The Wait of The World 2: More Lessons Learned

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
  "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"? 

  (Isaiah 40:27 NASB)

One element of Hebrew poetry is parallelism, and within that can sometimes be found chiastic structures (parallels forming an 'X').  The reason chiastic structures are important elements is that the 'crux' of the structure forms the focal element of the poem.  So it helps understanding the poem to be able to spot these structures.

In this verse is the only full chiastic structure I could find in the last passage of Isaiah 40 (v. 27-31).  There could be many more before this, and this could form a part of a larger chiastic structure, but I didn't look anywhere but in the last 5 verses.  The reason this one is interesting is what forms the crux.

The major parallel structure is found in the quote, and the parallel is chiastic in nature.  There are three repeated elements, and they are repeated in exact reverse in the second half of the parallel (see the image below).  So elements A, B, and C are repeated in a, b, and c, but in reverse order.  This focuses importance on element B/b.

The way these elements show up in the quote is as follows:

• A = 'hidden'
• a = 'escapes notice'
• B = 'my way'
• b = 'justice due me'
• C = 'LORD'
• c = 'my God'

So, literally:

Hidden / my way / from the LORD
Of my God / the justice due me / escapes the notice

So the focus of the quote (and therefore the exiled Israelites) is their way and their justice.  It's on them. 

That's what this poem taught the first audience, what they understood it to mean.  Is it any less of a critical lesson today?  We as believers and followers of Jesus are in 'exile' in a sense since we're not home yet.  We long for that home, for restoration, for completeness, and for the presence of our King.  Yet it's the focus on our situation, what we don't have, what we want, our rights and entitlements that keeps us from experiencing the Kingdom; the presence of our King in this exiled state.
This is the dangerous trap I fall into; focus on my way and my entitlement.  It blinds me to the eternal qualities of my Master.  What I have heard, what I have known of my Master I forget and ignore because I'm too focused on my own stuff.  The power I lack and the endurance I need come from the One I have been ignoring!  The solution I seek through my own power and ability is obscured by my own self-centered (and therefore self-destructive) attitude. 


Today is time for a change.  The challenge for me is learn this lesson for today, all day, every hour; in dealing with my customers, my family, my co-workers, and my community.  Will I focus on the eternal qualities of my Master, will I 'hope expectantly' in my Master knowing what I have heard, and living that out?  The alternative isn't pretty, and hasn't been working; so the only thing I have to lose is more time spent as a loser.  I think I can do without more of that.

Wait of The World

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
   "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
  Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength;
  They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired,
  They will walk and not become weary.  

(Isaiah 40:27-31 NASB)

I 'stylistically' broke up the above passage into some sort of poetic structure.  The meter is lost in translation, and the parallelism is obscured somewhat.  I went through and connected the poetic parallels to a degree (there are overlapping elements I didn't 'map').  And I peered into the message the writer was sending to his audience on behalf of his Master.  Strangely enough, I learned some things:

1. The people of God complain (even today) about Him.
2. The complaints of God's people are expressions of thin faith or no faith.
3. The qualities of the God of Israel refute the complaints of His people.
4. Two of those qualities, endurance and the source of endurance in people, form the focus of this message.
5. Even those expected to outlast everyone come to the end of themselves at some point.
6. Those relying of the God of Israel never do.

These are the surface things, clearly stated and supported by the parallelism and comparisons of the passage.  But then I add myself to the passage; I am the complainer, I am the one tiring out and fatiguing.  And I am the one with thin faith.

The question beginning this passage is an excellent one, "Why complain?"  Why would I complain about my Master?  What circumstances could I be in that would refute or even disparage His eternal qualities and promises?  What has He done that is not sufficient for me?

The 'audience' of this passage reside in exile from their homeland.  They are captives and cannot return.  If they did, they would return to rubble and ruin.  They were 'waiting' on their deliverance, and it was slow in coming.

This is not my circumstance.  My life is ridiculously good, hilariously so.  And yet, my problems still obscure my view of my Master's eternal qualities.  How can this be?

My view is obscured because I focus on me.  The litmus test is my perspective, my feelings, my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions.  When all those things within my boundaries become my 'world' I will complain about my Master.  I complain because all those things are insufficient to accomplish anything but to point out how insufficient I am to deal with this world. 

Hopefully, I wake up quickly, refocus on my Master, and gain that sustaining perspective found only with my Master.  I'm not waiting on my 'deliverance', I'm waiting on my Master.  Paul can say that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him because of his focus on his Master.  That's the only way.  And so it is for me.  Will I be distracted by my circumstances and complain, or will I wait expectantly on my Master and mount up as if I were an eagle?  I'm ready for some 'flight time'!