Sunday Sermon XII After the trinitarian, 11 September 2011

DETERMINING THE TIME TO REPRESENT GOD JUSTICE LEGAL
Ev. Jesaya 29: 17-24

I remembered the words of a song from one band of young people who still painting today. I forget the title, but in one verse of the song there is a sentence that says "life is already difficult, but do not you make trouble". 


But in this case I was not willing to declare that life is always difficult. Hence there is philosophy of life which says that "life is like a wagon wheel," within the meaning is always alternated, always changing, now black and white maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow bitter sweet now, tomorrow may be bad now either. So what? The song was actually willing to give the message how to face a difficult life. Certainly a variety of human response when entering the hard life. But what is the meaning of difficult words?

Difficult is a situation where someone is unhappy, insecure, facing things that are not easy. In the sense that when a person feels his life is not bad. Usually if one life is not bad then someone will complain. Complaining is a phrase that came out because of hard feelings. What complained? Various course. There are complaining because it is difficult to find work, there are complaining because of difficult economic circumstances, and much more human cause to complain. But have you ever thought what's the point we are we complaining? Is it after complaining then things would change be good? Might state that will occur will be more difficult because we just complain and eventually bring us to a skeptical attitude. Then what? "Life is already difficult, but you do not make trouble".

Brothers and sisters who loved Christ,

The Israelites were in danger. In real terms the danger they see is the power of the Assyrians. But the destruction and misery faced by the nation is actually the fault of the nation. Isaiah 1: 21-23 says, " How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.” Even in Chapter 29: 13 says "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts away from me, and worship to Me is a human commandment learned by rote".

Destruction and misery that occurs in the nation is because the nation is no longer faithfully, no longer consistent in God. Life of the nation is morally degenerate. And such things can also happen in our personal lives personal escape. Misery, stress and distress in life happens because we are inconsistent, we are not faithful. Nation forget God. Like a collection of sheep in the pasture, when there is a sheep out or fled the pastor and then it can be ascertained for compounds such sheep are in danger because many of the dangers of snooping, such as predators and hunters. And it will happen to the nation Israel. So whether it's a sign that God would destroy the nation?

In this context we are again reminded of God's love in justice. Since the beginning God has chosen this nation only because of love (Deuteronomy 7: 7-8, "not because the nation is more numerous than anywhere else, The LORD did you and chose you - not you are the smallest of all the nations? but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore unto your fathers, the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. "God's love is truly real in the justice . God's justice is always concerned with two things, namely judgments and wrath. Judgement is closely related to the idea of ​​"aspire to justice." While the wrath of God is God's personal response to the crime in accordance with His nature is holy, so that through His wrath, God strengthens the reality of His presence. Therefore the punishment that God gave to Israel was not aiming to destroy them, but God wanted to remind the nation of his existence. And that's what God has revealed through the recovery of the nation as the word of God today.

"Is not it just a little more time ..." All in good time. The misery that occurs will not settle in the life of the nation. Nothing is fixed and eternal in this life will all be changed. A good one will be worse, the young will be old, evil turned to good. All in good time. The suffering will end. That is what the prophet Isaiah expressed through the word of God. Changes that will happen is a good change.

Brothers and sisters who loved Jesus Christ,

Word of the Lord is about to give a picture of life in hope. In the circumstances of life which is too hard and that has been the lack of justice and true love, the word of God is about to give strength to the believers. For in all difficult circumstances can bring a person to a despair that can lead people to lose faith in God, and eventually he will surrender to the state if not he will be shipped with most followers in the situation. We must really memorize a passage in Ecclesiastes that says "He has made everything beautiful in its time". Everything in this world there will be time. No man who has always allowed the Lord will continue to suffer. But often people let themselves in such misery. Humans do not want to try to find happiness and salvation. When it was increasingly difficult to be made difficult.

Therefore, brothers and sisters loved by Jesus Christ,

Why be difficult, it's hard to no avail. If indeed life is in difficult circumstances do not let us allow ourselves to surrender. God has designed the peace of his people (Jeremiah 29: 11). Therefore seek the Lord always.