Today's Scripture Reading (March 21, 2023): Isaiah 9
It is hard to explain away
the miracles of the Bible, but that has never stopped us from trying. Either
that or we decide that the miracles were an impossibility and, therefore, they
are fictional additions to the story contained within our Holy Book. I also must
admit that sometimes I have theories on what might have happened. Having said
that, I also am comfortable not knowing how or why things happened. I am very okay
with letting the miracles be miracles.
One of my explanations on the
“what really happened” side involves the falling walls of Jericho during the
time of Joshua and Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land. And part of what I
think happened was that the Exodus was not just an event but a steady process.
It makes sense that Egypt had been leaking slaves long before Moses brought the
enslaved Israelites out of Egypt. These slaves just disappeared, much like
Moses did after he killed the Egyptian. These people walked away from Egypt,
sometimes leaving the African nation alone and sometimes with their families.
And these escaped slaves became the forerunners of Israel in Canaan. They told
the story of these people who had been promised the land. They told tales of
their God and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Canaan had already been expecting
Israel for many years before they arrived.
When the Israelites finally
arrived, there was great interest in what Israel would do next. So, God
instructed Israel to make a spectacle of themselves. God leads Israel to go and
march around Jericho’s city walls. Every day Israel came for their march and
then left for the place where the nation was camped. And in my imagination, I
see the people of Jericho coming out to see the nation they had heard about parade
around their city walls. In my mind, it was likely a bit of a circus attitude,
with lots of smiles and joking.
Of course, on the last day,
Israel marched around the city seven times. With every lap, I can see more and
more people gathering on the walls watching the free entertainment. And then,
on the seventh time around the walls, Israel did something they had never done
before. They let loose with a war cry. And I can see the people on the walls
jumping with surprise. As a result of the shock, the combined weight of the
people, combined with the audience’s automatic startle response, was simply too
much for the wall. Then the walls came tumbling down.
Why bother with such a story?
Sometimes my imagination needs to be taken out for a stroll. I have no idea if
that is the way it happened, but I think it is a possibility. And if it did
take place as I imagined, there were two moments. The first was when the people
of Jericho were entertained by the people marching outside the wall. They
probably looked forward to the entertainment of the day, watching the nation
they had heard about, these former slaves that had escaped Egypt, parade around
the city walls. The people were safe behind their walls, so Israel was no
threat. But all that changed on the day that the walls came down. Then, the
nation that had been entertainment became the city's rulers. And that is a
meaningful distinction. What was at first nothing more than theater became a real
disaster for the people.
Speaking of the Messiah,
Isaiah argues, “Of the
greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will
reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding
it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” We live
in a time when the Messiah might be a curiosity, maybe followed by the intrigued,
but many people in our culture are just watching the show from the top of the wall.
They think they are safe and insulated by their lives, and Jesus is someone we
take from sometimes, but also someone who can be ignored when we don’t feel
like taking him seriously. But Isaiah sees a time when the wall is going to
fall. At that time, we will all be the subjects of the King who reigns forever
on the throne of David, whether we want to be or not. On that day, everything
changes.
Isaiah
then speaks to those who doubt that this day will ever come when he says, “The
zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Of this, we can be
confident. God will do what he has said that he will do.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 10
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