Today's Scripture Reading (September 6, 2023): Isaiah 43
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church "For now we see only a reflection as in a
mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I
shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Or as
the King James Version of the Bible says, "For now we see through a glass,
darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12). To understand the concept Paul is trying to
get across here, we have to realize that 2000 years ago, the people living in
that century didn't have the highly polished reflective surfaces that we call "mirrors"
today. Instead, they had polished surfaces that offered a reflection but not
one without imperfections and distortions. A mirror could give you an idea of your
appearance, but it was far from a perfect image. It was an approximation,
nothing more; thus, we saw "through a glass, darkly."
Our mirrors have improved, but we still see through a glass,
darkly. I am confronted with someone who has taken a comment out of context almost
weekly. Sometimes, the words might have belonged to me, but often, it is
something that someone else has said. But, usually, they have taken insult when
none was intended. Part of the problem is that we don't just hear the words someone
says to us. We hear the words and translate them through a prism of our expectations
and values. As a result, what seems so evident to us in our many interactions
might not be what is really happening. As much as these interactions seem
obvious to us, we have unconsciously taken some shortcuts to get to that
solution.
Prophecy is often the same way. All prophecy is seeing
through a glass, darkly. There is nothing obvious about a prophecy. We have to
try to put the pieces together, and even if we do that right, we still might
arrive at a wrong conclusion.
The author of this passage is trying to encourage a nation
that has been destroyed by the Babylonians, arguing that God is still on their
side. And so, the prophet reminds them of what has happened in the past. When
they were in Egypt, God redeemed them from their slavery, substituting other
nations in their place. Whether they understood this or not, these other
nations were also on a journey with God, but they existed at a different location
on that journey. The prophet's idea was that something similar would happen
again. God was willing to give people and nations in exchange for his people.
But the ultimate expression of this concept is found in the
life, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the very Son of God, was the
ultimate trade that God made for us. He died on the cross so we wouldn't have to
pay the price of our disobedience. He suffered in our place. While this
prophecy is viewed through a glass, darkly, the substitution of Jesus for us is
the point that the prophet was trying to describe to his people who so
desperately needed to find some hope for the future.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 44
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