What Are You Waiting For?
Advent Lessons from the Prophet Isaiah
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
The “Christmas Offensive” happens before the Halloween candy runs out: Twinkling lights, wreaths, trees, stockings, and Christmas music everywhere. Whether one wants it or not, is ready for it or not, there is no stopping Christmas. We simply can’t wait for Christmas. Could this be a symptom of a deeper cultural sickness? Can we wait for anything really? We have instant access to entertainment (Netflix, Spotify, Hulu), to information (Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr), and to friends (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat); Instant access to fast food (drive-thrus) and fresh food (corner grocers and farmers’ markets). And in the Bay Area, we have instant access to epic experiences (the Pacific coast, wine country, Tahoe, Yosemite) and instant access to getting to them (planes, trains, and automobiles). While not everyone has access to all of these things, many of us do, and the access often demands an immediacy attached to an allergic reaction to waiting for anything.
But what would it look like if we could discover again the ancient and forgotten practice of waiting? How might it deepen us and shape us into people of substance and significance? In the midst of these days that bustle with holiday planning, shopping, and partying, we are invited into a season in the Christian calendar that precedes Christmas. For 2000 years, Advent has been a season set apart as a period of waiting in preparation to celebrate, once again, the miraculous arrival (the Latin word, adventus, means “arrival”) of a vulnerable infant born to humble parents. And, as Christians who live after the advent of Jesus’ first coming, we are also called to wait in anticipation for his return, the crescendo of God’s work when all things will be made new and where the peace (shalom) of God will reign, never again to be compromised, forevermore.
In a way, we don’t celebrate Advent, we linger in it. We reflect upon it. We waitin it long enough to see what God might be up to in the deepest parts of who we are. There are so many instances in life in which we hastily attempt to stop the pain, quench the thirst, suppress the sadness, mind the gap, fill the hole, or salve the wound. Yet, Advent is a Season where we are invited to stay open to our longings, yearnings, and dreams. Linger in them. Wait in them. What might they teach us?
Isaiah says: “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longsfor you” (26:9). And again: “Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress” (33:2).
What if we embrace this season of Advent as opportunity to linger in our longings for a few weeks? See what strength God might manifest in our waiting or how we might come to know God’s presence in a deeper way when we aren’t so distracted. Perhaps we will, once again or for the very first time, trust that salvation is God’s rescue rather than our own self-reliance.
This Advent Season you have been granted permission to wait on God. You are invited to linger in your longings and explore what might result.
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
Table of Contents
From the Prophet Isaiah
“Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”
“My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.”
“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”
The History of Isaiah
Isaiah prophesied “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (1:1). His call to ministry came “in the year that King Uzziah died” (6:1), around 740 BC. The leaders of God’s people had become corrupt, and the people had given themselves to idol worship–turning their affections away from their Creator and toward created things. And, everyone forgot about the poor. Thus, God began to shake up the world. The rising, external threat of Isaiah’s day was the militant Assyrian Empire; they would defeat and scatter the people of God. Isaiah would also anticipate the rise of another superpower, the Babylonians, who would defeat the people of God, dismantle the holy city, Jerusalem, and then take the captives to Babylon where they would live as exiles.
These moments of dispersion and exile would refine the faith of God’s people: Who or what were they trusting in for rescue? While the leaders and kings remained weak, there were those like the Prophet Isaiah who could envision a different reality, who would urge the people to wait for a time when God would bring deliverance. The message that Isaiah delivered to God’s people is summed up in the meaning of the prophet’s name: “God is Salvation!”
