Advent Day 12: Mercy and Healing (Isaiah 19:19-22)

Isaiah 19:19-22
¹⁹ In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. ²⁰ It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. ²¹ And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. ²² And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

Who is your greatest enemy?  Who is the person that causes you the greatest amount of pain or causes you to live in anxiety and fear?

Egypt was that threat to Israel.  Egypt and Assyria were the major world superpowers of the day.  In comparison, Israel was pretty small and weak similar to Panama would be to the U.S.A. or China.  And similar to Panama with the canal, Israel was on a major trade route that Egypt and Assyria both wanted to control.  That meant that Israel was often under attacked.

How did God feel about that?  Isaiah 19:1 says: "Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them."  Doesn't sound good to me.  God is patient and waits for people to repent and to give up wickedness, but eventually He will bring justice, especially for the oppressed. 

But even Egypt will be given salvation!  

And it has already happened!  Egypt and Assyria are home to some of the oldest Christian churches.  In Egypt, tradition holds that Mark, the author of the Gospel, started the Church in Alexandria.  So, Mark is to the Coptic Church what Peter is to the Roman Catholic Church. 

The reason for the history lesson?  God did not destroy Egypt and Assyria with armies of Angels, but with the cross.  They put their faith in military, economic and political power but God totally subverted those things by being cursed and dying on a tree.  God's mission is to destroy sin and death through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Think again about the people in your life that cause you pain, suffering, or anxiety.  Faith in the cross tells us that God has already given us everything we need, that we are sinners that need healing, and that we probably cause pain, suffering, and anxiety to someone else!  God has given us forgiveness and mercy and shows us the path to healing in our daily relationships through the power of forgiveness and mercy to others. 

Heavenly Father, we offer praise for your mercy that you have given us through the cross of Jesus.  Help us to know how deep and great your grace truly is and move us to bring healing into our relationships with others by offering mercy, forgiveness and grace.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.