(December 20, 2014)
One of
the things that I have learned to assist me in reading Isaiah is to
recognize that each of us are Israel, and each of us are the world. We have a part of us that tries to worship the
Lord and we have a part of us that wants to live as gods unto ourselves. Ultimately it is less about geography, and far
more about good and evil in conflict.
With
that in mind, I was struck by the idea that Israel is punished because of her
wickedness, but those who act as the agents of that punishment are destroyed by
acting as ‘executioner.’ I am in a
somewhat similar situation – I am being punished by mistakes that I have made,
but at the same time I see the ones ‘punishing’ me being destroyed by their
actions against me. At the very time I
am trying to follow the Lord, they seem to be abandoning Him in their desire to
bring ‘justice’ as they see it.
I
understand why so many of the Apostles speak so warmly towards mercy and become
less and less interested in justice. Even
if justice is on our side, when we pursue it we often find ourselves condemned
by that same justice we seek against others. Though it breaks my heart to see it, those
condemning me are seemingly descending into darker and darker places – there is
no joy to be found in the destruction of others, even if by some chance they ‘deserve’
it.
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