Today is Wednesday, September 11th – 23 years since the violent attack perpetrated by Islamic terrorists on our nation and our way of life. Clearly, that dreadful day’s events should have revealed to us what the eternal Word of God has long taught – that [1] the human heart is “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (cf., Jeremiah 17:9); [2] human life is precious, short, and uncertain (cf., Psalm 90 and Ecclesiastes 6:12); and [3] human life is sacred (cf., Genesis 1:27). Each of today’s readings punctuates those historical events in light of these biblical truths. Back in Psalm 106, verses 32-39, we recognize the Israelites’ open rebellion against God and rebellion's destructive, dehumanizing, and defiling effects on man created in God’s image. The people “mingled with the nations; adopted their customs; worshiped their idols; and sacrificed their daughters and sons to demons - prostituting themselves and desecrating the land by their blood” (verses 32-39). Who brags about that? No wonder “the LORD was angry with them” (cf., verse 40). As we remember the events of September 11th, 2001, may we also never forget that sin resides within the very heart and soul of all of us, and that Jeremiah was right – our hearts are “desperately wicked.” If we point our finger at the Israelites in the Old Testament, may we also remember that, effectively, we are pointing our other four fingers back at ourselves. We are all equally guilty, and we all need the cleansing effects of the blood of Christ – Who alone can redeem us.
In Isaiah 24-26, we come to the apocalypse of Isaiah the prophet. This section – chapters 24-35 – contains prophecies that focus on the future and the coming Day of the LORD. In that day, God’s patience with man’s evil heart and desperate wickedness will eventually run out, and His judgment on sin and His punishment for it will come. In verse 1, we read, “the LORD is going to lay waste to the earth – He will ruin its face – the earth will be completely laid waste” (verses 1-3). This condition has not happened yet, but the LORD will bring it to pass, and “it will be the same” for everyone (verse 2). Why? “The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant … and the people must bear their guilt” (verses 5-6). When this happens, we may well conclude that man's day has ended; God's day has begun, and it will be dreadful. Yet, God will preserve a remnant, and He has future plans for the faithful (verses 14-17). In chapters 25-26, we see that the faithful “will praise the LORD” (verse 1), and Judah will sing a song of praise and peace to the LORD (verses 1-15). Isaiah speaks prophetically and establishes evidence here in the Old Testament for the resurrection of the dead – “your dead will live … the earth will give birth to her dead … the LORD is coming …” (verses 19-21). We want to emphasize that redemption from our desperate condition is possible.
In 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, Paul satirically describes the “foolish” extent to which he was willing to serve the Corinthian believers, who “gladly” but shamefully boasted about their toleration for “enslavement, exploitation,” and “taking advantage” (i.e., abuse; verse 20). The Corinthians liked to boast in their own self-confidence and worldly ways (verses 17-18), so for the sake of argument, Paul says, “I too will boast” (verse 18). However, Paul boasts in humility – about his weaknesses instead of his strengths – in the way the world likes to boast. Paul cites all the awful things – he was “flogged; exposed to death; beaten; stoned; shipwrecked; in various dangers; gone without sleep, food, and water; etc.,” (verses 23-29). Who brags about those things? Paul’s weaknesses were nothing to boast about – except that they all drew attention to Paul’s utter dependence upon God’s strength to help him overcome every hardship he ever endured. These sufferings demonstrated the extent of Paul’s love for the Corinthians, and they directly resulted in high praise to our God (verse 31).
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