A Taste of Isaiah
In the weekly Bible Study we’ve been looking at the fantastic book of Isaiah. This week we’re going to have a taste of Isaiah’s message as we look at the picture of salvation that he proclaims.
Isaiah 11:6-9 NIV
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 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand 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.
Sometimes our picture of God’s salvation is too small. Isaiah sets that right. This passage can be taken metaphorically and understood as pointing towards God leading people to learn to live in peace with each other, and I’ve no doubt that is part of God’s salvation plan, but I can’t help seeing in here the sense that God’s salvation is not just for people but for the whole of creation (Romans 8 seems to agree). Ultimately the natural world in its entirety will know peace in and through Jesus. If that is right, then part of living the Kingdom life in the here and now is seeking not just being reconciled to God and seeking reconciliation with others, but also being reconciled to the natural world and seeking to live in a way that protects and nourishes it rather than destroys and harms it.
Father, help me to grasp the scale of your loving action, your salvation, and play my part in your work of reconciliation.
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