Hoping in the Midst of Distraction

Rev. Joel St. Clair
Isaiah 45:14-46:13

God calls his people to turn away from false idols and to himself. The created statues and images that they worshipped could not save, protect, or provide. Yet the LORD does. While we do not have statues of gold or precious metals, we are called to turn away from the false promises of this world and turn toward the resurrected savior, Jesus Christ.

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Advent is rooted in the idea that we live between two arrivals – Jesus’s first advent in the incarnation and the second advent when he will return as King to bring about justice and restoration. The two arrivals (advents) mean that the Christian life plays out in the in-between. We may look back and learn from those who waited for the first advent as instructive for us today in waiting for His second advent.

The prophet Isaiah is proclaiming the unique greatness of YHWH to a people tempted by idols, allured by foreign powers, and distracted from God’s call to covenant faithfulness. And so his prophecy is a mix of warning and hope in the midst of many difficult circumstances (including the impending defeat of the Assyrian army and the foretelling (?) of the Babylonian captivity). In the midst of these circumstances, he calls the people to wait and hope on the Lord. It’s a practice the church continues today.