Isaiah 58:9b-14.                      Improving our nation!!                                                25/8/13

 “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, ¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. ¹¹ The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. ¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honourable, and if you honour it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, ¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

 The Australian elections are almost on us again and we are having all kinds of promises placed before us of a better future. Vote for us and we will give you this and that which will all make this country a better place.  Inevitably we finally vote for the one who we think will give us the best future and who will carry through on their promises. But naturally we are extremely cynical when it comes to politics and the promises made.

 Now this election, perhaps more than most, is a critical election. I think we all have a sense that our Australian society and way of life is not at a good point at the moment and it is getting worse, fast. Here is not just the economic aspects and security of our manufacturing jobs. But even more seriously is the rapid decline in where we are at morally, mentally and spiritually. We are receding rapidly in many important and basic area of our human life. The loneliness, futility and shallowness of life is fast engulfing many peoples lives and not leaving us in a good place as a nation.

 Now this makes it vitally important that we consider responsibly the vote that we make. Never-the-less no matter who is in power, unfortunately the attitudes in our nation will make it very hard to bring about any meaningful change for the better. We have become by in large a selfish, self-centred nation that wants everything handed to us on a plate without us having any responsibility on our part. With that as our attitude the future does not look all that hopeful.

 However, here in this reading, we have God giving us some very sound advice, if we want to improve our nation dramatically. This advice applies to our politicians and nation, as well as, and perhaps most importantly, to each of us as individuals. There is a message here for us all; and it is accompanied by promises that God will deliver if we vote in the right manner. Then he tells us we will return to being the nation that we long for.

 He says here: “If you do away with, the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. ¹¹ The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 So the first thing he tells us is that we have a responsibility to do certain things if we want change for the better. Each of us, and all of us, need to do our bit, and then blessings will flow. What is asked of us in really no great thing, although the second issue is perhaps less popular in our present climate. They are really simple basic issues. Yet they will make all the difference.

 Gone here is the thinking that it is the government and everybody else’s responsibility to do what will make life easy for me. I have my rights and privileges, and everybody else must deliver for me. Behind this is God’s whole concept of love for our neighbour as we love ourselves. Our concern needs to be first and foremost the welfare of the other, before ourselves. And if we all operated with this attitude then naturally my concerns will be taken care of by those around me.

 So if we do away with; the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed. Simple basics of life. Care for those who cannot care for themselves. Watch out how we speak about others. Stop the bullying, and ‘put downs’. Don’t be a faceless twitterer and facebooker who seeks to drag people down. All simple, common sense things.

God here says that if we do those things: then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. ¹¹ The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 Then instead of doom and gloom, confidence and hope will spring up in life. We will be able to see a positive future ahead. We will be strengthened and flourish like a garden in the midst of spring. And will gain a reputation of being a people who can rebuild life back to what it was meant to be. When we do what is called for then everything will change for the better.

 Then in the second part of this reading we come to an even more important and significant attitude change that is asked for if we truly want to bring a change for the better.  Here God says: “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honourable, and if you honour it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

 So here the call is to remember and take seriously what Sunday is all about. It is not a day for us to do what we please: work, sleep-in, pleasure and the like. It is God’s holy day. One day in the week to spend time with our Lord where he can feed and strengthen us with the things he knows that we need. We should delight in the day holding it as something that is truly honourable.

  By setting the day aside as that which is truly significant and as an opportunity to be strengthened spiritually we are reminded here that we will receive that which we really need in order for life to be immeasurably better for us and for others. God says:  then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” 

 We know from the history of Israel, that as they did these things, suddenly their whole future changed. They returned from exile in a foreign land and once again prospered as a people. As they did these things, then their future changed immeasurably.

 So these things are important for us ponder over deeply and to do something about it, as we contemplate this coming election and the changes we feel that may be needed for our nation. Here God tell us what he knows is important for us to consider as we go forward.  Our text concluded this section by saying: For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. So let commit ourselves to doing what God has called for here and pray that our nation as a whole will think about these issues also.

 Here let us remember that God is true to his word and his promises. Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection is proof not only of his love and forgiveness for us so that eternal life can be ours. But also that when he says to us, if we repent; that is turn away from our sinful, selfish life and look to God and his help for us to live in accord with his word, so that we can live a blessed life, that he will then do what he promises. He will give us a better future.

 So let us turn to our Lord and seek his help to now deal appropriately with the oppressed and hungry and all others around about us. Let us make the most of the Sabbath Day; delighting in it and honouring it in a way that is truly good and which brings glory to our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.  Let us watch carefully how we speak of and to others and the Lord so that in all things we may bring honour to him who truly is the leader that we can look up to and follow.

 Then let us go forward knowing that as we do our Lord will bless us with a future that is brighter and better not only for ourselves but for the people of our nation. Only then will true glory and honour go to him whom it belongs, our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish