New Heavens and a New Earth

Behold

(NRSV)

The Glorious New Creation

17 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered

and a new earth;

the former things shall not be remembered

or come to mind. In our humanness we often get caught up in the physical things, like God is going to make a new thing that is touchable with our human hands. We have been human since the beginning and I think we are good at being what we are, but what Isaiah is talking about is something new like a new idea; something like in church when someone comes up with a new idea, and the whole congregation says in unison, “that’s not how we do things”

(NRSV)

16 And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, they shall no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed; nor shall another one be made. Consider this passage from Jeremiah. The Ark of the Covenant was the presence of the Holy God amongst the people. When the Ark was taken during battles, or because of mere theft, it was as if the very presence of God was gone. Can God be taken from you?

As an adult we might think that is not possible. We might look at others who might believe this and think it is not my case. (NRSV)

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,

in what I am creating;

for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,

and its people as a delight. The men’s group is discussing JOY in the book of Philippians. It can be that we can lose our JOY, if we allow others to steal our JOY. You see our JOY is in the Lord and so if we have no JOY to share with the world, do we really have the Lord? (NRSV)

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. How many of you here today, find JOY in the Lord when you are with others who share JOY, but in private you weep? Now verses 20-23 basically identify with our lives, as most of us can identify with at least one of those things.

(NRSV)

and delight in my people;

no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,

23 They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord— and their descendants as well. Can you see how this whole passage is a voice crying out about what we do not seem to control? Yet perhaps we can, if we have hope.

or bear children for calamity;

or the cry of distress.

So, what would hope look like? (NRSV)

for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—

24 Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. If we had faith that God heard our prayers, that even before the words were formed on our lips, God heard. This is a petition of the heart. What is in your heart is not something you will easily give up. Anyone here who has been in love with someone, can tell me that true love is easily taken away.

and their descendants as well.

(NRSV)

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. A place on Earth where we do not hurt each other. This will only be accomplished because the people now have God in their hearts. No one steals their Ark of the Covenant because the Ark(God’s name) is written on their hearts. 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

the lion shall eat straw like the ox;

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

but the serpent—its food shall be dust!

They shall not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain,

says the Lord.