I.
With this week’s Scripture focus, we begin paying attention to a set of Scriptures which focus on the Reign of God/Kingdom of God.

We will first turn our attention to several of the Hebrew prophets, then to the New Testament Gospels and Epistles.

This week we look to words from the prophet Isaiah.

He begins by speaking of the “… messenger who announces … God reigns.”

As you spend time with this passage look for what the messenger associates with the announcement of God’s Kingdom.

II.
Isaiah 52:7-12 (NRSVue)

How beautiful upon the mountains
     are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
     who announces salvation,
     who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices;
     together they shout for joy,
for in plain sight they see
     the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth; shout together for joy,
     you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
     he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm
     before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
     the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there!
     Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it; purify yourselves,
     you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

For you shall not go out in haste,
     and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
     and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

III.
What did you notice?

I heard the messenger speak of “peace,” “good news,” “salvation,” and “joy.”

What else do you notice?

Do you sense a “shout for joy” is to be part of our response to the messenger?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}