A bulwark never failing.
I’ve been studying Isaiah for Hebrew 3. Isaiah is a crazy book in Hebrew. The prose, poetry, and prayer weave together a book unlike others. Hebrew was tough. Simply put, it made me want to quit seminary all together at times. But reading Isaiah in Hebrew makes me stop at times. There is something about Hebrew. It forces you to crawl slowly through the text giving you sight; emotions brushed in expression. English flies by in an effectual exactness but Hebrew is not hurried. It refuses to fit into your schedule. The text is not a postal worker delivering information anymore. It wants to paint your room for you but it requires that you sit and watch while it happens so you can remember every layer.
Isaiah 63 is a prayer. Someone is praying for a people who’ve turned against their God. The modern day default of legal offense doesn’t cut it. Rather the intercessor gives you video. Moving images of children and a flock. He’s shouting to God, “we are NOT like a defendant on trial, we are your own children!” verse 9 says, “he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old..” Like a mother carries a child because they are too weak to walk on their own feet. “That is who you are to us!” And yet, they have wronged him. The Father has shown them a special kindness that no one but his children know about. Its called hesed and it’s too heavy to be cover on a tumblr page. But its his unique kindness, reserved only for his children. Yet the people rebel…They spit in the face of the one who carries them. A judge isn’t hurt by a criminal nor does a crime grieve a law. A child has cut deep into his father’s kindness.
This is my story. This is the story of every child of God. A legal definition of sin pales in comparision to what this is painting for us. There is grief.
But verse 16 is valiant. “For you are our Father, through Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father…” He keeps repeating this to God, “you are our Father!” Abraham is a variation of the Hebrew word “father.” but he is saying, “even though all our fathers abandon us you will never.” why? why not? why wouldn’t he abandon us?
As bad as their children are, no matter how many times the cops come home with his son in handcuffs…in front of his neighbors he pulls his son behind him and with a stern face says to them, “he’s a good boy.” The father isn’t concerned about what they think. Everyone else may shake their heads at the son, but the father always stands up for his child. Because he can’t be swayed. His mind is made up for all time. And all other allegiances may abandon but the father will always step in front of his child in confidence. “For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you O LORD are our Father.”
And how true for us who are clothed by Christ then, that even on our worst days, although our neighbors say we’re a mess, our father pulls us behind him and says, “he’s my son, and he’s a good boy.”
This is hesed.
…how deep, the Father’s love for us.
