“His Delight Shall be the Fear of the Lord” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)

“His Delight Shall be the Fear of the Lord” by Melanie Rigney

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots,

By Jerónimo Cósida
(before 1510-1592)
[Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons 

a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. (Isaiah 11:1-4)

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever. (Psalm 72:7)

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” (Luke 10:21)

Piety

Lord, breathe your Spirit onto me and into me.

Study

The notes on today’s reading from Isaiah 11 talk about the hope for a new king, one who will bring forth the Lord’s divine justice and blessing. The prophet was writing in the eighth century BC, a time of much coming and going of leaders, revolts, and battles. While the Book of Isaiah, it appears included other admiring authors, it seems the prophet himself wrote most of the first thirty-nine chapters.

In Isaiah, we find a prophet who’s focused on the basics: getting people to trust in God, His goodness, and His plans. Indeed, his name means, “God is salvation.” And that’s what he preached and prayed about… not his despair or joy over who was in power or who was vying for control. Planted firmly in this world, Isaiah’s eyes were on what lay beyond it. Where or when or how or which one of Jesse’s descendants would come to rule was not the point; what was important to Isaiah is how the Lord’s goodness would be brought to the fore through that descendant.

As we dive into the busyness of the season, may we remember that celebrating the beginning of that fulfillment in Jesus’s birth is what really matters. May we take a few moments each day to remember that, yes, God is salvation, and our way to the Father is through the Son.

Action

Emulate Isaiah today. Separate yourself from worldly worries, and focus on the gift of eternal salvation available to all who believe and follow.