The Lord is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;
he it is who will save us. (Is 33:22)
There is something that is relatively certain in our lives: we want to be in charge. We do not do well when others are in charge. No. We tend to ignore them. If we are in charge, we feel much more at ease.
It was no different for the people of the Old Testament. They wanted to be in charge as well. As a matter of fact, they often rebelled against the leadership of other kings and rulers.
Isaiah reminded them that God was their King. This was very unsettling to many. They had a hard enough time dealing with kings whom they could see. God, on the other hand, was another reality entirely. They did not see Him face to face. They did not hear Him. They only received His word, His commands, through the prophets.
It was tough being God’s messenger. When the people rebelled against God and His commands, they most often took it out on the prophets. Prophets were slain on a pretty regular basis.
But, you know what? God remained King. There is no putting God out of business.
When God’s people rebelled, they did not destroy God. Instead, they destroyed themselves. The same is true for us today.
When we rebel against God and His commands, we do not harm God. We harm ourselves. We jeopardize our relationship with God. We can even destroy that relationship.
God is God. God is King. God is Ruler. God is Lawgiver. The sooner we embrace that, the better we will be.
FAITH ACTION: If you have broken the laws given to us by God, plan on going to confession today. They are heard at most parishes on Saturday afternoons.