Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2020): Isaiah 46
Seventeenth-Century philosopher Thomas Hobbes argued that "Hell is truth seen too late." Everything in life is all about timing. The right thing only works if it is present at the right time. The right place and the right person are both connected with the right timing. And when someone comes to our rescue, the timing is essential; too early and we don't need rescuing, but too late there is nothing left to save. Hobbes is right. Hell is truth seen too late.
The thought reminds me of some old Westerns that I have watched. At the highest point of the drama, when the danger to the hero is at its greatest, we know the cavalry is lurking just over the next hill. And before our hero meets his end at the hands of the villain of the story, the cavalry will ride over the hill and save the day. It is all about timing.
Isaiah asserts that God's righteousness is near. Isaiah is sure that God has his deliverer standing by, even though, for the people, deliverance seems to be so far away. The time would soon be upon them when the deliverer would not just be brought near but would become a reality among the people. Isaiah is positive that God is still in control of the future and that he has a purpose for his chosen people. And it is for those reasons that the people can still place their trust in him.
We sometimes say that we serve an on-time God; he is never early, and he is never late. God is always on time. And Isaiah would seem to agree with that thought. God is near, and he will not be delayed. There is likely a two-fold fulfillment of this prophecy. The one that Isaiah had focused his attention on was Cyrus of the Persians. He was the righteous King who would save Israel, not because of what he gained, but because it was the right thing to do. But, as Christians, it is hard not to see the coming of the Messiah as a second stage to this prophecy. What Cyrus would do was save Israel, and several other displaced nations, in the short-term. But the long-term salvation of Israel and the world would have to wait for the day of the Messiah.
And maybe, if Hell is truth seen too late, then God is truth understood and accepted at the proper time. It is the real argument behind the genealogy of Jesus that is found in Matthew 1. Matthew concludes his genealogy with this statement; "Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah." We sometimes miss the message that Matthew was getting to with his conclusion. Fourteen is double the number seven, and seven, in Jewish thought, was perfect. Matthew's message to his readers by stressing the number "fourteen" is simply this; when the time was perfect, Jesus came. And he will be there just when we need him, too.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 47
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