“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”
Isaiah 25:1 NRSVue
God has plans “formed of old.” His plans are “faithful and sure.” These plans are wonderful things that reflect His name, His character. We should praise God for His good character.
As this chapter progresses, Isaiah explains what these “wonderful things” that God has done. God humbled the ruthless. God was a refuge for the poor and the needy in their distress.
We need to always remember, as Isaiah reminds us, that caring for the poor and needy and humbling the ruthless are central to God’s character.
Isaiah, however, goes further to explain God’s “plans formed of old,” which are essentially universal human flourishing. Isaiah says that on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, God will make a glorious feast with rich food and well-aged wine, for “ALL peoples.” This isn’t a tribal celebration; it is a celebration of all humanity.
Further, Isaiah says that God will destroy the shroud cast over all nations. He will swallow death forever. He will wipe away tears from all faces.
God is love. Love delights in others and seeks their good. While life is hard, God’s ultimate vision is for us to flourish. This is the faithfulness of God, the plan He formed in the beginning.
A Quote to Consider:
“The New Testament, without going into details, gives us a pretty clear hint of what a fully Christian society would be like… To an extent a Christian society would be what we now call Leftist… its economic life [would be] very socialistic.”
-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
We tend to get caught up in terms like capitalism and socialism. These economic systems gain almost religious levels of devotion or contempt.
C.S. Lewis is not calling for the government to own the means of production. He is using the words “Leftist” and “socialistic” more broadly.
Greed is the most condemned vice in scripture. Unfortunately, today it is often the most praised economic virtue.
Scripture is critical of the pursuit of wealth. Greed is outright condemned. On the other side, scripture continually calls for individuals, societies, and governments to care for those without means.
It really isn’t about socialism versus capitalism. It is about caring for all humanity and seeing the image of God reflected in the face of the powerful and the destitute.
Jesus did not say that what we do to the rich and powerful we do to Him. He said what we do to the weak and powerless, we do to Him.
Socialism can be evil. Capitalism can be evil. Caring for our fellow humans is a part of loving them, and ultimately, that is what God asks of us.
Prayer:
Lord,
We praise You for Your faithful plans. Teach us to seek justice, care for the poor and powerless, resist greed, and see Your image in every person.
Amen.
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