This salvation would partly come in deliverance through the Persians, a superpower that would defeat the Babylonians and allow the people of God to return to Jerusalem. Yet, this return was only partially realized. The kingship would only be slightly restored. The Temple would only be slightly rebuilt. And the people would wait a few hundred more years for an unlikely Messiah who would bring an unlikely once and for all deliverance. As the pages of Scripture turn toward the Gospel accounts, we find John the Baptist bathing in the poetry of Isaiah 53 when he remarks of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”
This Messianic Hope found in Isaiah
The scroll of Isaiah could be viewed as three different portraits of a Messiah who would ultimately come to rescue God’s people: the Reigning King (chapters 1-37), the Suffering Servant (chapters 38-55) and the Anointed Conqueror (chapters 56-66). While the people anticipated a Messiah who would rescue them from the dominant, world powers, Assyria and Babylonia, God had plans to also rescue them from themselves (their own “sin,” or proclivity to turn away from God), and in so doing, to rescue the whole world.
These three portraits of God’s Messianic Hope for the world, the reigning king, the suffering servant, and the anointed conqueror, are also pulled together into one large painting: Each one is interconnected and interdependent upon the other. Alec Motyer writes, “Both the King (9:1–5) and the Servant (53:12; cf. 49:24–26; 52:3–6) are victors, but without the Conqueror the victory is neither explained nor consummated. The King rules in righteousness over a righteous community (32:1–8), but how can he do so until the Servant provides righteousness for the Lord’s servants (53:11; 54:17) and the Conqueror effectuates righteousness and overthrows their enemies (63:1–6)? The King rules over the whole world (see references above), but how can he do so until the Servant opens the way for all who will come to feast and to enjoy the ‘sure mercies of David’ (55:1–5) and until the Conqueror creates a world free of opposition?”
And this enigmatic painting of the three in one is even more glorious when Isaiah’s scroll suggests that somehow this Messiah is plainly man yet truly God?!?! Motyer writes: “The King is born in David’s line (11:1) but he is also the root from which David springs (11:10) and the ‘Mighty God’ (9:6). The Servant possesses a human ancestry and appearance (53:2) and had the common human experience of rejection (53:3) and a trial of suffering beyond any other (50:6; 52:14). But he was also ‘the arm of the LORD’, the Lord himself visibly present in saving action (53:1; cf. 51:9; 52:10). The ‘arm’ of the Lord reappears at the beginning of the ‘Anointed Conqueror’ sequence (59:16) as the Lord himself dons the garments symbolic of his capacity for and commitment to the effectuating of his righteousness and the working of salvation. But in fact the garments are passed to the Anointed One (61:10) and it is his righteousness, vengeance and redemption which are finally accomplished (63:1,4). The sequence which began with the Lord’s ‘arm’ ends with the ‘arm’ of the Anointed Conqueror (63:5).”
Who is this king-servant-conqueror who is both human and divine? Isaiah’s summary surname for this Being is “The Holy One of Israel.” God’s holiness is a major motif in Isaiah’s scroll. God’s holiness, kavod in Hebrew, what we might even describe as “weightiness” in English, is the only thing in the entirety of the entire Hebrew Scriptures that must be cubed (Holy, Holy, Holy) in order to adequately express its worth and magnitude (see Isaiah 6:3). And Isaiah uses the word holy more than the rest of the Scriptures taken together! This Holy One of Israel we wait for and then realize in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
What are You Waiting For? - Justice
Isaiah 2:1-5 | November 29, 2020
1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5 Come, house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Personal Journal Reflection:
- How might you attempt to define Justice apart from God or Scripture? How does it measure up?
- But could we even have a full understanding of what is just and unjust, equitable and inequitable, good and bad, apart from God?
- How does Isaiah give you a fuller understanding of Biblical Justice?
- How does Isaiah give you a deeper longing for justice?
- What might it look like for you, a Christian, to work for justice?
Group Discussion Guide:
Introduction:
- Practice the Scripture Memory Passage for this series (Isaiah 64:4).
- Read this week’s passage two times through.
- Pray: Ask God to illumine your heart and prepare your mind for discussion.
Questions for Exploration:
- What stands out to you / disrupts you / grabs your attention in the Scripture? (Everyone who would like to, share. Please take less than 1 minute per person to share as this section is intended to be brief.)
