Isaiah 9:6 “…and the government shall be upon His shoulder…”
- The Hebrew idiom uses “shoulder” to indicate acceptance of the burden of a responsibility. There was a practice in the East of wearing a key on the should as an emblem of the office and authority.
- It means He, Jesus, will rule and have dominion. It is a prophesy that is yet to be fulfilled and at the same time is fulfilled. It is and it is yet to be. Evil still exists in the world.
- Our time is not unlike the time of Jesus birth when the civilized world was dominated by Rome’s military might and King Herod’s greed and pride. There was violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It was a dark time.
- Never have I felt the need for a more complete Jesus than I do now…that is more than a savior, a friend, my personal Lord. I need a King Jesus. I need a new kingdom. I need leadership with moral authority, integrity, and justice. I thank God that the Bible is full of examples of God being a nation builder. Although the New Testament gave us a different idea of what the Kingdom was about, it is indeed an alternative reality. It is the Kingdom of God that I seek, not a political party that I can affiliate with.
- The Atlantic printed an article entitled A Political Obituary for Donald Trump. No matter your political affiliation, this article gives us the real reality of an “America First,” a very sad commentary on the state of affairs of our nation and our leadership.
- After listening to a number of “Christian” leaders telling their followers that “God spoke to them, that Trump was God’s chosen leader for another four years, that the election was a fake; I am reminded of these verses Matt 7:15, Matt 24:24, and II Thessalonians 2:11.
- We are in a battle.
- I would like to quote what a friend (Albert Hamstra) recently wrote. I cannot say it better than he did. “Something is going on, a lot more important and powerful than just normal politics. The media and a lot of pundits still seem completely unable to understand what is happening. We still operate under the ludicrous misunderstandings like: ‘we’re too partisan,’ or ‘we’re too divided,’ or, the most ridiculous of all, ‘we just need to have a conversation.’ All of these sentiments represent what seems to me an incredibly naïve underestimation of what is actually going on…I think we could make a good argument that it is not that we are too divided. It is that we are not divided enough. We have those among us who would make laws further advantaging the rich and disadvantaging the poor…This is what I see as being demonic. The giving over of one’s soul to the attainment of advantage, the desire and the need to do this becomes a matter of basic identity. So, when Trump claims to have won the election and no rational or legal factors support this…It does not matter. They need Trump to be a winner because they have identified with him.”
- The question really comes down to identity. I believe Christianity as largely experienced in white North America is associated with success, wealth, and power/influence. Should it not be better identified by sacrifice and service?
- These are a few of my thoughts after my reading, reflection, and discussion this Sunday. I welcome your views.
- More on this subject next Sunday.
- Christmas Jesus cannot come too soon! Merry Christmas Indeed!
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