Musings from the Old Testament by Mark Thompson

Isaiah 43:16-21

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 03:50:07 GMT

“I am about to do a new thing…”

Isaiah 43:16-21

Thus says the Lord,

who makes a way in the sea,

a path in the mighty waters,

who brings out chariot and horse,

army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise,

they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

Do not remember the former things,

or consider the things of old.

I am about to do a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

The wild animals will honor me,

the jackals and the ostriches;

for I give water in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

the people whom I formed for myself

so that they might declare my praise.

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It is said the Lord does not change, that he is the same yesterday, today and forever. Certainly, there is comfort there; God is viewed as steady, unmovable, trustworthy. We can recognize his movements in the present and the future because his actions find their antecedents in the past. Thus God can guarantee to Abram the imminence of the promised child because God is the one “who brought you up out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees,” or God can promise his continued presence with Israel as they enter Canaan by reminding them of God’s role in rescuing them from Egypt and provision in the desert. Even here, in this week’s reading, there are allusions to Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness. God’s words through Isaiah challenge this notion of changelessness when God says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider things of old. I am about to do a new thing…” They are borderline heretical in that they challenge the unchanging character of God. Should we not remember the former things, should we no longer remember God’s promises, do these not matter?

But it is impossible for God to be a heretic. These words are reminders that God does not always conform to contrived categories of divinity. God does indeed change; God affords itself the ability to be different, to try something new, to be something new. There is risk in change, it implies uncertainty, mystery but also potential. The second part of the quoted text reads, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” I wonder if we are more prone to meet the new thing in God with fear and rejection? Perhaps we would not notice it at all; it looks nothing like God, fulfills none of our expectations of divinity. Both were present at Jesus’ trial - the religious condemned Jesus because they feared this new thing of God; Pilot and the Romans mocked Jesus, they did not recognize God, he was just a man to them. I wonder if, when God made his intentions known to Isaiah, God knew what change would require of him? Did he know he would be a man, did he know man well enough to expect their fear and rejection? Was it surprising to God that his willingness to change would lead to his own death by the ones he changed for? Maybe the new thing is not fear, rejection and death - they are former things, things of old. Maybe the new thing is life after death, do we not perceive it?

Testing

tammypallot@gmail.com (Tammy Pallot) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 06:14:20 GMT

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Jeremiah 17:5-10

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 06:05:54 GMT

New Title

Thus says the Lord:

Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals

and make mere flesh their strength,

whose hearts turn away from the Lord.

They shall be like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see when relief comes.

They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

They shall be like a tree planted by water,

sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes,

and its leaves shall stay green;

in the year of drought it is not anxious,

and it does not cease to bear fruit.

The heart is devious above all else;

it is perverse– who can understand it?

I the Lord test the mind

and search the heart,

to give to all according to their ways,

according to the fruit of their doings.

The reading this week has a specific context that should be considered - Jeremiah is warning the kingdom of Judah not to join in an alliance with Egypt in an attempt to avoid invasion by Babylon. He has good reason for caution. The kingdom of Israel made a similar alliance, but it did not help, Israel was invaded. Jeremiah does not want Judah to make a similar mistake. The prophet dresses his language in extremes and equates his words with the language of the divine; his words are God’s words and should not be questioned. Filled with stark condemnation and blessing, reminiscent of the giving of the Law in Deuteronomy, Jeremiah appeals to the national mythology that Israel and Judah are Yahweh’s people. This is the God who with terrible power led his people out of bondage and into their Promised Land. Yahweh led the way, sweeping their enemies away before them. Jeremiah could not bear the thought that after such a magnificent liberation from bondage in Egypt, Judah would have to turn to their former captors for salvation instead of God. For Jeremiah, Yahweh, not Egypt should be trusted for their salvation.

The modern reader should practice caution as well; there is danger in too liberally applying the hyperbolic language of the prophet to their life. Obviously there is some necessary trust that is the foundation of important relationships and systems. The encouragement to constantly find examples where we place trust in flesh over trust in the Lord too readily breeds skepticism and paranoia. Some religious leaders are quick to exploit these cultures of self-doubt and maintain cultures of doubt and paranoia to exert influence and power over people. Of course, the second part of the reading applies too. There is a need for reflection and introspection. Sometimes we can deceive ourselves. But there is not always an “Egypt” in our life that is standing in the way of our trust in God. Sometimes we can trust people, the “flesh,” and the Lord as well. They are not always mutually exclusive.

It would be nice to know whether we are trusting God, or are being deceived. Jeremiah offers some standards for evaluating one’s position. Again, reader beware of metaphorical language. Too easily can Jeremiah’s metaphors of strength imply success as indicative of trust in God. The wealthy, successful and prosperous are those who trusted God. Their wealth and prosperity are results, perhaps even rewards for their trust in the Lord. Conversely, the prophet’s metaphors of suffering apply to those who have trusted in their own strength, or the strength of others. The unfortunate, then, are cursed; they have no one to blame for their position than themselves. Unfortunately, Jeremiah’s metaphors of success and misfortune cannot be so easily applied. Reasons for success and misfortune cannot be so easily reduced to blind trust and magical thinking. God is neither concerned with our own success, nor is it our place to blame misfortune on the unfortunate.

Fortunately, there are other standards to gauge our trust in the Lord. Jesus recites them in the Gospel reading this week. The images of security Jesus conjures, if imagined arboreally as Jeremiah did, would not reflect the tree by a river of life. Jesus instead suggests the humble, the hungry and the humiliated are those who are closest to God. The proud, the nourished, the confident - those seemingly mighty and unshakeable trees - these have received their consolation already. Our hearts have deceived us indeed if we think that as a result of trusting in Jesus, we will receive strength, success, safety, prosperity. Trusting in the Lord requires something of us; Jeremiah’s metaphor has flipped. We should no longer count on security or success as proof of our trust in the Lord; rather, service, self-giving and the love of others, these are the standards of one who trusts in the Lord.

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

dudaadmin@acst.com (Duda-Realm Admin) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 05:45:53 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

dudaadmin@acst.com (Duda-Realm Admin) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 05:45:53 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

dudaadmin@acst.com (Duda-Realm Admin) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 05:45:53 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.