For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches. – Isaiah 18:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 22, 2013): Isaiah 18

One of the many complex factors that led to the First World War was a naval arms race between Britain and Germany. As the 19^th century drew to a close, Britain had the largest military naval in the world by a large margin. No one else even came close to the British Navy. However, there were other nations such as the United States and Japan that were starting to experiment with navies of their own. And Germany began to be afraid of the British navy. The fear was based on the prospect of a British blockade the short German coastline, and if that happened, Britain would have the ability to cripple the German economy. So the German government started to expand their navy. Their goal was build a fleet of ships that was two-thirds the size of the British Navy. They wanted to create a two way street, one where Britain was as afraid of Germany and the German navy as Germany was of the British Navy.

So from 1898 to 1912, the naval arms race raged in both nations. The British response to the German naval development was the building of the Dreadnought. During the first decade of the 20^th century, even the British public got involved with the naval race and coined the slogan “We want eight and we won’t wait” indicating the desire for Britain to build eight Dreadnought Class Battleships. There is this belief that arms can stand as a deterrent to war. And sometimes I think that is possible. But as the conflicts between Germany and Britain grew in the early years of the 20^th century, their expanding navies made war possible. In 1912, unknown to the rest of the world Germany left the naval arms race and secretly began to put all of their commitment and energy into developing a fleet of submarines. Submarines was something that no one else had, and their hope was that Germany could build a fleet of submarines before any of the other nations became aware of their existence – and by then it would be too late. Britannia may rule the waves, but Germany would be the terror just under the surface of water.

Isaiah watched as the empires of his day prepared for war. They were building their militaries as the nations prepared for conflict. Isaiah directs this prophecy toward Cush which would have been made up of the area surrounding Ethiopia, but many scholars think that the real power behind Isaiah’s words is Assyria. It might be that these words are actually meant to be an encouragement to Cush in the midst of their fear of the massive buildup of the Assyrian Army that the reign of Assyria is about to come to an end. Or to warn them that their own build up was not going to be good enough. According to Isaiah, the pruning shears were already in the hands of God and before the military power of the nations had been made fully ready, God would step in. His judgment will come just before the harvest is ready – just before the military is fully prepared for battle.

No matter how prepared we think we are for something, God always has the last word. And if we are not preparing for his purpose, then we will be cut short and doomed to failure – and our will probably become apparent just at the moment that we think our victory is assured.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 19 & 20