Our Scripture meditation is based on Isaiah 35:6-7, part of next week’s Old Testament Reading.
[5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; [6] then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [7] the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
I thought a meditation on a reading referring to the desert would be fitting. After all, next summer the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod’s convention is in Phoenix, AZ.
Isaiah chapter 35 is a passage overflowing with hope. It tells of the return home of Jewish people dispersed at the destruction of their homeland. At the same time, it is a prophesy of God returning all people to himself. We’ll focus on the second prophesy.
All people were dispersed from God by sin. We were in a desert, cut off from God by sins in a dry and weary land. Now, we know someone who opened the eyes of the blind and unstopped the ears of the deaf. We know one who caused the lame to leap and mute sing for joy. These are signs of the Messiah, the Christ. In His death and resurrection, Jesus became Savior of the world.
What about personal salvation? The first year we lived in Phoenix, we received one and three-quarters inches of precipitation. The Sonoran Desert was a stark reminder that we are dependent on God for our daily bread. Once when I was driving on a county road, I noticed something sparkling in the desert. I finally pulled over to look more closely. This dry and drab stretch of desert looked like diamonds were scattered everywhere. It took a few moments to register that the sparkling was created by streams of water flowing through the desert, as described in verse 6 of our passage. I realize monsoon rains must have dumped water miles above this stretch of desert, but at the moment it seemed miraculous.
We know of water that truly is miraculous: the water of baptism. When combined with God’s Word, baptism returns us to the Father by forgiving our sins, creating faith, and granting the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Until next week, the Lord bless and guide.
Kevin Wilson 360 