Study Desk

"I'm calling a meeting, Jacob. I want everyone back—all the survivors of Israel. I'll get them together in one place— like sheep in a fold, like cattle in a corral— a milling throng of homebound people! Then I, God , will burst all confinements and lead them out into the open. They'll follow their King. I will be out in front leading them."

The time's coming, though, when these same leaders will cry out for help to God , but he won't listen. He'll turn his face the other way because of their history of evil.

Here is God 's Message to the prophets, the preachers who lie to my people: "For as long as they're well paid and well fed, the prophets preach, ‘Isn't life wonderful! Peace to all!' But if you don't pay up and jump on their bandwagon, their ‘God bless you' turns into ‘God damn you.' Therefore, you're going blind. You'll see nothing. You'll live in deep shadows and know nothing. The sun has set on the prophets. They've had their day; from now on it's night. Visionaries will be confused, experts will be all mixed up. They'll hide behind their reputations and make lame excuses to cover up their God-ignorance."

But me—I'm filled with God 's power, filled with God 's Spirit of justice and strength, Ready to confront Jacob's crime and Israel's sin.

The leaders of Jacob and the leaders of Israel are Leaders contemptuous of justice, who twist and distort right living, Leaders who build Zion by killing people, who expand Jerusalem by committing crimes. Judges sell verdicts to the highest bidder, priests mass-market their teaching, prophets preach for high fees, All the while posturing and pretending dependence on God : "We've got God on our side. He'll protect us from disaster." Because of people like you, Zion will be turned back into farmland, Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble, and instead of the Temple on the mountain, a few scraggly scrub pines.

But when all is said and done, God 's Temple on the mountain, Firmly fixed, will dominate all mountains, towering above surrounding hills. People will stream to it and many nations set out for it, Saying, "Come, let's climb God 's mountain. Let's go to the Temple of Jacob's God. He will teach us how to live. We'll know how to live God's way." True teaching will issue from Zion, God 's revelation from Jerusalem. He'll establish justice in the rabble of nations and settle disputes in faraway places. They'll trade in their swords for shovels, their spears for rakes and hoes. Nations will quit fighting each other, quit learning how to kill one another. Each man will sit under his own shade tree, each woman in safety will tend her own garden. God -of-the-Angel-Armies says so, and he means what he says.

Meanwhile, all the other people live however they wish, picking and choosing their gods. But we live honoring God , and we're loyal to our God forever and ever.

"On that great day," God says, "I will round up all the hurt and homeless, everyone I have bruised or banished. I will transform the battered into a company of the elite. I will make a strong nation out of the long lost, A showcase exhibit of God 's rule in action, as I rule from Mount Zion, from here to eternity.

So why the doomsday hysterics? You still have a king, don't you? But maybe he's not doing his job and you're panicked like a woman in labor. Well, go ahead—twist and scream, Daughter Jerusalem. You are like a woman in childbirth. You'll soon be out of the city, on your way and camping in the open country. And then you'll arrive in Babylon. What you lost in Jerusalem will be found in Babylon. God will give you new life again. He'll redeem you from your enemies.

But for right now, they're ganged up against you, many godless peoples, saying, "Kick her when she's down! Violate her! We want to see Zion grovel in the dirt." These blasphemers have no idea what God is thinking and doing in this. They don't know that this is the making of God 's people, that they are wheat being threshed, gold being refined.

On your feet, Daughter of Zion! Be threshed of chaff, be refined of dross. I'm remaking you into a people invincible, into God's juggernaut to crush the godless peoples. You'll bring their plunder as holy offerings to God , their wealth to the Master of the earth.

But you, Bethlehem, David's country, the runt of the litter— From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel. He'll be no upstart, no pretender. His family tree is ancient and distinguished. Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes until the birth pangs are over and the child is born, And the scattered brothers come back home to the family of Israel. He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God 's strength, centered in the majesty of God -Revealed. And the people will have a good and safe home, for the whole world will hold him in respect— Peacemaker of the world!

The purged and select company of Jacob will be like an island in the sea of peoples. They'll be like dew from God , like summer showers Not mentioned in the weather forecast, not subject to calculation or control.

"The day is coming" — God 's Decree— "When there will be no more war. None. I'll slaughter your war horses and demolish your chariots. I'll dismantle military posts and level your fortifications. I'll abolish your religious black markets, your underworld traffic in black magic. I will smash your carved and cast gods and chop down your phallic posts. No more taking control of the world, worshiping what you do or make. I'll root out your sacred sex-and-power centers and destroy the God-defiant. In raging anger, I'll make a clean sweep of godless nations who haven't listened."

Listen now, listen to God : "Take your stand in court. If you have a complaint, tell the mountains; make your case to the hills. And now, Mountains, hear God 's case; listen, Jury Earth— For I am bringing charges against my people. I am building a case against Israel.

"Dear people, how have I done you wrong? Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer! I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt; I paid a good price to get you out of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you— and Aaron and Miriam to boot! Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull, and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him. Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal. Keep all God 's salvation stories fresh and present."

How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

Attention! God calls out to the city! If you know what's good for you, you'll listen. So listen, all of you! This is serious business.

But me, I'm not giving up. I'm sticking around to see what God will do. I'm waiting for God to make things right. I'm counting on God to listen to me.