Mark Twain famously wrote, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”, and because history is the record of human nature sometimes those rhymes extend over many thousands of years.
See if the following description of world events ring a bell.
The leader of a large and powerful nation sends his armies south to encircle and invade his smaller neighbor. The leader of the smaller country makes a heroic stand inspiring his people to resist against seemingly overwhelming odds. The forces of the invaders become totally bogged down and unable to achieve their objectives despite besieging the capital city. As a result the invaders are demoralized and dispirited. Despite suffering their own losses and much of their population fleeing for safety, the smaller nation becomes a rallying point for the forces of good versus evil.
Russia versus Ukraine in 2022 A.D.?
No.
Assyria versus Judea in 2800 B.C.!
Although we do not yet know how the Russia/Ukraine conflict plays out or is finally resolved we do know and can learn from the earlier one. The deciding factor in that conflict was the availability and willingness of God’s volunteer, Isaiah, to be true to his mission and trust in God’s power to save his nation.
My description of Isaiah as God’s volunteer comes from his own description of a vision he had while studying scripture:
“…I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:1-8 NIV
“Here am I, send me!”. When he volunteered Isaiah had no idea the world shaking events he would be part of, but he had seen God and realized that he did not need any personal power to be God’s agent — God’s power was available through him.
Contrast that with the leader of another nation which had been held captive by a superior world power and whom God wished to free as an example to the rest of the world.
Now we’re talking about Egypt and Israel in 3300 B.C. Interestingly God chooses a leader — Moses — and gives him incontrovertible proof of God’s power — the “burning-but-not-burnt” bush. God wants Moses to go and speak to the rulers of Egypt. Here is the fascinating exchange:
“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous — it had become as white as snow. “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.
Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Exodus 4:1-13 NIV Emphasis mine
In contrast to Isaiah, Moses’ reply was “here am I, send him”. If you read on, you will discover that God did send someone else — Moses’ brother Aaron — to do the talking, but Moses still had to accompany him to tell him what to say! God wanted Moses totally convinced that his (Moses’) frailties and inadequacies were not an impediment to God’s plan and power.
Our weaknesses are not a surprise to God. He has already taken them into account. After all, as God reminded Moses, he made us and understands our capabilities better than we do. His glory is enhanced when his power is displayed through us, in spite of our inadequacies.
When God offers us an opportunity to be his agent we do well to remember our humanity and fragility have already been factored into the mission and we will be equipped with his power despite the seemingly overwhelming odds arrayed against us.
There is a reason why everyone supports David rather than Goliath! Let’s stop making excuses and just let God show up and show off!
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/chronicle/?category=Bible%20Study