Today’s Advent Art Meditation is from Isaiah 40:1-11 (You’ll have to scroll down a bit to find the right verse)
“The Flock Gathered in the Promised Land”
My daughter has been so over-exposed to art, she just rolls her eyes at the idea of any impending artistic event. There is one exception…she is fascinated with the way impressionist paintings can look messy and abstract up close, but then turn into a whole scene when you step back. I imagine the gift of prophesy is a bit like looking at Impressionism. It’s a step back from the seemingly disjointed mess of everyday life to reveal a larger view of God’s “big picture”.
Isaiah was a prophet who lived about 750 years before Jesus during a time when Israel was faltering and under attack. He may have been born with a gift for observation, but a vision of God enthroned with Seraphim provided him with the passion to use his gifts. His calling was to speak out against the moral breakdown of Jerusalem and advise Israel’s kings to stay true to the promise of God. Not that he met with much success. Rulers often have other ideas of power and righteousness. The kings were better at making quick judgements based on what they saw in the here and now, not going against the political grain for some abstract prophesy. Not much has changed. We’re still prone to impulsive behavior.
God offers a bigger hope to Israel and to us. This verse is about the promise of salvation for Israel in spite of Jerusalem’s suffering. I’m sure it must have seemed a bit abstract at the time. It’s hard to believe in a bigger, better future when you’re embroiled in pain and fear. But that was Isaiah’s calling..to give hope during the scourge. We may wilt and die like the grass and flowers, but God’s Word is eternal. His promise is to gather the “remnant” of believers like a shepherd gathers his sheep, caring for them and holding them close. Out of the mess of life, God promises beauty.
“Grace makes beauty out of ugly things” — Bono
You can purchase this painting here.
