes and red stoles.  Rather than digressing to the naiveté of my formative years, I retreat to an enduring comfort and compassion of a ritual in my childhood church where theological arguments and life’s myriad inconsistencies could not contaminate my exuberance.  As I am conversant with the Southern Black Church culture and its prophetic, accommodationist, bourgeois and rural, “country,” iterations, Angelou’s writings equate with spiritual comfort food for my soul.  They empower me to persevere despite life’s myriad mysteries, adversities and experiences.

Moreover, the caged bird sings about freedom.  He realizes that life offers more to him than confinement.  Autobiographically, Angelou employs this powerful literary motif to narrate retrospectively her heartfelt desire to surmount myopia, provincialism and paralyzing limitations in her trauma and formative years.  She rebukes the predominant orthodoxy of an atavistic view of African American segregated communities.  Chances are “the good ol’ days” were not as pleasant as enduring romanticists claim.  Black men were subject to lynch mobs whenever they spontaneously formed.  Black children were denied full educational access.  Black teachers taught with very limited resources though Black communities paid their fair share of taxes.  Nonetheless, Angelou encourages readers to let their minds, hearts and souls sing freely and openly as they serve God through concrete service to humankind.  Thereby, they actualize the unique life which their Creator graciously and generously gives.

Lessons from a Master Teacher: Dr. Maya Angelou

Lessons from a Master Teacher:

Expressions of Enduring Gratitude for the Life and Legacy of

 Dr. Maya Angelou – Part Two

Angelou’s fourth autobiographical volume is my favorite of her books, The Heart of a Woman.  I first read this book as an undergraduate when I took an African American Women Literature class.  She chronicles her journey of defeating fear in daily living.  There are vivid scenes in which she confronts her husband at that time about his intractable infidelities and even more savage indifference to her humiliation and pain resulting from his willful indiscretions.  In the evenings upon his return home, his shirts and clothing reek of other women’s perfumes.  Literally, Angelou explores the deep, dark, mysterious and confusing heart of a woman as she juxtaposes love, respect, trust, duty and honor with his arrogant and unrepentant transgressions.  Arguably, in the most poignant scene in the book, Angelou and her mother are on an elevator discussing life.  Her mother senses the tremendous fear that imprisons Angelou.  Her mother exhorts her to overcome her trepidation about making a proactive decision to embrace a better life. 

As I read this passage, I mystically joined Angelou and her mother in the elevator.  I felt the near debilitating and paralyzing fear she experienced.  I felt moisture in my arm pits and dampness soaking my shirt collar.  I, too, wished the elevator ride would last interminably as it delays the need for a decision.  Actually, I would write my final paper about this scene.  Moreover, following college and graduate school, I experienced directly the incapacitating feeling of making fear larger than life itself.  During those brief, arduous and tortuous years, I drew upon Angelou’s strength and example as I recalled her story.  I imagine innumerable readers and admirers of her work acquired similar inspiration and wisdom to resolve life’s most demeaning and dangerous emotion, fear.  Imagine daily living without feeling any fear!  Think of the immeasurable joy that fear steals from you.  Whereas Angelou cannot assure you of a life totally free from fear, she definitely and powerfully defeats fear in daily living.  Her formidable experiences offer hope and insight in annihilating daily Goliaths of fears, life’s most insidious and irrational enemy.

“On the Pulse of the Morning” is a poem about genuine inclusivity, diversity and pluralism as the global village transforms each citizen of the world into a neighbor.  This prophetic and stimulating poem concludes with an exhortation to say “Good morning” to anyone whom you encounter in daily affairs.  Angelou reminds us that saying “Hello” recognizes and dignifies each member of the human family.  Quite possibly, this simple act of manners minimizes prevalent xenophobia that threatens our human family. 

Angelou through the eloquence of her poetry confronts the bloody violence and murderous evil of the twentieth century, the deadliest time in human history given two World Wars, conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Africa and Central and South America.  Notwithstanding previously unimaginable technological, scientific, economic, demographical and geopolitical advances in the last century, it is truly sobering to consider the tens of millions loss lives sacrificed by human hubris, greed, bigotry and imperialism.  The inability to see other people as God’s children and our brothers and sisters eventuates in their demonization and annihilation.  Some of the greatest crimes against humankind originate with heresy and blasphemy that God loves selectively and thus approves eradication of certain branches of the human family.  However simplistic, just saying “Good morning” to each brother and sister whom you encounter serves to erode jingoism, elitism, classism and many other forms of xenophobia.  As we are The Closest of Strangers in the work and words of the journalist and author, Jim Sleeper, a hearty and sincere “Good morning” potentially transforms us into neighbors.  The judgment of history, I predict, will commend Angelou for establishing this central standard of civility which necessarily yields truth, respect and justice in the permanent setting of the global village. 

Maya Angelou insisted upon being called “Dr. Angelou” within her professorial setting and other public contexts particularly by members of the press corps.  Embedded within an obituary published in a national daily newspaper, a grossly unfair critique chided her for this insistence.  Perchance, cultural dissonance explains the reporter’s perspective which could not appreciate the necessity of Angelou’s demand.  “Dr. Angelou” personified a healthy, successful, venerated and increasingly whole person who triumphed over trauma and truly humble origins.  The experiential knowledge of her most remarkable story feasibly surpasses any theoretical information she may have obtained in a traditional doctoral program, the usual prerogative of students from middle strata or higher backgrounds.  Angelou’s original work, background and extensive experiences uniquely and equally qualified her with any other member of Wake Forest University’s faculty.  In her insistence that she be addressed formally, Angelou actually rebuffs the arrogance of false humility.  Rather, she demonstrates genuineness as she deserved her classification and designation which she painstakingly earned.  Should readers and admirers of her work glean her example of true unpretentiousness, they may find a similar inner fortitude to actualize their dreams and goals.

A master teacher whose life lessons and body of work enduringly offers hope to average people, Angelou’s profundity emerges from her significant simplicity.  The grandiloquent retrospectives, published immediately following her death, regrettably overlook her humanness.  In the words of Harry Stack Sullivan, she was “simply human.”  Though a traumatized, violated, fearful and mute little girl of humble beginnings eventually became “Dr. Maya Angelou,” the tragic and triumphant lessons of her life remains accessible and inspiring to each of the seven billion plus members of the global village.

