Sunday of Creation (OTA)

Isaiah 59:1-15

59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

² but your iniquities have made a separation

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear.

³ For your hands are defiled with blood

and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies;

your tongue mutters wickedness.

⁴ No one enters suit justly;

no one goes to law honestly;

they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,

they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

⁵ They hatch adders’ eggs;

they weave the spider’s web;

he who eats their eggs dies,

and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.

⁶ Their webs will not serve as clothing;

men will not cover themselves with what they make.

Their works are works of iniquity,

and deeds of violence are in their hands.

⁷ Their feet run to evil,

and they are swift to shed innocent blood;

their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

desolation and destruction are in their highways.

⁸ The way of peace they do not know,

and there is no justice in their paths;

they have made their roads crooked;

no one who treads on them knows peace.

⁹ Therefore justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not overtake us;

we hope for light, and behold, darkness,

and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

¹⁰ We grope for the wall like the blind;

we grope like those who have no eyes;

we stumble at noon as in the twilight,

among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

¹¹ We all growl like bears;

we moan and moan like doves;

we hope for justice, but there is none;

for salvation, but it is far from us.

¹² For our transgressions are multiplied before you,

and our sins testify against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

and we know our iniquities:

¹³ transgressing, and denying the Lord,

and turning back from following our God,

speaking oppression and revolt,

conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.

¹⁴ Justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands far away;

for truth has stumbled in the public squares,

and uprightness cannot enter.

¹⁵ Truth is lacking,

and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him

that there was no justice.

The truth is truly lacking from the world around us. I have not listened to very many political speeches this season. I have become tired of listening to people who speak without truth. People who talk about peace and compromise but only mean other people bending to their opinion or side of the aisle. There is no greater lesson that we can teach politicians than the one Isaiah gives us here.

Isaiah tells us, "men will not cover themselves with what they make." and "the way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths;" and "speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words." These words may not be the whole of Isaiah's message but they sure to speak to people of today. We are divided not because we want justice or peace or to stop oppression, but because we want what is best for ourselves.

This does not just apply to democrat and republican, but it also applies to community leaders, employee verses employer. We all desire to remove our mistakes from ourselves. We may talk of peace and justice but the truth escapes our understanding. We may talk of the oppression or lies of others while giving birth to our own lies and forms of oppression.

Isaiah speaks to the people of God. He speaks to people who have lost their way. He speaks to people who no longer teach nor learn the LORD's way. These people have hidden God from themselves and try to hide themselves from God. But God's long arm will always be able to reach you.

God calls these people to listen to the truth. He sends the truth into the flesh. The truth dies on account of their iniquity. The truth sheds its own blood for their transgressions. The truth takes their mistakes and wickedness upon himself, so that the people may be found righteous and holy. Jesus Christ is this truth and he is also the only way to everlasting life. Speak the truth in all things: Confess the Love of Christ in all things. Here is the instruction of what Peace really is.