Today's Scripture Reading (September 15, 2020): Isaiah 66
American
fantasy and science fiction author Brandon Sanderson, in "The Way of
Kings," argues that "sometimes
the prize is not worth the costs. The means by which we achieve victory are as
important as the victory itself." Every victory carries with it a cost,
and one of the big questions that we have to ask ourselves is whether or not
the cost is too great for the victory that we win by paying it.
Maybe the military practice of the
United States is an excellent example of this principle. There is no doubt what
constitutes a win for the American government. They seek to expand their
influence over the world in opposition to the ever-expanding influences of
nations like Russia and China. With influence comes access to overseas markets
necessary to the bottom line of the country. The American government has been
accused of being present in the Middle East only for the oil that is present in
the region, but that is just part of the motive behind the nation's presence
outside of its borders. The economic access that comes with influence pays the
salaries of the nation's multinational companies, a source of income that would
dry up if the influence of the United States suddenly disappeared. There is also
a strong belief that their presence plays a part in stopping terrorist attacks,
like the one on 9/11, at home. And there is a genuine feeling of responsibility
to help ally nations with their struggles and to help protect them against
their adversaries. All of this supplies at least part of the motive.
But it also comes with a cost. Soldiers
die every month on foreign ground. The United States has always had a strong
desire to keep within themselves, building a wall between them and the rest of
the world (no, this was not something new with Donald Trump.) And when things
go wrong abroad, or when the American military is forced to take action in
support of the motive, the national image takes an international hit, building
a strong sense of hate against the Americans in foreign lands, wherever you might
find them. The question the American Government is left with is whether the
cost is too much to pay to achieve the intended gains. We have all gone through
that calculation. We want something, but we have to decide whether or not the
price tag is within our ability to pay.
Isaiah switches the conversation. What
if you could achieve what you want at no cost. He uses the image of a child
being born. One of the fears of many prospective first-time mothers is the pain
of childbirth. I have heard more than one young girl proclaim that they don't
want to have children because they don't want the pain involved in the process
of giving birth. In the end, most mothers will tell you the gift of the child
is well worth the discomfort of the birth process. But what if all that was
taken away. What if there were no pain in childbirth, and what if victory could
be gained without a cost.
Isaiah's prophecy is precisely that
for the nation of Israel. The time is coming when you will gain your victory,
and it will cost you nothing. I am pretty sure that we have not seen that
glorious day yet. Everything that Israel gains now comes at a very high price,
and the question of the price for existence is one that seems to be continually
evaluated. But Isaiah says that one day that question will disappear, as God
gives the victory without a price to be paid.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Esther
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