Isaiah 60:15-22 (NIV)
Read by: Emily Johnston
The LORD will once again inhabit the earth. He will be its light. There will be no more sorrow, no more violence… Rather, the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into the city of God, and the nations will be at last together—working, worshipping together in peace, fully bearing the image of the God in all their unique ways. It’s a vision that flows from the rivers of the Garden of Eden to the River of Life—From Genesis 1 to the end of Revelation. The beginning and the end of the Biblical narrative are both here in today’s passage, tied together by the hope and expectation of the renewal of humanity and of the entire cosmos.
Remember that the “You” in this chapter is the New Jerusalem, the symbol of God’s New Creation brought about by the work of The Suffering Servant to bring not only Israel out of exile in Babylon but the whole of humanity out of exile, disconnected from God because of their sin.
As you listen, try to picture it. Think of what it will be like and allow your heart to take hold of this hope.
----------REFLECT----------
1. What stood out to you in the passage?
2. Holding the whole of chapter 60 in your mind, imagine your family, your people bringing the wealth of your culture into New Creation. What good things do you imagine being restored and renewed and offered as a gift to the LORD for the flourishing of the world?
3. In New Creation, things are very different than they are now. No more violence. No more sorrow… means no more fear… and no more loss. In this season of the coronavirus pandemic, political upheaval, and racial injustice, what about this chapter, and about the picture of New Creation offered in the book of Isaiah has especially spoken to you?
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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>
BP Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast: The Meaning of Hope >>
InterVarsity Press Selections: Isaiah >>
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