Worship in the New Creation

June 23, 2013 Background Scripture: Isaiah 65 Lesson Passage: Isaiah 65:17 – 25 If I could just do it all over again, things will be better the next time around. If only I could get another chance, I would approach life differently. How often have we had these thoughts and at times even verbalized them? Our physical existence in this world teaches us that there really are no second chances to do things over. We may have opportunities that allow us to handle new situations better but the old ones will forever be in the past—mishandled, messed up, or whatever the case may be. Here in this world, we are bound to live with the consequences of our past errors and sins. But the prophet Isaiah tells of another time and place where there is the opportunity to start all over again. Past sins and errors are remembered no more and life truly is better. The scope of Isaiah’s prophecy is enough to earn him the title of greatest of the writing prophets. Isaiah’s prophecy has a scope as broad as the entire written scriptures. In today’s lesson, we read in the book of Isaiah something that is found in only one other place in the bible, i.e., the book of Revelation. Over seven hundred years before John’s Patmos vision, Isaiah had prophetically seen the new heaven and the new earth. It is a remake of the original creation. It is there where sin has been banished and joy has replaced sorrow. Man’s labor will once again be fruitful and cause the ground to yield its fullness without thorns and thistles to make him weary. God will be in the midst of His creation ensuring continuous joy and fullness of life. God will remove the memory of the painful past that so often haunts us. Violence will not exist in the new creation—not even among the beasts of the field. The beasts of the field will be in harmony as they live and eat together without fear or contempt for one another. In such a state of society, God will do according to man’s heart because man will no longer have evil thoughts. Man will again reflect the image and likeness of his creator. Worship will not be scheduled or in a certain place. Man’s life will be to God’s glory. Man’s overflowing joy will radiate continuous worship of his heavenly Father. Isaiah’s vision of the living creatures showed them continuously worshiping and serving whereas Isaiah’s vision of man shows him living a sinless life of joy. Just as the living creatures worshiped the glory of God, man will reflect God’s glory as he was created to. Man’s life will be a continuous reflection of the glory of God. God’s very image and likeness will be seen in man even as it was before man’s sinful fall from grace. The skillful Potter would have reshaped the clay and removed all impurities from it. Now those earthen vessels will be without blemish. Spiritual maturity would no longer be a goal to aspire to but a life to live. Worship for man will not be identifiable apart from living. No one schedules his life. He just lives. Robert C. Hudson June 5, 2013