A Lesson in Politics - BSF Style

Whenever I feel like I am unable to do anything consistently, I need to remember BSF. If you don't know what BSF is, go here and find a class near you and sign up. It will change your life, I promise.

Though life as a young married person and then a parent of babies and now a parent of elementary-age kids is anything but consistent or predictable, and though I have lamented over and over again about how hard it is to maintain friendships, keep commitments or complete tasks, I must remember that BSF has been a constant for the last ten years of my life. God has faithfully opened doors and created ways for me to be in class weekly for ten years.

That's pretty consistent.

Consistent, but never boring. Now that the girls are old enough for the School Program, Matt and I have the privilege of studying with them. We try to begin each day by helping them do their lessons - which are every bit as challenging as ours are. How many other 5 & 7 year olds are going word-by-word through Isaiah this year?

So, as the girls and I were studying Isaiah 11 this morning, I had a startling revelation. Ready? Here it is...

Everything in life points to Jesus.

The funny thing is that it's the same realization I had yesterday...and the day before...and last week...

As I'm sure you're aware, it is election week. For months, I have been visually processing signs and banners all over town. I've answered (or not answered) phone calls, listened to promises, considered ideas and formulated opinions. I have watched as people have rallied around this candidate or that party or that comedian. On TV, at special events, in front of Target.

And though, admittedly, I'm pretty excited about the week's outcomes, I am discouraged by how divided we are as a people. When people I care about post something that is opposite of my views or disparaging of a candidate or cause I believe in, I can't help but take it a bit personally, at least for a minute. That one minute is usually just enough to put that little knot in my stomach that reminds me that we will never, ever be truly unified.

Not ever.

Until That Day.

Isaiah 11:10 says "In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious."

Banner. Peoples. Nations. Rally. Sound familiar? Like a FoxNews headline? One day there will be just ONE candidate, to whom all the nations will rally. One banner under which we will all stand. One campaign. One slogan. One unified people.

But there's more! Verses 1-3 address some of His qualifications... He is wise, understanding, powerful, he knows the right people. Verses 3b-5 are his platform: He will judge with righteousness, attend to the needy, care for the poor - even national defense is in there - "with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked."

And finally, verses 6-9: His promises. A world so turned upside down that all nature is acting out of character. A peace and restoration so profound that it affects the entire earth.

It's hard to argue with a candidate like that, especially one who has been the incumbent for, like, eternity.

As Christians, we're inclined - or maybe trained - to apply Jesus to life. But when I read passages like this, I think it's the other way around. We are supposed to use life...to see Jesus. When we see disunity, imperfection, even corruption, maybe we shouldn't be discouraged. Maybe we should just be reminded that That Day hasn't come yet. None of these candidates or parties can give us what we truly need. These rallies, banners, signs - they should point us to Jesus, who will one day host the last and biggest rally of all time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaiah 11

The Branch From Jesse

¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. ¹¹ In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

¹² He will raise a banner for the nations
and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
from the four quarters of the earth.
¹³ Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.
¹⁴ They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;
together they will plunder the people to the east.
They will subdue Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites will be subject to them.
¹⁵ The LORD will dry up
the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand
over the Euphrates River.
He will break it up into seven streams
so that anyone can cross over in sandals.
¹⁶ There will be a highway for the remnant of his people
that is left from Assyria,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from Egypt.