- How is God’s Word connecting to your life / your work / your neighbors in this moment? (Read this question and then read the Scripture passage again for a third time. Take a moment to ponder the passage. Then, take 1 minute each to share.)
- Particular Questions for this week’s discussion:
- Would you be willing to share one reflection from your Personal Journal?
- What is God’s Justice (Biblical Justice)? How might it be different from the world’s justice?
Questions for Discernment:
- What themes are arising for the group? How might the Holy Spirit be raising something to your collective awareness?
- In light of this week’s passage and theme, what action or spiritual practice is God calling you to that you can commit to individually or collectively this week?
- Pray through the Collect for the First Sunday of Advent. Pray for friends, neighbors, and co-workers that those in your group will be inviting to Christmas Eve services.
What are You Waiting For? - Peace
Isaiah 11:1-10 | December 6, 2020
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 Infants will play near the hole of the cobra; young children will put their hands into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Personal Journal Reflection:
- How might you attempt to define Peace apart from God or Scripture? How does it measure up?
- How does Isaiah 11 speak to a peace that is ecological, sociological, and psychological?
- Shalom (the peace of God) has been described by Cornelius Plantinga as “the weaving together of God, humanity, and creation in equity, fulfillment, and delight.” Where do you see this fabric beautifully woven? Where is the fabric frayed?
- To fully experience the “peace of God” one must make “peace with God”? What does that look like for you on an ongoing basis?
- Do you “live at peace”? Why or why not?
Group Discussion Guide:
Introduction:
- Practice the Scripture Memory Passage for this series (Isaiah 64:4).
- Answer the question: How did the practice or collective action committed to last week draw you closer to Jesus and more deeply into His mission?
- Read this week’s passage two times through.
- Pray: Ask God to illumine your heart and prepare your mind for discussion.
Questions for Exploration:
- What stands out to you / disrupts you / grabs your attention in the Scripture? (Everyone who would like to, share. Please take less than 1 minute per person to share as this section is intended to be brief.)
- How is God’s Word connecting to your life / your work / your neighbors in this moment? (Read this question and then read the Scripture passage again for a third time. Take a moment to ponder the passage. Then, take 1 minute each to share.)
- Particular Questions for this week’s discussion:
- Would you be willing to share one reflection from your Personal Journal?
- Discuss the “peace of God” and its connection to “peace with God.”
- Where in our city do we not see Shalom? What part might we play?
Questions for Discernment:
- What themes are arising for the group? How might the Holy Spirit be raising something to your collective awareness?
- In light of this week’s passage and theme, what action or spiritual practice is God calling you to that you can commit to individually or collectively this week?
- Pray through the Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent. Pray for friends, neighbors, and co-workers that those in your group will be inviting to Christmas Eve services.
What are You Waiting For? - Glory
Isaiah 35:1-10 | December 13, 2020
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Personal Journal Reflection:
- How might you attempt to define Glory apart from God or Scripture? How does it measure up?
- The Hebrew term for glory, kavod, pertains to “weightiness”–to what “matters” in your life; what holds wait or has gravitational pull. What is that thing or person for you? Is his, her, or its glory too weighty to be healthy?
- The glory of God also involves beauty and power that is bursting forth like flowers in the desert and streams in the dry land (Isaiah 35). How have you experienced this beauty and power when life has been dry, stale, or barren?
- “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” How might you seek to get a little more “glory of God” in your life this Advent Season?
Group Discussion Guide:
Introduction:
- Practice the Scripture Memory Passage for this series (Isaiah 64:4).
- Answer the question: How did the practice or collective action committed to last week draw you closer to Jesus and more deeply into His mission?
- Read this week’s passage two times through.
- Pray: Ask God to illumine your heart and prepare your mind for discussion.
Questions for Exploration:
- What stands out to you / disrupts you / grabs your attention in the Scripture? (Everyone who would like to, share. Please take less than 1 minute per person to share as this section is intended to be brief.)
- How is God’s Word connecting to your life / your work / your neighbors in this moment? (Read this question and then read the Scripture passage again for a third time. Take a moment to ponder the passage. Then, take 1 minute each to share.)
- Particular Questions for this week’s discussion:
- Would you be willing to share one reflection from your Personal Journal?
- Discuss glory as kavod, as weightiness. What holds weight in our culture? In our lives? How might these things hold too much weight, and he do we address this as a community group?
Questions for Discernment:
- What themes are arising for the group? How might the Holy Spirit be raising something to your collective awareness?
- In light of this week’s passage and theme, what action or spiritual practice is God calling you to that you can commit to individually or collectively this week?
- Pray through the Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent. Pray for friends, neighbors, and co-workers that those in your group will be inviting to Christmas Eve services.
What are You Waiting For? - Hope
Isaiah 9:1-7 | December 20, 2020
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Personal Journal Reflection:
- How might you attempt to define Hope apart from God or Scripture? How does it measure up?
- How has “hope” lost its meaning in our cultural moment (e.g. I hope I get the job.)?
- “Living in Deep Darkness” (v2) can lead to desperation. What has this experience been like in your life?
- But when the “dawning of the light” comes, the darkness can dissipate and new perspective and opportunity can arrive. What times in your own life have you experienced this happening?
- In your relationship with God, what are you hoping for in 2021?
Group Discussion Guide:
Introduction:
- Practice the Scripture Memory Passage for this series (Isaiah 64:4).
- Answer the question: How did the practice or collective action committed to last week draw you closer to Jesus and more deeply into His mission?
- Read this week’s passage two times through.
- Pray: Ask God to illumine your heart and prepare your mind for discussion.
Questions for Exploration:
- What stands out to you / disrupts you / grabs your attention in the Scripture? (Everyone who would like to, share. Please take less than 1 minute per person to share as this section is intended to be brief.)
- How is God’s Word connecting to your life / your work / your neighbors in this moment? (Read this question and then read the Scripture passage again for a third time. Take a moment to ponder the passage. Then, take 1 minute each to share.)
- Particular Questions for this week’s discussion:
- Would you be willing to share one reflection from your Personal Journal?
- Discuss the times when group members have been “living in deep darkness,” whether that be of their own doing or simply a product of being in a broken world. What was it like and what did “hope” look and feel like when it arrived?
Questions for Discernment:
- What themes are arising for the group? How might the Holy Spirit be raising something to your collective awareness?
- In light of this week’s passage and theme, what action or spiritual practice is God calling you to that you can commit to individually or collectively this week?
- Pray through the Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Pray for friends, neighbors, and co-workers that those in your group will be inviting to Christmas Eve services.
What are You Waiting For? - Joy
Isaiah 29:17-19, Luke 2:10-11 | December 24, 2020
17 In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
and the fertile field seem like a forest?
18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.
19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Family and/or Friends Exercise:
- At some point over Christmas Eve or the Twelve Days of Christmas consider asking these series of questions as a family or gathering of friends:
- How would a friend, neighbor, or co-worker who doesn’t go to church define or describe joy? Would most say that joy is readily accessible or that it tends to be slightly inaccessible? Why or why not?
- In the Gospel of Luke, what is this Good News that causes great joy?
- What is “great joy”? When have you experienced it? What does it feel like? How often does it come? How quickly does it flee?
- How might smaller, daily joys pull you away from God? Or, draw you to God?
Works Explored
Isaiah, Westminster Bible Companion, Walter Brueggemann.
Isaiah: A Commentary, Brevard Childs.
The Prophecy of Isaiah, Alec Motyer.
Isaiah: NIV Application Commentary, John Oswalt.
An Introduction to the Old Testament, Raymond Dillard and Tremper Longman.
Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Brown Taylor.
The Bible Project: Isaiah.