The Days Are Surely Coming - Jeremiah 33:2-11

The Days Are Surely Coming

Jeremiah 33:2-11

Lesson Setting

Jeremiah remains in prison as he offers confirmation of God’s promises to return Israel and Judah to their homeland after the extensive punishment of the Babylonian captivity.  His lengthy prison sentence parallels the seventy years of banishment that people will receive as a just consequence to their generations of sin and rebellion.  As Jeremiah lingers in prison, he struggles to internalize God’s promises and understand His mysterious ways.  With the authority of Jeremiah’s increasing experiential knowledge of God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness, the prophet offer further assurances to the nation that God will fulfill His incredible and perhaps incredulous pledge to return them to the land of their forbears and restore them with a new life.

Lesson Outline

I        Jeremiah 33:1-3 – The Incredible Power of Prayer

II      Jeremiah 33:4-9 – Confirmation of Restoration

III    Jeremiah 33:10-16 – Indeed, A New Day will Dawn

IV     Jeremiah 33:17-26 – Practical Promises of Restoration

Unifying Principle

So many times when they have done wrong things, people reach a point at which they stop and wonder which way to turn.  How can people seek renewal and accept help to turn their lives around?  Jeremiah says God is willing to forgive and bring recovery, healing and restoration.

Introduction

In the concluding verses of this chapter, Jeremiah’s fellow brothers and sisters in Israel and Judah denounce and dismiss his prophecies relating the Lord’s promises of return, renewal and restoration following the exile.  Consistent with their protracted lamentations, bitter and utter weeping, they refuse to hear and believe their lives will improve.  As they stand in the midst of ruin and rubble, they painstakingly listen to Jeremiah couple his message of total destruction with wholesale reconstruction.  Whereas they hate hearing the first message, they accept it as it unfolds before them.  Yet, it simply does not make sense to listen to the second part of his prophecies.  How can a prophet deliver such a positive message promising such an incredible future as they decay in captivity and exile?  Essentially, it appears that Almighty God has forsaken them.

The nations of Israel and Judah proceed to ask the hard and difficult questions about the character and trustworthiness of God.  Can they rely upon Him any longer?  Was there any worth to the covenant they inherited from their forbears?  How could God betray them in such a despicable and demeaning way?  After all, He gave their Gentile enemies and nemeses complete liberty to destroy them?  His punishment seems unfathomable and limitless.  What happened to the enduring claims of God’s unfailing love, grace, mercy and lovingkindness?  Contrary to the prevalent popular notions in many church circles that forcefully discourage disciples from questioning God, this pivotal chapter in Jeremiah offers the converse position.  In an important memory verse, Jeremiah 33:3, the Lord encourages the questions of His people.  He tells them to call to Him in order that He might tell them “great and unsearchable things.” 

In response to this divine directive, the people of Israel and Judah ask their provocative and straightforward questions to Jeremiah.  Their cynicism, angst and doubt afford him the opportunity to reiterate the spiritual reality that God’s promises always follow any godly sanctioned punishment.  For these captives and exiles, forgiveness and restoration shall assuredly follow the seventy years of their displacement.  As a loving Heavenly Father whose truth and faithfulness extend to all generations of believers, God combines punishment, healing and forgiveness.  He does not isolate any of these attributes of His character.  As the One who abides by the covenant He made with their forbears, He apportions mercy and grace to cover any sin and offense.  This balance of just punishment for any rebellion against His holy character and faithful forgiveness to heal the underlying causes of transgression preserves the covenantal relationship between Almighty God and His chosen people.

Jeremiah then steadfastly proclaims the Word of the Lord thereby admonishing and encouraging Israel and Judah to prepare offerings and songs of thanksgiving for healing and hope which await them upon their return to their homeland.  In this chapter, he supplies them with lyrics and a grand vision of unimaginable worship services they will have.  Although their bewilderment has peaked to the point of cynicism, they are not helpless albeit they are powerless over their captors.  Israel and Judah will find refuge in the Lord’s willingness to forgive, grant recovery and totally renew them.

If you have ever felt abandoned by God, then you can relate directly to the feelings and predicament of Israel and Judah as they languish in exile.  Perhaps, you have experienced a season of incredible spiritual drought whereby your finances, material acquisitions, ambitions and dreams turn to rotten fruit.  Conceivably, you struggle with a health crisis after fervently petitioning God for healing.  Relationally, change and decay surround you as divorce looms in your future and your family life decomposes to meaninglessness.  Vocationally, downsizing or other venues lead to job loss and exacerbate your financial challenges.  The accumulation of these dire circumstances for contemporary disciples equate with the dilemma that Israel and Judah face as they are led forcibly into a lengthy period of exile. 

The thirty-third chapter of Jeremiah offers very practical recommendations for anyone experiencing feelings of divine abandonment.  First, the opening verses remind us of the incredible power of prayer.  Second, Jeremiah reaffirms God’s commitment to redeem our pain and suffering utilizing it to transform our character and restore our lives.  Third, through worship, rejoicing and encouragement of the Spirit of God, we receive inner strength and practical fortitude to walk toward the dawn of a new day.  Lastly, we rely genuinely upon God’s enduring promises which emerge from His unquestionable faithfulness.

Exposition

Point I – Jeremiah 33:1-3 – The Incredible Power of Prayer

In the starkest irony, Jeremiah begins a lengthy and seemingly inexplicable prison sentence in obedience to adhering to God’s directives.  He obeys God by pronouncing the Lord’s punishment upon Israel and Judah.  He straightforwardly declares the coming of the Babylonian captivity and the subsequent lengthy period of exile.  The prophet’s proclamations of destruction, a natural and reasonable consequence to the nations’ longstanding sin and rebellion, immediately enflame the wrath and disdain of King Zedekiah.  He imprisons Jeremiah for a longtime.  Conceivably, the king suspects Jeremiah might reverse his declarations after lingering aimlessly within a prison cell.  Imagine Jeremiah’s crisis of faith as he bewilderingly considers the reality that his obedience places him in prison.  Understandably, he may lose heart and faint.  Possibly at a point of deep despair, Jeremiah hears the Word of the Lord again.  The Spirit of God encourages the prophet to pray.

