Isaiah — Chapter 25
"God, you are my God. I celebrate you. I praise you...
Here you've reduced the city to rubble,
the strong city to a pile of stones...
Superpowers will see it and honor you,
brutal oppressors bow in worshipful reverence.
They'll see that you take care of the poor..." Isaiah 25: 1-4
At first glance, these statements seemed disconnected to me:
a) God destroyed a city.
b) People will see that He looks out for the poor.
After reading through it a few times, though, it seems that the second remark is a result of the first. I don't quite understand how "a" leads to "b", though. I've been sitting here trying to think of a city in the Bible that was destroyed primarily because of it's treatment of the lower class, or even how such a catastrophe could possibly raise awareness of the conditions of the working man, and I'm coming up blank on all accounts (if anyone knows, please hit me up). It almost sounds a little revolutionary, doesn't it? Not like "moving in a circular fashion", but almost "take up arms against your oppressor" -ish. Overthrowing a financial oppressor, bringing them into submission, and elevating the cause of the lowest class. I'd think Marx and Engels would be pleased, don't you?
I went search-engine happy and stumbled on a song by an obnoxiously punked band called "Reagan Youth". The song is called "Jesus Was A Communist". Here are the lyrics:
Jesus was a communist
Jesus was a pacifist
Jesus was a communist
Jesus didn't like the rich
First of all, let me say that I don't believe Jesus was a communist, though he may have shared some views with them (or vice-versa). Second, my understanding is that pacifism isn't one of the tenets of communism, seeing as how nearly every time communists get power it's by force. Third (as if a third is needed), I'd say that "Jesus didn't like the rich" is overstatement, at the least. All that to say, this song is probably wrong.
But it's interesting, isn't it? Did the earthly Jesus actually have a preferred socio-economic platform? If we're to believe the majority of Americans, he was a capitalist through and through. Would that really fit his MO? Who knows? Who cares?
Okay, I care a little. But only because I'm a curious guy. The Bible answers the BIG questions. But sometimes, the Bible raises little itty-bitty questions that you just know you're not gonna be able to answer anytime soon. Like the Nephilim, for example. You know, in Genesis 6 when it says that the "sons of God" mated with human women and produced these titanic children? What in the heck is that all about??? I don't know, and it doesn't matter. You know what they say; curiosity killed the cat.
But the cat died happy.
The only certain truth I was able to walk away with in this passage was summed up in Isaiah's first 5 words.
God, You are my God.