- Exodus 15:1-11
- Psalm 111
- I Peter 1:3-9
- John 20:19-31
Just this past Wednesday – the United States sent astronauts to orbit the
moon for the time in more than 54 years. This month’s issue of Smithsonian
magazine focuses on space and space exploration – and twice in that issue
someone mentions that colonizing other planets is essential for ensuring
that the human race continues.
The scientists who said that are very pessimistic about the future of the
earth – and life on it. You can bet that they believe that climate change will
make the earth uninhabitable – or that a meteorite will hit the earth and wipe
out all life – and that it is only by sheer luck that that hasn’t happened yet.
At the same time, they are very optimistic about humanity’s intelligence and
creativity in finding ways to survive – somewhere else in the universe.
But God is very optimistic about the future of the earth and life on it. And
God should know, because God is the One who will bring the future into
being.
What these scientists don’t understand is that God loves His creation with a
love that will never end. And He will ensure that life will go on – without our
having to take a rocket shuttle to get there.
In our reading today from Isaiah 65 we have God’s promise of either a new
heavens and a new earth, or the original heavens and original earth
renewed – rehabilitated – recreated – restored. I believe that Scripture
supports the idea of restoration – because that is the theme of much of
Isaiah’s prophecy. This promise is confirmed by John’s vision in our reading
from Revelation 21.
The apocalyptic vision of many scientists today sees a handful of people
leaving their loved ones behind to give humanity a second chance on
another planet. I remember being rocked to the core when I saw the movie
“When Worlds Collide” – and only a handful were picked to survive on the
“Space Ark.” I will never forget the anguish on the faces of those on board
who were leaving their loved ones behind to die – and the anguish on the
faces of those loved ones.
But God’s vision of the future is much happier. We’re told in both passages
that there will be no more weeping and crying. And Isaiah’s prophecy has
many more details about God’s plan for the future:
The former suffering will not be remembered – and the difficulties we
faced in life will not even come to mind.
There will be eternal joy and gladness.
We will build houses, plant vineyards, and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
We will not toil in vain: we will not struggle with weeds in our gardens.
No children will be born under a curse.
No children will die in infancy.
No one will die before their time – in the New Heavens and the New
Earth, there is no time – so your time never comes.
God will answer your prayers before you pray.
No animals will prey on each other.
Peace will flow like a river.
Everyone will be like children, and they will be comforted by God as a
mother comforts her children.
This is the curse of Genesis 3 utterly reversed for eternity because of God’s
great love for His people – and the rest of His creation.
Many look at the images in Isaiah 65 as symbols of the restored people of
Judah – and I agree that they are. But, as we have seen time and time
again in Isaiah’s prophetic words, the spiritual has always a counterpart in
the physical world and vice-versa.
Isaiah 65 is a promise to the people of Judah that their life back home in
Jerusalem will be better than it was before – and certainly better than it was
in exile. They rebuilt the Temple and the walls of the city, rebuilt their
homes, planted their crops, and lived well for many years.
But it is also a promise from God – confirmed in the Revelation – to create a
new heavens and a new earth. We have already talked about a physical
resurrection at the time of Jesus’ return, so we will not be floating in the air
or walking on clouds. It will be a flesh-and-blood resurrection. But our
passage from Isaiah tells us that we will get real dirt under our fingernails.
Again – this is a reversal of the effects of sin on God’s creation.
With the Fall in Genesis, sin corrupted everything about this earth – so that
volcanos blow their tops, cars rust, planes crash, animals eat each other,
and we all die eventually. But on the renewed earth, the curse is reversed
by the power of God’s love. None of the bad things we have become
accustomed to will be there.
We’re told that we will build houses and live in them – and no one will
invade and take our homes. We will plant crops – with no weeds – and eat
them. Wild animals won’t attack us – or each other. The wolf will lie down
with the lamb. Maybe the elephant and the donkey will, too.
But the most beautiful line I find in this passage is from chapter 66:
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you …”
The vast majority of Scripture describes God in masculine terms –but here,
He will comfort us as a mother does. Don’t be disturbed by that –
remember that in Genesis 1, we are told,
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
him; male and female he created them.
Both male and female reflect the image of God – so God has characteristics
that are associated with men and ones that are associated with women.
If you have good memories of your mother – you probably remember being
comforted by her. Usually moms can do that better than dads, but not
always.
In any case, the point is that God’s love for us is not just love in masculine
terms – as demonstrated by a lot of fathers up until the Baby Boomer
generation. Their idea of love was to provide for their families and to protect
them – the hunter-gatherers. Comforting and nurturing were rarely in the
equation.
Downton Abbey fans may recall when Robert, the Earl of Grantham, told his
daughter Mary, “You are my darling daughter and I love you, hard as it is for
an Englishman to say the words.” True enough for an Englishman, and
many American men, as well.
But in this passage, God openly declares His love for His entire creation –
not just the human beings created in His image, but everything He has
made will be restored, renewed, re-created – free from the curse.
When you hear dire predictions from experts or see news stories that make
you fear that the end is near, take comfort in the God’s promises – promises
He makes because of His everlasting love for His creation.