The opening verses of this chapter remind us of the incredible power of prayer.  This foundational spiritual discipline is the primary means of improving our conscious contact with Almighty God.  In its most practical sense, prayer is a conversation with our Heavenly Father.  Communication, trust and respect are the key elements of any vibrant and meaningful relationship.  Prayer is our means of communicating with God.  Coupled with meditation, prayer enables us to share frankly and forthrightly our concerns and heart’s deepest desires with God. 

Let’s examine closely this encouragement to pray in order to learn from Jeremiah’s example and glean ways in which his predicament can encourage and empower us to resolve our daily challenges.  Notice that Jeremiah does to hear the words of a nameless and insignificant god.  Instead, He “who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it,” speaks and tells Jeremiah to pray.  “The Maker of heaven and earth” invites Jeremiah to detail his complaint and to make requests of Him.  It stands to reason that we should have a very high opinion of Almighty God if we are to pray to Him.  If we do not believe His possesses the power, presence, knowledge and grace to resolve our dilemmas, enrich our lives, heal our land and fulfill His promises, why would we bother to pray to Him? 

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  This verse, Jeremiah 33:3, is an ideal memory verse for any disciples as its simplicity in words contains profoundly significant promises.  Anyone experiencing a formidable and penetrating faith crisis can find incredible assurance in this simple verse.  Almighty God invites Jeremiah to call upon Him with Jeremiah’s myriad questions about his unjust imprisonment and Israel’s and Judah’s imminent destruction and punishment.  Reasonably, Jeremiah asks the question, “Why O God?”  How could You visit such punishment upon Your people whom You chose to carry Your Name to the Gentiles?  How could You betray us by letting the Gentiles destroy everything we have?  Can You not accomplish Your will in another way?  Where is Your grace and mercy at this time?  Further, this powerful verse proves, contrary to popular belief, that God invites our questions.  They do not anger Him.  Instead, He welcomes genuine, honest and sincere questions by disciples who struggle to understand Him.  Our questions of faith enable God to clarify His will and more clearly reveal His character.  A wife who loses her husband unexpectedly to a fatal heart attack should call upon the Lord.  Children who feel as if their mother has been snatched away unfairly by the dastardly deeds of a drunken driver should ask God to explain that irony.  A successful professional who strives for excellence with punctuality of arrival at work and productivity of assignments who is terminated for no reason needs to ask God why He allowed it to happen.  A pastor who is removed from the church where he serves faithfully due to the dislike a few disgruntled persons and the silence of countless of supporters must ask God to explain how such a misfortune could befall him.  I could recount endless examples of justifiable questions that many disciples have as they mature in faith despite life’s daily complexities and inconsistencies.  Rather than burying their questions underneath meaningless church clichés and emotionally coercive traditions, these disciples can follow Jeremiah’s examples by straightforwardly asking their questions of Almighty God through prayer.

In the second part of this memorable verse, God assures Jeremiah of an answer.  The assurance of an answer does not necessitate that it be immediate.  Oftentimes, fierce and heightened emotions must dissipate in order to understand any embedded blessings in daily burdens.  Extreme emotions such as anger, depressions, despair and even exuberance impede a person’s ability to examine any occurrence with rational balance.  Particularly, it is hard for disciples to understand the Lord’s mysterious and magnificent as they encounter adversities.  For Jeremiah, he must question the Lord’s justness in permitting Jeremiah’s lengthy imprisonment as a consequence of obedience rather than rebellion.  Yet, the Lord promises to provide an answer in due time.  This means the Lord will answer in accordance with His will as He simultaneously orchestrates the minute details of any dilemma.  Probably believing that his life is ebbing away in a prison cell, Jeremiah wonders about the purpose of his personal captivity.  In kairos time (the tense of time equating with the perfect divine present), God reveals to Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, that his imprisonment equates with the forthcoming exile of Israel and Judah.  As they will linger in a foreign land for seventy years inclusive of the birth of three generations of their children until their hearts authentically turn toward the Lord, Jeremiah will stay in jail to proclaim the Word of the Lord in action as well as in speech.  Essentially, a divine answer to our prayers always emerges as revelation to further the will of God.

The last component of this powerful verse encourages us to pray and meditate as God will reveal “great and unsearchable things” we do not know.  Interestingly, the darkness of our daily circumstances position us to more clearly see God’s light.  Perhaps, as Jeremiah remains in jail, he better comprehends the mind of Almighty God who liberally shares His unfathomable wisdom.  One author posits, “Pain is the touchstone of all spiritual progress.”  Trials and tests create settings in which we learn the character of God.  An estranged husband may find previously latent and undiscovered love for his wife near the end of a divorce proceeding and offer reconciliation.  Thereby, he better understands God’s unfailing love and incredible forgiveness.  In the midst of agony, God compassionately shares His wisdom with us to encourage and empower us as we mature spiritually by trusting in His faithfulness.  With distance from a painful bereavement, we awake with surprising feelings of thanksgiving as we rejoice that a loved one no longer suffers though we miss them.  A mother who loses a son to a drunk driver joins MADD and redeems her son’s life.  A father who loses a daughter to domestic violence starts a support group for other families of victims of violent crimes.  Parents of a premature baby who does not live find fortitude to affirm their Christian faith and comfort the worshipping community during their grief.  These are a few examples of the amazing and unfathomable consequences to extreme experiences of human pain that disciples encounter as they approach Almighty God with very difficult questions of faith.

Summarily, questioning is a significant and necessary component of maturing in faith.  God welcomes our hard questions about His character, will and wisdom.  When we ask them, we afford the Lord an opportunity to reveal previously disclosed aspects of His character to us.  AS He graciously and bountifully shares “great and unsearchable things,” we develop a greater appreciation for His unfailing love, unquestionable faithfulness and unending grace.

