Roll On Mighty River
Musician Luke Vasella opens our Advent series with a song reminding us of the life-giving gift of Jesus’ mighty river of justice.
AUNTY REV PATRICIA COURTENAY
For our seventh Advent 2024 devotional, Aunty Rev Patricia Courtenay reflects on the healing justice of God and the hope we have in walking with Jesus.
God the Creator, God of Justice
Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ Then you will defile your silver-covered idols and your gold-plated images. You will scatter them like filthy rags; you will say to them, ‘Away with you!’
He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures; and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water—on a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
Isaiah 30:19-26
This reading speaks to people struggling and living with oppression and injustice. As an Australian Aboriginal woman these themes are compelling. The knowledge that there is a divine presence in all this suffering gives me purpose.
Isaiah 30:19-26 provides the answer of how God’s justice operates. We think we know what justice is – we speak about social justice, but do we really know God’s justice? Do we listen to God the Creator’s justice?
The verse prior to this reading of Isaiah provides the key to this message. Isaiah 30:18 reads: “Therefore, the LORD waits to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Isaiah 30:19-26 provides the ‘how to’ for humanity in living by God’s justice. God the Creator, is the God of Justice, who loves all of his creation. These next verses will be interpreted individually seeking this divinely inspired wisdom.
Isaiah 30:19 reads; “Truly, o people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.” This verse shows that God constantly loves us, hears us, and answers us. God is constantly with us.
Isaiah 30:20 reads; “Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.” Although we live in a broken society, created by humanity, as Christians we believe that our teacher is Jesus Christ, who is constantly with us. I find this Western colonised society to be deeply flawed. I feel comfort that there are teachings and stories that tell all of us how to live rightly. The story of Jesus and the words of Christ will help us realise a less flawed society.
Isaiah 30:21 reads; “And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it”.” The Holy Spirit surrounds us; is in front, beside and behind us. When we walk the way of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we will know how to walk the right and just way.
Isaiah 30:22 reads; “Then you will defile your silver-covered idols and your gold-plated images. You will scatter them like filthy rags; you will say to them, “Away with you!” This verse reflects humanity’s need to reject materialism and selfish living.
Isaiah 30:23-24 reads; “He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures; and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.” Humanity needs to accept God as the Creator, who provides for all our needs. We need to care for the environment and the world that he created for us to live in. We need to look at the Indigenous cultures of this world as examples of living in harmony with God’s creation.
Isaiah 30:25-26 reads; “On every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water – on a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up injuries of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.”
This verse provides a prophecy of humanity’s fall as warfare is happening. It will take place when God’s creation is still creating, when there is an equinox, and when climate change is upon us all.
However, through God's gift of His son Jesus we have hope and salvation from this destruction, and hope as God the Creator is still in control of his creation, and will show us his justice as he heals us all.
Aunty Rev Patricia Courtenay is an Australian Aboriginal belonging to the Gurang Gurang (Bundaberg) and Birri (Collinsville) traditional lands, and also has English, Irish and French ancestry. She lectures in social work and human services at James Cook University, is an ordained priest and has over 40 years of professional experiences in community, government, education and religious organisations. As well as holding a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Social Administration, Master of Theological Studies and several postgraduate certificates, Aunty Patricia is undertaking a doctorate focused on Aboriginal spirituality within a Christian context.
This devotional is part of a series of daily email devotionals for Advent 2024 reflecting on the life-giving, thirst quenching justice of Jesus we long to see flow across these lands. A justice overflowing with love and compassion, bringing forth hope, healing, nourishment and flourishing for all.
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