The epic struggle

There is something in us that loves a good story.  The action-adventure tale that inspires us to be like the hero, and face multiple perils, overcome every adversity, and pursue the Holy Grail until we finally, triumphantly, grasp the brass ring.  Or the tragic-romantic stories of the woman who holds her family together through all sorts of trials, and in the end finds true love.

I think God put that interest in us to keep us moving forward, to make us reach outside ourselves toward something better, so that ultimately we will find Him.  We often become discouraged, or complacent, thinking that things will not turn out for our good.  Sometimes we even despair of God Himself, thinking that if there is a God, He surely doesn't love me.  Why would He save me, since I have never done anything for Him?

Isaiah 59 addresses that issue, and it reveals the epic struggle God has against Evil, with His people at the very center of the conflict.  I'll even spoil the ending for you--God is the Hero of the story, and He does triumph over evil, so that all who seek Him will find Him.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Verses 1 and 2 set the stage: "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

Okay, we know this is the nature of God, that He is powerful to save.  But the Bible says that sin separates us from God, so that even He is not able to hear us.  Is this a contradiction?  NO!  Isaiah 30.19 says "O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.  How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you."  Isaiah 65.24 says "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear."

God wants to save us.  He knows our hearts.  When we truly turn our back on sin, He comes running--even before we draw the breath to speak His name, He is on the way!  This is what He desires.

But not everyone who calls on God is calling out for salvation.  We have become so used to the phrase "Oh my God" that we have shortened it to the text-length OMG.  God knows that people who use His name like this are not actually calling on Him to save them.  Many call God's name to bring curses upon their enemies, and by extension, themselves.  Jeremiah 11.10-11 says "They have followed other gods to serve them.  Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their forefathers.  Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape.  Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.' "

A survey of Americans in 1997 showed that 88% of us believe in heaven, but only 71% believe in hell.  I'll bet the vast majority of those who think there is a hell don't believe they could possibly go there.  But Isaiah 59.8-10 says "The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths.  They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.  So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us.  We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.  Like the blind, we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead."  So the story that Isaiah is telling gets worse and worse for us: we are separated from God, and there are real consequences.

Time for God to intervene.  And He does.  Verses 15 through 18 give us God's direct intervention.  "The Lord looked, and was displeased that there was no justice.  He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm worked salvation for Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him. He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance, and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak. According to what they have done, so He will repay wrath to His enemies and retribution to His foes."

Doesn't this sound like a Hollywood action thriller? Scene: Fade in, close-up of the hero's face.  His jaw is set, his eyes ablaze in anger at the injustice he sees.  The camera pans back to show him preparing for battle, strapping on the armor, placing the helmet on his head, sweeping the cape behind him and holding up the sword toward the enemy as he screams the battle cry: AAAAAUUUUGH!!!

Paul uses the same imagery of the soldier preparing for battle when he encouraged Christians to cowboy up in Ephesians 6.10-17: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

See, God is more than capable of declaring war on evil.  And He gives us the same tools He uses Himself to battle the devil, so that we can prevail through His strength.  But we must rely on Him.  If we rely on ourselves, we will fail.  Just like the Israelites in Isaiah's day who had turned their backs on the God of their fathers, so that God would no longer hear their cries, when we turn our backs on God we cannot expect His help.  But when we come to the place where we realize our need, God is already on the way to pick us up and to give us victory over sin and oppression and injustice.  He is that awesome!

Taking the movie analogy one step further, many films and stories are so great that they are timeless; these are called "classics", because they are known for many generations.  In Isaiah 59.21, God promises that His covenant and His words are classic, as well. " 'As for me, this is my covenant with them,' says the Lord. 'My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,' says the Lord."

Dear Lord, thank you for saving me and delivering me from evil.  Forgive me for when I turn my back on You, and thank you for running back to me when I repent.  I pray for our community, our state, and our nation, that they would call on Your name and that You will answer them and show them great and mighty things which they have never before seen.  Help me to introduce Your epic story to those that have not heard, to remind those who have heard but have forgotten, and to encourage my brothers-in-arms who take up the whole armor of God.  May we advance Your kingdom, so that Paul's statement in II Corinthians 2:14 will be fulfilled: Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.  Amen.