Point II – Jeremiah 33:4-9 – Confirmation of Restoration

In the next few verse, the Lord states His unequivocal displeasure against Israel and Judah.  Because of their wickedness, their grand and ornate houses will be torn down in the struggle with Babylon.  The remnants of such fine architecture and expensive materials will become protective devices in battle.  What a waste of these treasures!  Nonetheless, the collective evil of the people causes the Lord to turn His face against them.  Beyond its startlingly literary values, these words depict an awful image for the nation.  The grace and consideration of their Protector and Provider has been removed.  They are subject completely to the fury and will of their enemies.  They must face the consequences of their cumulative sin and rebellion.

Consistent with the multiplicity of God’s character, He simultaneously offers confirmation of restoration as He announces judgment upon Israel and Judah.  Although dead bodies will fill beautiful houses, the Lord will bring health and healing to His chosen people.  After the requisite period of captivity and exile, the people will return to enjoy peace and security.  Note the justness in the Lord’s character as He insists they must answer for their rebellion.  Yet, His unfailing love is far greater and more extensive than their sin.  He will restore them and rebuild them as they were prior to the Babylonian siege.  In fact, the Lord will cleanse their sin and forgive their rebellion.  Practically speaking, He will transform their hearts to enable them to choose righteousness instead of rebellion.  Henceforth, they will desire to live in right relationship with Almighty God by adhering to the moral and ethical dictates of the covenant He makes with them.  They will forsake all other god for Him alone.  They will submit willingly to His will.  They will obey commands as they learn that obedience yields a greater revelation of His love and provision. 

Then, the inhabitants of the rebuilt city will live to honor, worship and glorify Almighty God.  All nations of the earth will hear of the great and mighty deeds God does for His people.  Songs of praises and rejoicing will be heard throughout this restored land.  Neighboring towns will remark, “Those people really love the Lord, their God whom they adore for His faithful provision and protection.  This promise of restoration finishes with a remarkable image.  The exiles who return will be in awe when they observe the prosperity and peace with which they are blessed by the Lord Almighty.  He will exchange the horrors of their worst nightmares for the bliss of their wildest dreams of peace and provision.

Point III – Jeremiah 33:10-16 – Indeed, A New Day will Dawn

Indeed, a new day will dawn for Israel and Judah.  The period of the exile will equip them to walk toward this dawn in their hearts first and foremost.  In this section, the prophet reminds the nation of the great years that will unfold as they trust in the Lord’s faithfulness.  Despite the destruction and depression surrounding them, they can expect weddings, banquets and unimaginable worship experiences.  They will not believe what God has in store for them.  A brand new day will dawn bringing forth an era that will be unparalleled in the annals of Israel’s and Judah’s history.

Through the prophet, the Lord supplies the lyrics for the songs of joy and praise the future generation will sing as they approach the house of the Lord with thanks offerings.  The songs emphasize the necessity of thanksgiving as it relates to understanding God’s character.  People of the covenant offer gratitude for the Lord’s perpetual provision and protection.  Second, the song declares God’s goodness which is intrinsic to His character.  God is good as He faithfully adheres to the covenant notwithstanding Israel’s and Judah’s rebellion over centuries.  He upholds His end of the agreement and unwaveringly demonstrates His unfailing love and indescribable mercy.  Accordingly, He will rebuild the lost fortunes of the people as yet another measure of His goodness and kindness toward His chosen people.

Literarily, Jeremiah reiterates the couplet of destruction in the present time and reconstruction in the generations to come.  The desolation of the Babylonian captivity will surely culminate in colossal loss for Israel and Judah.  However, the Lord’s promise to rebuild their cities and land and restore their heritage and culture will extend their expectations.  Majestically, the new day which dawns for them will open a new earthly era and the windows of eternity.  Their security will be as everlasting as the God who makes a new covenant with them.  He will send “a righteous Branch” from David’s line whose reign and kingdom shall never end. He will protect them forevermore.  This Messiah, who will be known as “The Lord Our Righteous Savior,” will not allow their subjugation and humiliation to occur again.  He will not permit any other enemies of triumph over them.  He will guide them toward peace and security.  The dawn which brings His birth will also be the beginning of an eternal existence of prosperity and peace for Israel and Judah as they follow the Savior.

Point IV – Jeremiah 33:17-26 – Practical Promises of Restoration

Jeremiah concludes this chapter by enumerating several practical promises and perhaps warnings relating to restoration.  The birth of the forthcoming Messiah means that David will always have a successor on the throne who will rule with truth, justice and righteousness.  His reign will not end.  His presence offers peace and security to the nation as they rebuild their lives and inherit the innumerable and myriad blessings of the covenant.  Additionally, the priests will stand before the throne of Almighty God forever to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices on behalf of the people.  Thus, they have earthly and celestial security as their Messiah physically protects them and their Levite priesthood intercedes to acquire their perpetual blessings.

Jeremiah couples the foregoing grand promises with a very sober warning to Israel and Judah.  If the next generation follows the regrettable pattern of their forebears and break the covenant through sin and rebellion, then the Lord will withdraw the promises.  David will no longer have an heir on throne.  The work of the priests will be null and void.  It will equate with powerless piety and meaningless religiosity.  Israel and Judah must accept these consequences to their choices as they return to rebuild their lives.  Nevertheless, Jeremiah reiterates the Lord’s heartfelt desire to bless His people by making David’s descendants and the Levites as countless as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore in order to bless them bountifully.

Not surprisingly, the people of Israel and Judah understandably state their apprehension and cynicism in response to these grand promises of healing and restoration.  Announcing doom and gloom, while simultaneously promising return and restoration, likens a stream gushing salt and fresh water at the same time.   They question forthrightly; has not God rejected and abandoned us given His permission and acquiescence of our destruction?  What can anyone say that will comfort us at this critical juncture in our history?  More straightforwardly, the people reiterate their contention that the Lord has rejected them and thus others despise them if their own god will abandon them.  In adamant reply, the Lord in turn re-emphasizes His ultimate will and intention to return Israel and Judah to their homeland and rebuild their lives.  The Lord appeals to the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Had He not made the covenant, assuredly He would reject them considering their sin and rebellion.  Because He did, He willingly elects to fulfill it by choosing one of David’s sons to rule over the children of the patriarchs.

