By Collin Ross
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 63:1-19, Isaiah 64:1-12, Micah 7:18-20, Philippians 3:18-21
A. W. Tozer is famous for saying, “What comes into our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us.” Over the course of my life, I have come back to this statement many times. One of the things I love about Isaiah’s prophecy is that no matter how far Israel had fallen, when the prophet looked to God, he could not help but see the Lord’s steadfast love.
It reminds me of a picture hanging in my kitchen. The photo was taken on my wedding day, and it features me and my wife in a loving embrace. I’ve always loved the photo. However, a few months after our wedding, I was marveling at the picture one day when I noticed a tuft of my hair sticking straight up into the air like an antennae. Now, whenever I look at this picture, I can’t not see that silly tuft of hair.
It’s a humorous example, but that is not all unlike what was going on when Isaiah looked at God. He couldn’t not see God’s grace and mercy. Oh, that I would share that same vision, holding fast to the truth that no matter how far I have failed to live up to my end of the bargain, God’s love would never be obscured from my view.
In our text, things had gone badly for Israel. Even though God had repeatedly led them like the good shepherd He is—like a father, even—they were incapable of remaining faithful to Him. Each person has rebelled against the Lord (Isaiah 64:6–7), and it got so bad that God had become Israel’s enemy, actively fighting against them (Isaiah 63:10).
And yet, what came into Isaiah’s mind when he thought about God? Even though Israel was mired in sin and rebellion, Isaiah knew that God’s love is steadfast. His is not the kind of love that ebbs and flows. His love is not dependent on you living up to your end of the bargain and supplying something of benefit to the relationship—even though that is so true of our human relationships.
No, the steadfast love of God is binding, committed, pursuing, and unwavering. We celebrate and bear witness to this kind of love with the ideal of marriage—we stand before our family and friends and most important of all, our God, and exchange vows to commit ourselves to our partner. We bind ourselves in the love that says nothing done or said can shift it. This love—His love—is not based on performance but on that promise. That is the kind of love that Isaiah couldn’t help but see when he looked upon the Lord.
If God truly loves us with that kind of love, then there is nothing that can separate us from His love. We can be confident that He will hear us, forgive us, and redeem us.
Written by Collin Ross
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