21 Don’t you know? Don’t you hear?
Haven’t you been told from the start?
Don’t you understand how the earth is set up?
22 He who sits above the circle of the earth —
for whom its inhabitants appear like grasshoppers —
stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He reduces princes to nothing,
the rulers of the earth to emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely their stem taken root in the ground,
when he blows on them, they dry up,
and the whirlwind carries them off like straw.
25 “With whom, then, will you compare me?
With whom am I equal?” asks the Holy One.
26 Turn your eyes to the heavens!
See who created these?
He brings out the army of them in sequence,
summoning each by name.
Through his great might and his massive strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Ya‘akov;
why do you say, Isra’el,
“My way is hidden from Adonai,
my rights are ignored by my God”?
28 Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard
that the everlasting God, Adonai,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
does not grow tired or weary?
His understanding cannot be fathomed.
29 He invigorates the exhausted,
he gives strength to the powerless.
30 Young men may grow tired and weary,
even the fittest may stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength,
they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings;
when they are running they won’t grow weary,
when they are walking they won’t get tired.
(Complete Jewish Bible)
***
"Have you not known? Have you not heard?" These questions are asked with the implication that indeed these people have heard the good news. However, these questions are asked to a people in exile, a people who may have forgotten the faithfulness and power of their Lord in their darkness.
How often do we forget the goodness, mercy and love of our Lord when we are feeling lost or consumed by darkness? We get bogged down in the pain and the frustration and lose sight of the One who is our hope and strength. Like the people of Israel, we too are called to lift up our eyes and see God amidst the darkness and struggle of our own personal exiles. In so doing, we will have our strength renewed and we will soar with eagles, knowing that it is our God who saves.
Creating God, you hold the whole of the world in your gentle embrace. Lift our eyes to see your face, a light in our darkness and a hope in our despair. Amen.
Katie Emery, '12
Pastor, Hope American Lutheran Church, Fallon, Mont. and Community Presbyterian Church, Terry, Mont.
Isaiah 40:21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;
23 who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (New Revised Standard Version)
"Have you not known? Have you not heard?" These questions are asked with the implication that indeed these people have heard the good news. However, these questions are asked to a people in exile, a people who may have forgotten the faithfulness and power of their Lord in their darkness.
How often do we forget the goodness, mercy and love of our Lord when we are feeling lost or consumed by darkness? We get bogged down in the pain and the frustration and lose sight of the One who is our hope and strength. Like the people of Israel, we too are called to lift up our eyes and see God amidst the darkness and struggle of our own personal exiles. In so doing, we will have our strength renewed and we will soar with eagles, knowing that it is our God who saves.
Creating God, you hold the whole of the world in your gentle embrace. Lift our eyes to see your face, a light in our darkness and a hope in our despair. Amen.
Katie Emery, '12
Pastor, Hope American Lutheran Church, Fallon, Mont. and Community Presbyterian Church, Terry, Mont.
Isaiah 40:21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;
23 who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
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