The Lesson Applied

Let’s Talk About It

·        Have you ever felt God abandoned or rejected you?

·        How would you respond to Jeremiah’s combined message of destruction and reconstruction?

·        Are the nations of Israel and Judah justified in feeling God has abandoned them?

·        Have you had to rebuild your life after a tragedy, natural disaster or major personal loss?

·        What would you recommend to a fellow brother or sister in the Lord who feels as if God has abandoned him or her?

Visions of Grandeur - Ezekiel 47:13-24

Visions of Grandeur

Ezekiel 47:13-24

Lesson Setting

Ezekiel stands outside of temple.  He surveys the topography and applies spiritual lessons as a tour guide specifies how nature symbolizes God’s power.  After realizing the river flowing from the altar of the temple demonstrates God infinite presence and abilities, Ezekiel glances across the panorama of the terrain surrounding the temple.  His divine guide converts Ezekiel’s observations into an inheritance plan for Israel upon the nation’s return from exile.

Lesson Outline

I.                 Ezekiel 47:13-14 – A Divine Inheritance

II.            Ezekiel 47:15-20 – A Comprehensive Blessing

III.        Ezekiel 47:21-23 – An Inheritance for Everyone Who Believes

Unifying Principle

Sometime life leaves people needing a new beginning.  What is available to everyone to make that happen?  Ezekiel tells the people that God restored the Israelites and the aliens among them with an inheritance of new land, signifying a new start.  Peter says that God through Jesus Christ can redeem and give those who believe in God a new beginning, with the temple as a place in which people can gather and support one another.

Introduction

An old adage posits it is impossible to grow with change.  Whereas we do not make changes for the sake of changing, periodic reassessments and readjustments in life are very necessary to maturing as persons and spiritual beings.  Remaining in the same set of circumstances, without any change, results in the absolute lack of growth.  Such a situation yields a false sense of security which ends in death as erosion and atrophy naturally occur before the cessation of life. 

Two current relational examples demonstrate the wisdom of this spiritual saying.  A friend of mine recently earned his doctorate degree which he pursued his entire adult life at the expense of marriage, family and career advancement.  Essentially, he devoted the first half of his life to achieving this deeply desired dream and goal.  Having been in school for thirty years, he really does not know the terrain of the working world even academic institutions where he has lived without interruption.  After graduation, he faces challenges of attaining full-time employment, paying his student loans, finding permanent non-collegiate housing, contributing to his neighborhood and community and earning good grades in all other areas of his personal and professional life.  These fundamental changes are necessary for him as he refines and actualizes his gifts and abilities.  The worlds between being a full-time student and a working professional, albeit a professor and a scholar, are as vastly different as galaxies and solar systems.  My friend has to build if not rebuild his life as he enters the afternoon of his life. 

Second, a relative of mine has been imprisoned in a loveless, passionless, emotionally dead, financially insufficient and relationally decomposing marriage for more than twenty-three years.  Strengthening her denial and expanding her role as an enabler to an alcoholic, her fears have become larger than life itself.  Although she mentally realizes her need to leave this relationship in which she has entombed herself, she cannot conquer the Goliath within her heart who daily intimidates her into cowering underneath her monumental anxieties.  I encourage her to muster the willingness to ask Almighty God for the courage and strength to leave this captivity and return from this exile of her life.  Upon her forthcoming departure, she faces formidable challenges of rebuilding her life.  Where will she go?  How will she begin to rebuild her life?  Will she ever find genuine love?  How will she pay her expenses and resolve longstanding unpaid debts?  What are the practical and pragmatic and steps she should take to restore the dreams and goals of her youth?

Ezekiel’s grand vision of a new beginning offers encouragement and empowerment to persons who must start over like the people mentioned above.  Termination, divorce, illness, accidents and other forms of “misfortunes” often create opportunities for restoration and renewal.  As circumstances coerce change as the Babylonian captivity and exile forces Israel and Judah to return to ruins and rebuild their lives, pain can be the pathway to a person’s divine inheritance.  In the second half of this chapter, Ezekiel details the allotments of land that each tribe will receive upon their return.  God promises this land to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis.  The Lord reiterates and faithfully adheres to this covenantal promise with each generation.  Though He disciplines Israel and Judah utilizing Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, the Lord maintains His faithfulness to the covenant by simultaneously announcing their return, restoration and inheritance with the details of captivity and exile.  As a consequence, Ezekiel reassures the nation that their return will yield practical blessings of an allotment of land and all it produces in addition to a new life.

Exposition

Point I – Ezekiel 47:13-14 – A Divine Inheritance

Although simplistic and straightforward, these two verses contain several significant details which reflect the enduring covenantal relationship between God and Israel.  In His infinite wisdom and incredible grace, God initiates the covenant with Israel through His relationship with Abraham.  As God is incapable of lying because He inherently is all-kind, He adheres to the promises of the covenant regardless of Israel’s response and behavior.  Divine will, purpose and action do not depend on human choices although we may serve as God’s instruments.  Following their emancipation from Egyptian slavery due to God’s decisive intervention and forty years of wandering aimlessly in the wilderness, Israel enters the Promised Land which God swore to Abraham and his descendants.  Despite His warnings to Israel to remain faithful after their inheritance, the people turn to other gods and commit myriad acts of idolatry and infidelity similar to Adam’s disobedience and rebellion.  In time, their offense to God’s holy character culminates in the Babylonian captivity and exile.  As He pronounces due judgment and just punishment upon Israel and Judah, God concurrently assures them of His unfailing love and unquestionable faithfulness to the covenant He made with Abraham.  Though He permits their suffering as discipline to cleanse their hearts of polytheism and infidelity and their characters of sin and rebellion, God pledges to return them to their land and restore their inheritance.  The equal distribution of the land to the twelve tribes is fulfillment of this promise made seventy years beforehand.

Notice that Joseph receives two portions to reward Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, for his faithfulness during the Egyptian famine in which Israel’s number dwindled to less than one hundred persons.  Had Joseph through his relationship with God not learned how to forgive his brothers, he would have extracted revenge and punishment upon his brothers.  Had Joseph been that small-minded and small-hearted, he possibly would have ruined his own family and posterity.  Nevertheless, Joseph’s spiritual maturity and humility enables him to be God’s servant in furthering the covenant.  His example demonstrates the reality that there are divine rewards for obedience and fidelity just as there are consequences to sin and rebellion.

