Today, we look to a prophet who saw it all. The son of Amoz was married, his wife was a prophetess and his two sons would be named to remind the world of his predictions about Israel - The first would speak of judgement and the second would be restoration. He would live some 80 plus years and prophize in four different kings' lives. The final king would not like what was said and would end up killing him by sawing him in half.
He was a man in touch with God. He saw God’s Son hundreds of years before he came in the flesh. He was a man who hated sin and the sham of religion. He would show up in the temple courts and scream of the country’s failure to be faithful to God. He was determined to call the government to account for its unfaithful acts both in Israel and in foreign lands.
Although he could be misunderstood, Isaiah loved his nation. He was a patriot. However, He was unafraid to denounce kings, priests or even the public. He didn’t care what the world thought of him and declared the Word of the Lord no matter what. One time, he spent three years in a loincloth (diaper) to dramatize the victory of Assyria over Egypt hoping to get the country's attention to the danger that was fast approaching. He knew the result would be devastating.
This was Isaiah’s mode of operation. His name means “Salvation of the Lord” and Salvation or deliverance is the story of his life. He would write of five deliverances that God would decree in his lifetime:
The deliverance of Judah from Assyrian invaders
The deliverance of the nation from the Babylonian captivity
The future deliverance of the Jews from worldwide dispersion
The deliverance of the lost sinners from judgement
The final deliverance of creation from the bondage of sin when the kingdom is established.
Many will claim this is an unprecedented time in history but that is far from the truth. God will deliver us from COVID. Ever since man has walked the earth, there have been events that swept across the earth. From Noah and the great flood to SARS, the world has dealt with viruses.
In 165 AD, The Antonine plague killed 5 million (with many less people inhabiting the earth)
In 541 AD, the Justinian plague killed some 50 million
In 1347 AD, the black plague killed between 75 and 200 million
In 1520 AD, the smallpox plague killed around 50 million
In 1918 AD, the flu killed some 50 million
There have been various other outbreaks as well. The truth is we have been challenged to face a truth, humanity would rather not admit. I am usually not all that prophetic but I can say this with all certainty: We will all die. The question is not if but when. It’s a result of a virus as well. In the Bible, its called sin. We prefer not to admit it. We would rather use word’s like faults, defects, bad habits and hundreds of other words. It’s best described as any word or deed in which we place ourselves on the throne and remove God. Thankfully there’s a vaccine. It’s Jesus. A vaccine Isaiah predicted over 700 years before He arrived on the scene.
Isaiah predicts it and offers what can only be describe as the work of an evangelist. A person who shares who Jesus is and the good news of the Gospel.
Isaiah shares the message in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. It details:
The birth of Jesus
The Ministry of John The Baptist
The Christ’s anointing
The Nation’s rejection of their messiah
The stone of stumbling
Christ ministry to gentiles
The suffering of the savior and His death
His resurrection and his return as King
And there’s even more...
The impact of which can not be underestimated. The prediction is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament some 40 times. Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah more than any other. It gave him hope in his trials and tribulations so what about yours.
Plagues intensify the natural course of life. They intensify our own sense of mortality and frailty. The plagues “search” us. They discover in us either the way of the flesh (self-preservation) or the way of the Spirit (self-giving sacrifice). They also intensify opportunities to display countercultural, counter conditional love. Christians have rose to the challenge in every century, winning both admirers and also converts.
During the Black Death, Martin Luther and his pregnant wife stayed to serve the sick. He would state that Christ is in those providing care, he is (per Matt. 25) in the sick, and he is in the victory the church will experience over Satan—a victory that includes even the smaller “deliverance” of recovery from the plague.
The challenge for us today as Christians is to offer a similar deliverance. A deliverance from fear and loneliness by first, analyzing the situation and reacting creativity. Those with hope rise to the challenge in times like these.
Maybe you have seen a few of these responses.
The drive by baby showers, birthday parties, graduations and hospital stays
The friends who leave food and toiletries at the door of shut-ins
The local restaurant owner who delivers food to the woman whose regular delivery service stopped operating because of the virus
The churches who deliver crafts, communion and even sing “carols” for their friends
The coworker who brings a ‘self-isolation survival kit’ complete with activities for the kids, a mini daffodil plant, a bottle of wine, scratch-off lottery tickets and other treats.
The aging Vets who used to meet weekly at their favorite breakfast joint who send their tips to the waitress who has been there for them.
The farmers who gave away their crops
The first responders who stay away from home to serve the sick
The dance party in the driveway
The concerts from the balconies
The priests doing drive through confession and squirt gun baptisms
The photographer doing free family portraits on the porch or front yard graduation pictures
The landlord who cancels the rent of his apartment building
The cards to old friends, the phone calls and even the wellness checks from 6 feet away from the front door.
The list is really endless if we believe mankind is created in the image of God. However, the outcome is more predictable. Hope restored for a short time. However, as Christians we have an opportunity to do more. We can remind the world Humanity’s initial first responder Jesus. If we take every one of these creative ideas and do them in Jesus name, an opportunity presents itself for us to be first responders and inject the world with the truth of the unconditional love of our God for us. During the most deadly of all viruses, God responded by coming to earth, living a perfect life, dying a sinners death and rising to provide the only vaccine that guarantees everlasting life.
