The book of Isaiah can be summarized like this: Israel's disobedience led to judgment, the destruction of Jerusalem (Zion) and exile: but even through the dark times, God promised restoration and new life.
In other words, God promises hopeless people that peace will come.
It's that word "peace" that drew my attention. The Hebrew word is Shalom. Shalom can be translated as "peace" which we often think of as the absence of war. There's the vivid image of the war boots being burned for the fire in Isaiah 9. War is unnecessary in a time of shalom.
But "shalom" means much more than the absence of war. It has a positive quality. It means completeness, wholeness, health. It is the quality of a community in which there is no suffering. It means justice and freedom from anxiety. It means being in right relationship with all other living creatures.
Isiah 52:7 says: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'"
Whenever we work for shalom - the deep peace that means that all people have what they need to be whole - we are beautiful messengers who show people what God is like. Yes, we announce shalom when we work to end wars and conflict. But we also announce shalom when when we make sure that people in our community have enough to eat and when we make sure lonely people have companions. We announce shalom when we pick up trash or when we make music that heals the soul or when we build wheelchair ramps or even when we get enough sleep.
I sometimes sign emails "peace" but I have a friend who signs off of emails with the line: be peace. I like that. I'll end that way too:
be shalom.
Isaiah 9
1But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness —
on them light has shined.
3You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
4For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
6For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 52
Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for the uncircumcised and the unclean
shall enter you no more.
2Shake yourself from the dust, rise up,
O captive Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
3For thus says the LORD: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. 4For thus says the Lord GOD: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause. 5Now therefore what am I doing here, says the LORD, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the LORD, and continually, all day long, my name is despised. 6Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.
7How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
8Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the LORD to Zion.
9Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10The LORD has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
11Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
12For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight;
for the LORD will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
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