In the fourteenth verse, Ezekiel quotes God as He refers alludes to having sworn an oath with uplifted hands.  These words depict a courtroom scene in witness someone approaching the witness stand has to raise his right hand and swear to tell the truth and nothing else.  Accordingly, God swore unconditionally and unreservedly to give this land to Israel.  God’s promise did not depend upon Israel’s ability to accept His magnanimous gifts.  Thus, despite the necessity of the Babylonian captivity and exile as Israel had to experience the consequences of her extended offense to the holy character of Almighty God.  The final result is Israel’s return to the land that God promised to give her.  Her return from exile will yield unimaginable protection, provision and prosperity.

Point II – Ezekiel 47:15-20 – A Comprehensive Blessing

Initially, these verses seem to bore the reader with minute details which interest architect, engineers and land scrapers.  Upon a second and lengthier glance, this section of the passage reveals a comprehensive blessing that Israel and Judah receive from the Lord.  Often, we characterize God as marvelous, mysterious, majestic and magnificent.  The details of this bequest of land to Israel reflect these divine attributes.  God specifies meticulously how each tribe will be blessed in their collective return from exile.  God equally blesses contemporary disciples whether are purchasing a house, pursuing a promotion, finishing a degree or transitioning to a new ministry.  Once, a clergyperson had to decide whether the Lord’s had approved a pastoral call the received.  Among the various ways in which he sought confirmation, he observed that the call included every financial and physical resource he needed to provide for his family.  His financial package and benefits was sufficient to enable him to devote himself primarily to full-time ministry rather than having to supplement his income with another position.  His schedule affords him the latitude and flexibility to meet the travel, administrative and logistical needs of his family.  The parsonage had the exact number of bedrooms to enable both of his children and his mother-in-law to have individual rooms.  A lover of books, he resolved that God had approved the call when he walked three blocks away and discovered a branch of the public library.  His comprehensive blessing parallels the equally thorough way in which he understands Ezekiel’s grand vision for Israel and Judah upon their return from exile.

Point III – Ezekiel 47:21-23 – An Inheritance for Everyone Who Believes

Ezekiel’s vision and Israel’s inheritance extend to anyone who has faith, the non-negotiable prerequisite of pleasing Almighty God.  These few verses acknowledge the presence of God-fearing, monotheistic Gentiles among Israel.  God rewards their faith by allowing them to share in Israel’s inheritance.  Further, the promises and blessings extend to foreigners and their children.  This generosity reflects the infinite heart of Almighty God who loves everyone and expects the same from each of His children.  We serve a God whose heart is big enough to love humankind in its width, depth, breadth and length of diversity and pluralism.  Essentially, each person of faith receives an inheritance as a child of God.  Ezekiel’s vision relates specifically to land.  Contemporary disciples appropriate this inheritance to their talents and abilities which enable them to prosper and flourish as the fertile land of the Ancient Near East offered prosperity and health to Israel.  Through Christ, God engrafts all believers within humankind into His family and amongst His chosen people.  Christ imparts abundant and eternal life, an everlasting inheritance.

The Lesson Applied

Contemporary disciples understand the Ezekiel’s vision through the prism of a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Through Him, we have forgiveness of our sin and reconciliation with our Heavenly Father.  After lengthy periods of living in captivity to personal sin and exile of personal preferences, we begin anew with restoration of our divine inheritance as children of God.  As we repent, Christ helps us to overcome guilt and shame.  The frequency with which we sinned and transgressed against the Father is irrelevant, Christ permits us to share in His righteousness which completely atones for our sin, past, present and future.  In the grand Pauline vision, we are a new creation.  Thus, we are now able to receive our divine inheritance whereas we heretofore squandered it like prodigal children.  We now embrace a new life and progress in emulating the mind, heart and character of Christ. 

Let’s Talk About It

1.     Was it fair to allow foreigners and their children to share in Israel’s inheritance?  What motivates God to share the inheritance with everyone?

2.   Share and inheritance story from your family.  Was there any favoritism?  Analyze your story in light of today’s passage.

3.   Should “step” children share in the inheritance of their non-biological parents?  Does it depend on the nature and quality of the relationship?

4.   Do parents have a moral and ethical obligation to fulfill any promises they make to their children?

5.    Do parents have a moral and ethical obligation to leave an inheritance to their children and grandchildren?  Discuss this idea in light of this passage and the bible.

Visions of Grandeur - Isaiah 52:1-2,7-12

Visions of Grandeur

Isaiah 52:1-2, 7-12

Lesson Setting

Isaiah ministered during the reign of four Judean kings, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah spanning the years, 740BCE to 686BCE.  Some scholars posit Isaiah may have had a royal heritage and been related to one of these kings.  Thus, his prophecy reflects a priest and prophet speaking God’s Word to sovereign kings.  In sharing God’s unequivocal Word with these kings, Isaiah equally shares reassurance of God’s counsel and guidance to Jerusalem and Judah.  He helps them navigate the treacherous waters of change and chaos as they surrounding world collapses with King Uzziah’s death and creates a more dynamic and frightening world.  Israel faces new adversaries.  Instead of living in fear, Israel can rely genuinely and faithfully upon God Almighty.

Lesson Outline

I.                 Isaiah 52:1-2 & 7 – Proclaiming Good News

II.            Isaiah 52:8-10 – The Lord Returns to Zion

III.        Isaiah 52:11 – Progressing Toward Purity and Piety

IV.         Isaiah 52:12 – The Lord is Your Rearguard

Unifying Principle

All people need to hear words of hope.  Where will they find hopeful words?  The psalmists and Isaiah tell God’s people that God, who reigns above, is their help, shield and salvation and that they can put their hope in God rejoice.

