The second part of Isaiah was written at the time of the Babylonian Exile. The nation, temple, king of Israel had all been destroyed. How easy it would have been for the Jewish people to give up. The prophet offers a word of comfort. Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. No matter how dire the situation is, God can handle it, God can make a way out of no way. That is a message that is apt for our day as well. Things might seem to be going from bad to worse but God isn’t finished yet. God’s reign is still coming. Dr. ML King, Jr. reminded us that the arc of history is long but it bends toward justice. Our role as citizens of the kingdom of God is to keep hope alive, to demonstrate with our actions the kindness and compassion of God, to live in a way that makes everyone see that love is stronger than death.
