Abbey Christmas: Joy Week 1 Day 5

Day 5: Joy - Isaiah 

Text: Isaiah 9:2-7

The Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom.  Theologian Cornelius Plantinga helpfully writes: “The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom.  We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or ceasefire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights.  Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.”

The way things ought to be.  Think about that. No death, no mourning, no loss, no violence, no bigotry, no fear, no hunger, no sexism, no elitism, no poverty, no racism, no insecurity, no anxiety.  A world where every wrong has been made right, where the vulnerable are protected, where the innocent are vindicated, where the Lord is worshiped as His name deserves. That’s shalom.

In Isaiah 9, he refers to the Messiah to come as the “Prince of Peace.”  The Prince of Shalom. “Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end.”  Jesus didn’t just come to forgive our individual sins. As amazing as that is, it is far too small.  Jesus came to transform the entire universe into one of shalom.

Christmas is the beginning point, the breaking in of the universe-wide renovation project that God is orchestrating.  This is why Isaiah 9:3 can say, ‘you have increased [their] joy.’  

Reflection

Morning Pause:  What is broken about your particular life that you long to see made right?

Afternoon Pause:  What does it feel like to wait on God to fix all that is broken?

Evening Pause:  How might the future vision of shalom compel you to live differently?