Detective work is part of the task of reading Scripture. To understand some things, it can help to investigate the thoughts and situations of the people. One major example involves the letters of Paul. We can piece together the likely arguments used by his opponents just by the responses that he writes.

Like good detectives, we can do similar investigative work in today’s Old Testament Reading. Isaiah writes to a people who have been told that God’s punishment is assured. Now there’s legitimate concern that God has completely turned away from them. So, Isaiah asks, “Where is He?” Faithful Israelites may have felt abandoned by the Lord. They ask “Where are you, Lord?” Isaiah reminds the Israelites (and you today) that through the Messiah whose birth we celebrate:

GOD IS THE SAVIOR

Isaiah reminds the people of this truth in the midst of Israel’s rebellion and grieving of the Holy Spirit. In the book of First Kings, the prophet Elijah describes the people as being devoted to two different gods—the fake god of good works and the real God of grace and mercy. Elijah basically tells the people, “If you’re going to follow the Lord then do it, if you’re going to follow Baal, then do it. Quit straddling the fence.” Joshua warned the people about such fence straddling when they entered the Promised Land. He said, “Choose this day whom you will serve… As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Eventually, the day came when they stopped listening to Joshua’s message. The people began to limp between following the pagan practices of other nations and following the one true God. So, the Lord handed them over to foreign nations for punishment.

We sinful, fallen people like to straddle the fence. We follow the Lord when it’s convenient to what we want or when it already conforms to our opinions. For example, pretty much everybody in the world likes Jesus’ teachings on love and peace. We especially love Jesus as an example of non-violence. But this doesn’t always jive. I’ve mentioned this before: “If anyone ever asks you, ‘What would Jesus do?’ Remind them that flipping tables and chasing people with a whip is within the realm of possibility.” That’s the side of Jesus that people don’t like to hear about. Our sinful flesh doesn’t like the fact that God is Judge, with a zero-tolerance policy on sin. Our sinful flesh wants Jesus to be soft on sin. Our sinful flesh seeks to temper the sternness of God’s Law. Therefore, there are times that we despise the parts of God’s Word which go against our deeply held, wrong beliefs. We straddle the fence.

Fence straddling is a dangerous sin against the first commandment. It’s idolatry. When we despise God’s Word because we don’t like what He says, we make ourselves the judge of right and wrong. We make ourselves the deciders of truth. We try to take God’s place, because we think we know better than Him.

A recurring theme in the Old Testament book of Judges is “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Most everyone ignored God’s Word and made themselves the judge of right and wrong. They ignored the Lord’s great wisdom and knowledge. This very thing is seen as a virtue in our day. It’s considered good now to have your own truth.

No wonder this upsets the Lord. It’s evil and spreads chaos. Sin is a serious matter that doesn’t care what “your” truth or “my” truth is. Sin treats every sinner the same way. The curse of sin is death. Unrepentant sinners die, and not just in an earthly way but eternally. God doesn’t want that to happen. He will judge sin as it’s deserved, but He doesn’t desire it. He loves you all.

Therefore, the Lord disciplines His people. He disciplined the Israelites, and He disciplines us. When we rebel and go astray, He allows afflictions to occur. The Lord inflicts punishment upon us, so that we see the error of our ways, repent, and trust Him alone.  The cycle of fallen humanity (which is revealed in the book of Judges) goes like this: we sin, God inflicts discipline, we repent, God delivers salvation. It really is a cycle. In today’s Old Testament reading, God’s people are portrayed as having undergone significant, heavy discipline. They are afraid God has turned His back on them.

So, in the Old Testament Reading, Isaiah urges the Israelites to remember the Lord’s steadfast love. God, in His steadfast love and compassion, had redeemed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. He led them through the divided waters of the Red Sea. He led them through the forty-year journey in the wilderness. Even though Moses described the people as rebellious and stiff-necked, the Lord led them as a Shepherd to the valley of the Promised Land, where He gave the people rest. The Lord made His name great as the Savior of Israel. Remember how great the Lord made the tiny nation of Israel? At the time of King David and King Solomon, all the other nations were amazed at Israel’s splendor. The Queen of Sheba made a special trip just to see Solomon’s wealth and wisdom that was given by the Lord.

Isaiah recalls the salvation of the Lord and the greatness of His glory which He shared with the Israelites. “[The Lord] remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people.” Whenever the Lord remembers something, it doesn’t mean He actually forgot it like we tend to forget. The Lord doesn’t actually “forget.” When we hear that God remembers, it means He’s about to perform an act of salvation. Isaiah teaches God’s children that as the Lord saved His people before, He will do it again. This second act of salvation doesn’t involve only the Israelites. God ransoms the whole world. The Lord isn’t only the Savior of the Israelites. His Son is the Savior of the world. During times of discipline when we may ask, “Where are you, Lord?” He reminds us in His Word that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of a Redeemer.

Jesus is the Savior who saves by means of substitution. Way back “in the days of old, of Moses and his people” after the Lord saved them from slavery, He promised to make the Israelites a great nation. He called them collectively “His son.” They promised their allegiance to God. If they broke their promise, the Lord warned that He would discipline them. They failed in their allegiance to God. They came out of Egypt but were not fully devoted to the Lord.

Notice in today’s Gospel reading, that because of Herod’s murderous intent, the Holy family fled to Egypt. Then, when the right time came, the Lord called them out of Egypt. The Lord called His Son out of Egypt. Jesus completed the same action as the Israelites. St. Matthew quotes the prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.” Yet, where Israel had failed in total allegiance to the Lord, Jesus remained completely devoted. He fully fulfilled the will of His Father all the way to the cross, where He laid down His life for the sins of the world. Jesus came as the perfect substitute for the Israelites.

Jesus also came as the perfect substitute for the world. He fully devoted Himself to God’s will, and He gave His life for our sins. He obeyed God in our place, and He received the judgment we have deserved. In doing this, He has become our Savior; and through Him, we are forgiven. Where sinful fallen humanity (including you and me) struggles in devotion to God’s good and gracious will, because sinfully we try to be deciders of truth, Jesus is “the Truth” who saves us from sin and idolatry through His blessed death and glorious resurrection.

Christ conquered death, having been raised from the grave; and He promises eternal life to all who believe in Him. Just as He shepherded the Israelites through His Word into the valley of the Promised Land, so Christ shepherds you through His Word into the promised heavenly paradise. Jesus fulfills the Old Testament promises. He’s the long-awaited Messiah (the Messiah whose return you await).

We do stumble along the way. Thankfully, Christ Jesus our Savior grabs our hand in salvation. He daily works through Baptism to drown our self-serving sinful nature, and He raises the new person in us who is joyfully devoted to Him. When we grieve the Holy Spirit through sin, He calls us to repentance through the Law and feeds us the with promise that Christ has become our Savior. He has shed His blood for our sins, so that we are pardoned. God’s Word of pardon brings such comfort to His people that His name is made glorious. His acts of salvation are joyfully praised and remembered by His devoted children.

Jesus became your Savior by becoming your substitute. He never straddled the fence, but always taught the Truth (that is His Word) among His people. He devoted Himself to the Father, and He shed His holy, precious blood for your sins. He devoted Himself to His Father in love, so that you may receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen.