bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
all the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, it is true.
“you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom i have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that i am he.
before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
[isaiah 43:8-10]
the children take the stand.
God rallies his people in this courtroom scene of poetry. he challenges any who would stand up and oppose him to his face, who would declare that they are greater. he invites them to bring their witnesses to attest to their own greatness, to declare their greatest works, and to proclaim their own mighty name.
yet between verses 9 and 10, there is no one. no one dares to speak up or to propose that they are greater. no one has witnesses. no one has mighty deeds. no one has fulfilled former prophecies. no one has saved for themselves a people to bring glory to their name. no one but the Lord our God.
then God declares to his children that they are his witnesses. even this rebellious people God had called his own, to proclaim to the world all his wondrous deeds, so that they and the world would know that he alone is God… all powerful, all glorious, mighty to save. and if we are professing Christ, we are his witnesses.
why should the nations say,
“where is their God?”
our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
[psalm 115:2-3]
are you a witness of the wondrous works of the Lord? does the world around you wonder what you see in God? do they know why you are devoted to him? are you proclaiming it?
their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
they have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
they have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
they have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
hose who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
[psalm 115:4-8]
the world around us is dying. lost in darkness, chasing after vanity! they need the hope of Jesus Christ. they don’t even know what they don’t know. are you telling them? are you living like you are free from the grasp of their idols? or are you a Christ follower in name, but a world follower in thought, speech, and deed?
o Israel, trust in the Lord!
he is their help and their shield.
o house of aaron, trust in the Lord!
he is their help and their shield.
you who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
he is their help and their shield.
[psalm 115:9-11]
thanks be to God that his mercies are new every morning! if you have not been proclaiming the wondrous works of the Almighty, today is the day. if you have cowered away from standing up in boldness for Christ, today is a new opportunity. if you have stained the name of Christ by your sin, whether around your family, your friends or neighbors, coworkers, or classmates, it is not too late. there is grace upon grace for you, child of God, and he is calling you today to be his witness. trust in the Lord!
we serve a God full of excellencies! let us proclaim it to the world!
but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. [1 peter 2:9-10]
~arwen eastman