Epiphany of Our Lord
Preaching
Preaching And Reading The Old Testament Lessons
With an Eye to the New
The first strophe or stanza of this passage actually ends with verse 7, but the lectionary has ended it with verse 6 in order to connect the gold and frankincense mentioned there with the gifts that the wise men took to the infant Jesus (cf. the New Testament reading in Matthew 2:1--12). The promises given in the passage are also actually addressed to the holy city of Jerusalem, but the lectionary envisions the passage as a prophecy of Jesus' epiphany or manifestation to all nations. If we listen to the text as it stands in its own historical context and then apply it to ours, however, there is much to be said.
Post--exilic Jerusalem of the sixth or fifth century B.C. is pictured by Third Isaiah in verse 1 as a woman mourning in the dust. But she is commanded to "arise" because the Lord has "risen" upon her in his glory (vv. 1--2).
What is the biblical meaning of "the glory of the Lord"? In many texts, God's glory denotes the honor and esteem belonging to him. "Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength," calls out the Psalmist (Psalm 29:1). In other words, honor him. But in this text and many others in the priestly writings, "glory" refers to God's shining light effulgence in which he reveals himself on earth (cf. Exodus 34:29--35). The glory of the Lord is God's physical manifestation of his Person. This is the "light" that has come upon Jerusalem in verse 1 of our text, and her light, in verse 3 then, is the reflected light from God's light, to which all nations are drawn.
Because God has come to save Jerusalem and has revealed himself to her, she is commanded in our text to "arise," to get up from her mourning in the dust (v. 1). That could also be an imperative to us, could it not? After all, at Christmas, we heard the glad announcement that the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, had been born. He came bringing the glory of his Father to us, and we "beheld his glory, glory as the only Son from the Father" (John 1:14). He came as Immanuel, as God with us. He worked the forgiveness of our sins and he overcame the gates of hell and defeated death forever. Why then do we still sit dispirited and mourning, like those who have not been saved?
To be sure, good Christians, the problems and sufferings of our common life are still very much with us. We still struggle with the burdens of this world and know its pains and sorrows. But in the midst of it all, is there also not some quiet joy and assurance that we have from our Lord? Is there not within our hearts and minds the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord? Is there not the certain hope that God's is the victory over all this world's turmoil and evil, and that at the end, all knees will bow and all tongues confess their allegiance to him? Yes, as Paul once wrote, we can be afflicted at times, but we are never crushed; perplexed but never driven to despair; persecuted perhaps but not forsaken by our God; struck down by life, but never destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8--9). The glory of the Lord has come to us in Jesus Christ. Immanuel! God has come to us! So the command of our text is "Arise!" Get up! "Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees" (Hebrews 12:12). Grasp hold of the strength and hope that have been given you by your present Lord, and live as those to whom a Savior has indeed been born. Reflect the glory of the Lord and not the darkness of your own misery. For God in Christ has delivered us from the gloom that dominates our world and transferred us into the light of his loving rule (cf. Colossians 1:13).
In other words, good Christians, you and I are now called to reflect the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus - to live as those who now know and belong to him. And do you doubt that if his glory shines in our lives, it will draw others to worship and praise him also?
Our text speaks of all nations and rulers making pilgrimage to Jerusalem, because she reflects the light of God's glory in her life. That is the same thought that many of the prophets had. An earlier Isaiah saw all nations streaming to Zion to be taught by God's word (Isaiah 2:2--4). A later Zechariah proclaimed that persons of every language would say to Israel, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah 8:23). If we live lives that reflect the fact that God is with us, will that not also draw others to his worship?
In other words, there is a strong missionary emphasis in our text. We are celebrating Epiphany Sunday today, in which Christ is made manifest to all the nations on the earth, symbolized by the fact of those foreign wise men following that star to Bethlehem. But there is no guiding star any more. There are only we Christians, little pockets of worshipers gathered together all over the earth in a fellowship called the Christian Church, little lights shining out into the darkness of a world lost and far from its Creator. And from us now, from us sinners who have been forgiven, from us dying souls who have inherited eternal life, from us once lost who have now been given a new life in our Lord, our God asks the witness to his glorious love. "You are my witnesses," he tells us over and over again in his word (Isaiah 43:10, 12; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 13:31; Hebrews 12:1, et al). You are now the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). You reflect the presence of the glory of God in your life. So "let your light so shine before (everyone) that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
In your homes, in your relations with your spouse and children, reflect God's light. In your job and your actions toward your co--workers and the task you have at hand, let God's light shine. In your work in society and in the church, bring light and not darkness. In your mission giving and concern, support the glorious enterprise of the gospel. Arise and shine with the glory of the Lord and with the glad news of God with us. For then, in God's good time, individuals and groups and nations will indeed be drawn to such light. As our text says, they too "shall proclaim the praise of the Lord" (v. 6). And God's word in this text, given through his prophet, will be fulfilled and become reality.
