Might

Advent Reflection

Isaiah 40:10 presents God’s coming deliverance in exactly the way you’d expect: Here is the Lord God, coming with strength, with a triumphant arm, bringing his reward with him and his payment before him.

But then the tone shifts. Instead of doubling down (as is typical in Hebrew poetry), instead of emphasizing divine strength and retribution, the crescendo of the passage reads: Like a shepherd, God will tend the flock; he will gather lambs in his arms and lift them onto his lap. He will gently guide the nursing ewes.

Yes, it’s become a cliché. But if I can get past that, the idea is downright startling. In a good way.

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