Introduction

Although comedy has been a longstanding career for many entertainers and performers, its recent proliferation is startlingly.  Several comedians enjoy the huge celebrity status of being a household name.  These persons enjoy large Twitter followings, have countless Facebook “likes” and innumerable hits on their websites.  What are the causes of this current ascension of comedy into the upper echelon of entertainment?  Several factors such as technology, rising pluralism, expansion of cable television, emergence of YouTube and other online viewing options and other forms of social media possibly explain this shift in American popular culture.  Perhaps, the increasing stress in everyday living motivates people to seek laughter and release from chaos.  After resolving myriad personal and professional obligations inclusive of juggling competing demands of marriage, family, finances and self-care, people would like to escape from emotional and mental busyness.  Listening to comedians who transform traffic jams, road rage, flat tires, broken copiers, rising prices and other inconveniences into jokes; people retreat to the comfort of childhood peace.

In despairing times, adults search for hope.  They welcome words of comfort from trustworthy sources.  Exchanging words of hope, adults also look for hope in unexpected places.  Psychics and palm readers offer hope to gullible people who seek definitive answers to their quandaries. “Experts” with resolutions to debt challenges, relationships, home ownership and other personal and social crises multiply as hopelessness and helplessness grows.  Misguided and well-intentioned persons seeking relief and wellness fall prey to hucksters and charlatans who exploit people’s existential fears and personal demands.  Nonetheless, these people want an encouraging and empowering word as they fiercely believe a brighter day will dawn.

Isaiah like his fellow prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, pronounces the Lord’s comfort for Israel as they strive to rebuild their lives.  More especially, Isaiah helps Jerusalem and Judah to navigate the shifting political, economic and social changes in their world.  The nation will face new enemies of differing backgrounds without the previous security of Uzziah’s reign.  His successors have strong personal challenges which impede their leadership.  These fundamental challenges of a rapidly changing Ancient Near East and problems within the royal succession in Israel create paralyzing fear and substantial hopelessness.  In this context of despondency, Isaiah reminds the nation that they can rely upon the ultimate monarch, the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” Almighty God Himself.

Disciples turn their attention finally to God for deliverance from their suffering.  They learn to wait patiently on God without complaining as He orchestrates their deliverance.  They can rest upon the blessed assurance that Almighty God constantly manipulates the details of their lives to their maximum benefit and blessing.  As a consequence, disciples steadfastly praise and worship God at all times for His continual grace and goodwill.  Because of His salvation, disciples exult in heartfelt worship as they reflect on the Lord’s goodness to them.    

Exposition

Point I – Isaiah 52:1-2 & 7 – Proclaiming Good News

The opening verses of this chapter are a wake call to Israel to focus upon Almighty God as the nation’s deliverer.  The words, “Awake, awake O Zion” equate with the screeching sound of an alarm clock.  Usually, a person who slumbered peacefully bolts upward and jumps out of bed.  Startled awake, he proceeds immediately to attend to that day’s priorities.  Isaiah encourages Israel and Jerusalem to awaken to their spiritually malnourished state and seek God for nutrition and strength.   He instructs them to put on garments that are worthy of their inheritance as children of God.  Find moral and ethical character which equals strength and they rely genuinely upon God.

In the second verse, Isaiah reminds the people that they cannot liberate themselves.  He facetiously tells them to free themselves knowing its impossibility.  Their futile attempts will leave them in bondage.  Accordingly, they must ask for divine help and strength.  This image of a yoke upon the neck of God’s people depicts the uselessness of self-righteousness, religiosity and presumptuous personal piety.  Humankind experiences some mental, emotional and psychological ills that only God can resolve and heal.  A popular recovery group posits “No human power could relieve our alcoholism.”  They proceed to acknowledge, “God could and would if He were sought.”  Centuries earlier, Israel and Judah learns the spiritual significance of unconditional, humble, sincere and steadfast reliance upon God.  The person sitting on the throne is a non-entity in many ways as the confluence of circumstances often overwhelms the personal and intellectual resources of the king.  As God is the Infinite Sovereign, His kingdom will never end and His wisdom will last eternally.  To prosper in present and in posterity, Israel must ask for God’s help.

In the seventh verse, Isaiah encourages Judah and Jerusalem to respond with songs of joy and praise.  This verse equates with the opening lyrics of a hymn of thanksgiving to God for His deliverance from the Babylonian captivity and exile.  The feet of the runner, a messenger, who rushes through the mountains declaring the Lord’s liberation and salvation are beautiful as they bring the good and great news of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises.  Once again, the God of Israel keeps His word and removes their oppression and subjugation.  Overwhelmed by the Lord’s faithful goodness, the nation responds with songs of exaltation reflecting the thanksgiving and joy in their heart.

Point II – Isaiah 52:8-10 – The Lord Returns to Zion

The watchmen who stand on the walls of protection of the city of Jerusalem begin to shout aloud that they see and hear the messengers and their favorable message.  Though they are on the wall to sound the alarm about an approaching enemy, these watchmen lift their voices and share this outstanding news with their fellow brothers and sisters.  They have the privilege of delivering the news of burgeoning abundance, prosperity, peace and security.  The most significant aspect of the watchmen’s pronouncement is the Lord return to Jerusalem.  This news parallels Ezekiel’s vision of the return of the glory of the Lord to the temple to sanctify the building and purify their worship.  With the return of God’s glory to the holy city, the people will enjoy a considerable rejuvenation in their return from exile.

The people respond to this great news by joining in the song of exaltation to the Lord.  Seemingly, even the ruins begin to sing about the Lord’s deliverance of His people.  They praise the Lord because He comforts His people and redeems their pain and suffering during the captivity and exile.  They simply give thanks to God.  Contemporary disciples begin their weekly worship services with a period of praise and worship to Almighty God in appreciation for His faithfulness in the preceding week.  Sometimes, the volume, drama and length of this services rise to a crescendo as the depth of gratitude erupts as a volcano.  Our current experience helps us to understand Israel’s exuberance many centuries ago as they received God’s goodness through their return from captivity and a lengthy period of exile that spanned three generations.