Post--exilic Jerusalem of the sixth or fifth century B.C. is pictured by Third Isaiah in verse 1 as a woman mourning in the dust. But she is commanded to "arise" because the Lord has "risen" upon her in his glory (vv. 1--2).
What is the biblical meaning of "the glory of the Lord"? In many texts, God's glory denotes the honor and esteem belonging to him. "Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength," calls out the Psalmist (Psalm 29:1). In other words, honor him. But in this text and many others in the priestly writings, "glory" refers to God's shining light effulgence in which he reveals himself on earth (cf. Exodus 34:29--35). The glory of the Lord is God's physical manifestation of his Person. This is the "light" that has come upon Jerusalem in verse 1 of our text, and her light, in verse 3 then, is the reflected light from God's light, to which all nations are drawn.
Because God has come to save Jerusalem and has revealed himself to her, she is commanded in our text to "arise," to get up from her mourning in the dust (v. 1). That could also be an imperative to us, could it not? After all, at Christmas, we heard the glad announcement that the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, had been born. He came bringing the glory of his Father to us, and we "beheld his glory, glory as the only Son from the Father" (John 1:14). He came as Immanuel, as God with us. He worked the forgiveness of our sins and he overcame the gates of hell and defeated death forever. Why then do we still sit dispirited and mourning, like those who have not been saved?
To be sure, good Christians, the problems and sufferings of our common life are still very much with us. We still struggle with the burdens of this world and know its pains and sorrows. But in the midst of it all, is there also not some quiet joy and assurance that we have from our Lord? Is there not within our hearts and minds the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord? Is there not the certain hope that God's is the victory over all this world's turmoil and evil, and that at the end, all knees will bow and all tongues confess their allegiance to him? Yes, as Paul once wrote, we can be afflicted at times, but we are never crushed; perplexed but never driven to despair; persecuted perhaps but not forsaken by our God; struck down by life, but never destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8--9). The glory of the Lord has come to us in Jesus Christ. Immanuel! God has come to us! So the command of our text is "Arise!" Get up! "Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees" (Hebrews 12:12). Grasp hold of the strength and hope that have been given you by your present Lord, and live as those to whom a Savior has indeed been born. Reflect the glory of the Lord and not the darkness of your own misery. For God in Christ has delivered us from the gloom that dominates our world and transferred us into the light of his loving rule (cf. Colossians 1:13).
In other words, good Christians, you and I are now called to reflect the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus - to live as those who now know and belong to him. And do you doubt that if his glory shines in our lives, it will draw others to worship and praise him also?
Our text speaks of all nations and rulers making pilgrimage to Jerusalem, because she reflects the light of God's glory in her life. That is the same thought that many of the prophets had. An earlier Isaiah saw all nations streaming to Zion to be taught by God's word (Isaiah 2:2--4). A later Zechariah proclaimed that persons of every language would say to Israel, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah 8:23). If we live lives that reflect the fact that God is with us, will that not also draw others to his worship?
In other words, there is a strong missionary emphasis in our text. We are celebrating Epiphany Sunday today, in which Christ is made manifest to all the nations on the earth, symbolized by the fact of those foreign wise men following that star to Bethlehem. But there is no guiding star any more. There are only we Christians, little pockets of worshipers gathered together all over the earth in a fellowship called the Christian Church, little lights shining out into the darkness of a world lost and far from its Creator. And from us now, from us sinners who have been forgiven, from us dying souls who have inherited eternal life, from us once lost who have now been given a new life in our Lord, our God asks the witness to his glorious love. "You are my witnesses," he tells us over and over again in his word (Isaiah 43:10, 12; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 13:31; Hebrews 12:1, et al). You are now the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). You reflect the presence of the glory of God in your life. So "let your light so shine before (everyone) that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
In your homes, in your relations with your spouse and children, reflect God's light. In your job and your actions toward your co--workers and the task you have at hand, let God's light shine. In your work in society and in the church, bring light and not darkness. In your mission giving and concern, support the glorious enterprise of the gospel. Arise and shine with the glory of the Lord and with the glad news of God with us. For then, in God's good time, individuals and groups and nations will indeed be drawn to such light. As our text says, they too "shall proclaim the praise of the Lord" (v. 6). And God's word in this text, given through his prophet, will be fulfilled and become reality.
