The Reading
Isaiah 65:17–25
I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord--
and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent-- its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
Reflection by David Wasik
Isaiah 65:17 contains one of God's boldest promises in all of Scripture: "I am about to create new heavens and a new earth." Today is March 15th, 2021. Let's look back at the headlines from exactly one year ago today, on March 15th, 2020: "There are now more than 3000 cases of coronavirus in the US", "Shutdowns spread across Europe", and "He has 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer and nowhere to sell them." One year ago today, we were just beginning to grasp the depth and magnitude of the pandemic, and the effect that it would have on every aspect of our lives. But we knew that God would be faithful. Isaiah's prophecies were mostly very troubling; they predicted the Babylonian captivity and the exile of Israel, which would lead to 70 years of slavery and separation. But even after 70 years of unspeakable difficulty, Isaiah prophesies God's faithfulness and offers the hope of reconciliation and the coming Messiah. Isaiah 65:17 provides us the same hope and confidence today that it gave to Israel thousands of years ago. God is good, and He will overcome sin and brokenness not just in heaven but also on earth. After the past year, that is Good News indeed!