Looking at this chapter, it reads like a Psalm, starting with praise to the LORD for his power and mercy and ending with a sense of triumph over old enemies. But the middle section sees the coming together of several striking threads (thinking of the grand sweep of the Bible as a tapestry) into a wonderful knot of bright promises.
Here (in v6) is the great feast at the end of all things thrown by our gracious God to which believing people from the entire world are called.
In a tangential way, v7 is a promise of the coming of the indwelling Holy Spirit who will give understanding of the mysteries of God, clearing the foggy shroud of human spiritual blindness.
And finally in v8 not only will our Saviour abolish death itself but he will personally wipe away our individual tears of sorrow, pain, disappointment, shame...
As Paul says in 1 Cor 2v9, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him-..."
YOU CAN STOP READING HERE!
But if you want to follow these themes or threads further, here are some other examples of where they come to the surface. (This is definitely NOT a full list!) As you do so, you may like to ponder how much they are fulfilled now and how they will be completed at the renewing of the world.
For the feast, see Matt 22v4, Luke 15v23, Rev 19v19.
For 'All Peoples', see Gen 12v3, Psalm 87, Mark 11v17 & Luke 24v47.
For the shroud, compare with 2Cor 3v14 and John 16v13.
For the defeat of death see Job 19v25&26, Hosea 13v14&15, 1Cor 15 especially v54&55.
For tears see Rev 7v17 and finally Rev 21v4.
Do you remember that chorus “Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return….”? It’s from Isa51v11 and is worth comparing with this passage.
Tom Edom
Friday, 12 June 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I find the imagery in verses 7 and 8 really powerful. Death is a "shroud" or "sheet" smothering and stifling people, creating fear and darkness. But this massive shroud - big enough to cover all nations - is not so big that God cannot swallow it up!
Post a Comment