And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure. ~ Isaiah 33:6
Stability in our time. If only, right?
You don't need to be a prophet, a biblical scholar, a deep thinker, or a religious person to observe the events occurring in the world today and conclude - we (humanity) could be in big trouble. It seems like everything that can be shaken is being shaken. In this age of information overload and outright propaganda; truth and reality are not easy to discern. Dealing with this intellectually, emotionally, morally, and spiritually is stressing everybody out. Stress often leads to bad choices and harmful decisions.
This is where the writings of the Prophet Isaiah in the Bible come in handy. Ancient wisdom and accurate predictions for the future that have been proven to be true can be helpful guides in our present world, particularly if you believe and trust those predictions were given to us by an omniscient and omnipotent Creator God for our good.
Prophecy In The Bible
One thing that is important to understand about prophecy in the Bible is that we often see the fulfillment of future events revealed in hindsight in multiple layers of world history. For example, the entirety of Isaiah's prophecy in Chapter 33 was written when he was around 39 years old. It was 701 B.C. as Assyria was threatening to invade Israel. I recommend you read the whole thing to get the context.
The nation and the world were in upheaval, facing a ruthless and powerful enemy. People were super stressed, knowing that their lives could dramatically change for the worse very quickly. That's when God spoke to them to provide confidence and stability. Considering how history actually played out you can see that the way this prophecy and the statements of God's influence and control helped people get through it. In fact, this same prophecy may still be working out in the Middle East and the world today.
The Lessons of History
This week, a recently retired Presbyterian pastor friend of mine, Ed Hurley, posted a quote from a commentary written by Swiss Protestant theologian and pastor Karl Barth in 1914 just before the beginning of World War I.
"It is simply out of the question that God helps the Germans, or the French, or the English. God does not even help us Swiss. God helps justice and love. God helps the kingdom of heaven, and that exists across national boundaries. The foolish mix of patriotism, war enthusiasm, and Christian faith could one day lead to the bitterest disappointment. We will not join in drinking this intoxicating potion. We want to look steadfastly and unwaveringly here, to God, who loves everyone equally, who is above all nations, from whom all have similarly departed, and from whose glory they have fallen short."
Karl Barth was born in 1886, in Basel, Switzerland into an intellectual Christian family. He was educated in the popular liberal Protestant theology of his time, focused on the reinterpretation of traditional Christian beliefs. Lest you are tempted to dismiss the warning quoted above as the product of that liberal theology, please understand that by the time he wrote this he had broken with theological liberalism entirely. Through his own study of the Bible and history he concluded that the meaning of life begins and ends with God's presence, power, and purpose. Barth's comments and beliefs that are quoted above unfortunately turned out to be a prescient warning to his own Christian tribe.
The Danger of Christian Nationalism
Following World War I as the Protestant Church in Germany became deeply intertwined with German National Socialism, Barth was tasked by faithful, concerned Christians to author the Barmen Declaration. This foundational statement of traditional biblical Christian faith and practice independent of external influences became the chief confessional document of churches that refused to cooperate or participate with the Nazis.
In 1935 Karl Barth was deported back to Switzerland from his pastorate and professorship in Germany after refusing to sign the Oath of Loyalty to Adolph Hitler. At the end of World War II, he helped lead a national campaign of German Church admission of guilt, repentance, and reconciliation with international churches. But wouldn't it be great if the Church had never been involved in the horrors that were perpetrated by the Nazis in the first place? Whenever we see the rise of anti-Semitism, we can be sure that the devil is at work. Will we learn the lessons and heed the warning of the Jewish community in saying, "Never Again"?
Stability In Our Time
Here is the point I'm trying to make. When times are unstable, people look for someone, or something, to provide security and stability. Being human and therefore limited in foresight we can be easily manipulated into going down the wrong road. It is normal for people to crave stability, peace, and safety. But where can we find it? How can we avoid the mistakes and consequences of following the wrong path and being misled in our, earnest but myopic, placing of faith and trust in the wrong persons, institutions, and governments?
Perhaps we can learn the lessons of the past and follow the well-worn road of those who put their faith solely in God, in His Word, and in Jesus, the actual Savior of the World. We have the example of those who were not misled in times that were similar to ours, and in many cases were much worse than our present experience. Will worse times come again? Certainly.
Finally, Perspective
My dad served in WWII in campaigns in North Africa and Sicily. He was wounded on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Most of his friends died that day. When he was in his 90's my sister and I moved him and our mom to NC so my wife and I could take care of them. He and mom lived in a nice two bedroom, two bath, apartment with fine dining, activities, and entertainment. That all sounds great, doesn't it? For him, it turned his world upside down. He had lived in one place for over 50 years. He lost his home and his community. One day in frustration he told me that living here was the worst thing that ever happened to him! Amused, I asked, "Worse than D-Day?" He emphatically said, "Yes!"
Human perspective. It can certainly be flawed. So, when I get fearful, confused, upset, irritated, frustrated, incensed, or downright angry, I try and remind myself that God alone is the stability of my times. When I keep my focus on Him, His nature, and His promises, I know I will be alright, even when the world seems absolutely crazy. Isaiah 33:6 helps me remember that. God promises to be my stability. I hope and pray that knowing this will help you too.
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