The tenth verse specifies the Lord’s enduring intentions of protecting Israel from any future adversaries.  He will not permit a repeat of the colossal damage and wholesale ruin of the nation.  Never again will a foe like Babylon raise her hand against Israel.  The Lord will stretch forth His mighty and righteous right hand to prevent an assault upon His people.  All the nations of the earth will observe with utter amazement God’s deliverance of Israel and His unwavering and unequivocal protection.  Watching the care of Israel will motivate other nations to abandon their polytheism and its concomitant paganism; they will turn to the Lord as the One True God.  Thus, Israel again will fulfill her purpose as a light to the Gentiles to reveal the glory of God Almighty.  In fact, Isaiah contends that people will hear of this special relationship between Israel and the Lord to the ends of the earth.  Enthusiastically, the people sing for joy about the salvation of the Lord.

Point III – Isaiah 52:11 – Progressing Toward Purity and Piety

Upon her return from captivity and exile, Israel must learn from her previous mistakes.  Her protracted sin and rebellion ignites the Lord’s wrath thereby causing their extreme judgment and punishment.  Over generations, Israel committed infidelity by serving other gods.  Relationally, they intermingled the beliefs and practices of their neighbors and foreigners with the commandments to obey God’s Law, the Torah.  They were guilty of whore-mongering with myriad superstitious beliefs and foreign gods.  In addition to succumbing to polytheism, they surrendered to syncretism, the practice of blending incompatible faith and religious systems to accommodate self-serving purposes.  The cumulative result of these faulty religious practices was Israel monumental offense against the holy and righteous character of Almighty God.  Lest they repeat these errors, the Lord warns them to forsake their past sin and rebellion.

God instructs Israel to repent by withdrawing herself from anyone and anything that will defile her.  Unabashedly, He says, “Come out from it and be pure.”  Practically speaking, this means to separate completely and sever irreversibly the relationship.  He encourages the nation to emulate His holiness.  They are to devote themselves exclusively to Almighty God for His service.  They dedicate their lives to Him as living sacrifices and instruments thereby seeking daily and practical ways in which to advance His purposes and fulfill His will. 

Moreover, the Lord alludes to those persons who carry the articles of the house of the Lord.  Sacred items cannot be used within unholy practices.  It stands to reason that the persons who administer sacrifices and other duties in the house of God would keep their lives as pure and holy as the articles they use.  This phrase within in the verse is an especial admonition to the Levites, the tribe of priests who are not given an inheritance of land because the Lord will provide for them as they faithfully discharge their priestly duties in the household of faith.  Twenty-first century disciples receive this exhortation with fear and trembling as we are not to defile ourselves with permissive immorality, hedonism, narcissism and licentiousness of secular, corporate and humanistic society.  We must separate from those values which clash with biblical principles and God’s will.  We also resist syncretism by allowing the creeds and principles of secular humanism to invade the governance and practices of the Church.  As the Church, the ecclesia, a sacred and holy fellowship of believers who withdraw from the dominant culture in order to spread the gospel and advance the kingdom of Christ, we proactively sever our allegiance with the world and its systems.

Point IV – Isaiah 52:12 – The Lord is Your Rearguard

The Lord’s offer a comprehensive pledge of protection and provision with an eloquent and flourishing broad brushstroke.  He assures Israel they will never leave in haste as if they are running scared under impromptu attack by a strong opponent.  They will not have to sneak out of town in the middle of the night nor will they climb out of a window hoping to escape without detection.  In stark contrast, the Lord will go before them and pave a smooth road upon which they will travel.  Further, He will be their rearguard and prevent anyone from attacking them in the back.  Offensively, the Lord will provide for their future by preparing a safe and prosperous place for them.  Defensively, the Lord will ensure that their past cannot harm them any further.  He will prevent anyone from attempting to utilize any past vulnerability from harming Israel.  The rearguard protects the people as they depart.  They will leave in accord with God’s timing and orchestration.  They will not experience any harm as they depart.

This verse offers comfort and hope to anyone making a fundamental change.  There is no need to ear the future.  As an Infinite and Supreme Being, the Lord already exists in your tomorrow.  He directs the emergence of details to ensure you receive the very best results.  It takes time as you wait patiently on the Lord.  Still, He neither sleeps nor slumbers but continually ensures everything unfolds to your maximum benefit and blessing.  He even redeems your pain and suffering thereby transforming obstacles into opportunities.  As you leave a situation in order to transition to another possibility, He prevents anyone from harming you in the process.  A spiteful and vengeful former boss’ shenanigans will prove fruitless.  As your rearguard, the Lord will protect you from lies, rumors and half-truths.  He prepares your way and journeys with you as make necessary changes in order to grow spiritually and develop personally.  As your rearguard, the Lord protects you as He closes doors in your life.  You do not have to burn bridges.  However, the Lord will cancel the attempts and ploys of your nemesis to hurt you as you walk toward a brighter and more abundant life.

The Lesson Applied

“Music soothes the savage beast.”  A meaningful and sentimental song often cures depression, anxiety, loneliness, anger and other intense negative emotions and states of mind.  Songs mark milestones in our lives.  Practically everyone fondly remembers the music that was popular during their teenage years.  Hearing the first few lyrics and cords of such a once top-ten song immediately conjures feelings of youth, joy and a carefree life when  your dreams reached the sky and your goals seemed within an arm’s reach.  The words of at least one prom song linger indelibly in your mind.  The song for your first dance at your wedding remains forever on your heart.  Periodically, you play that song as a reminder of the purity of your love on that day.  Your reflection enables you to glance upon the maturity of your love like a wine that is now vintage though it was once new.  Similarly, Israel sings the grand and glorious hymn in today’s passage in gratitude for the monumental occasion of the Lord’s fulfillment of His promise to return them to their homeland and renew them with an unimaginable abundant and prosperous life.  Do you have any favorite songs, sacred or secular, that mark milestones of God’s faithfulness in your life?

Let’s Talk About It

1.     Recite songs of hope that reflect God’s deliverance of people in Scripture and in history.

2.   What is your favorite psalm that expresses hope in God for deliverance in tough times?

3.   Share a story of personal liberation from pain and suffering by God.

4.   What Bible verse would you suggest a fellow disciple read during a particularly difficult time?  Give a few reasons.

5.    Have you ever had a “wake-up” call from God during a time of indifference in your faith?