Ahaz has put his trust in the Assyrian king and he will see
this king triumphant over his enemies, the Syrians and the Israelites, his
brothers, but that victory will come at a price. This king will also lay waste to his own
kingdom, Judah, where Jerusalem is located.
He has put his faith in one who cares nothing for him, has no covenant
with him for his good and is not faithful.
The Lord, however, has a covenant of kindness and protection if they
will just turn to Him but they will not.
The prophetic word has also a promise and a hope within it that those
who put their trust in Him and fear Him alone will be spared. We are called to a hope that is different
from the world. We are not to put our
trust in rulers or princes but the Lord alone.
We are given eyes to see beyond the sensate world into the reality that
God's kingdom is coming, we need only stand firm on that truth.
Jesus prophesies concerning Peter, that the enemy has
selected him, actually the satan has demanded him to sift him like wheat. Like Job, the Lord has said yes to this
demand and yet Jesus promises that when Peter returns he will strengthen the
others. Peter believes himself to be
ready for persecution and he asserts his loyalty but Jesus knows better. In the end, he calls them to faith, to
remember when He sent them out in faith, with nothing, and they lacked nothing because
He provided through other people. They can
rely on the Lord to provide for their needs.
They have two swords for the fight, they are still trusting in something
other than the Lord, faith isn't yet their strength. Jesus surely here is shaking His head at
them.
Apparently there were some in Thessalonica who misunderstood
or misapplied the teaching of having faith that the Lord would provide and that
they were to wait on His coming again. They
thought that waiting and idling were the same thing. They had become lazy and were trusting the
Lord would provide for their needs via the labor of others. Here, Paul absolutely disabuses them of that
notion and tells the community that if you aren't willing to work and you are
able to do so, you don't receive anything. He offers his own example in this
regard, he could have lived from the largesse of the community as he had the
right as their teacher/leader, but he set the example of working while he was
among them to provide for his own needs.
We are to wait as servants, keeping busy as we are able. We have been given gifts with which to serve
both God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Waiting isn't passive.
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