Destroying the shroud
On this mountain
the Lord Almighty will prepare
A feast of rich food for all peoples
A banquet of aged wines
The best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
The shroud that covers all nations.
He will swallow up death forever.
The sovereign Lord will wipe away
the tears from all faces
He will remove the disgrace of his people
From all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
- Isaiah 25
Being back in Bundibugyo, the greatest impression has been of the shroud. Or as another version of the Bible puts it, “the veil that covers the faces of all people.” It’s the sense of whole clans of people, obscured. Of goodness cloaked in darkness. Of what is right perverted to wrong. It manifests itself in ugly behaviors of all kinds and it makes me long for the mountain feast.
We need tears wiped away in Bundibugyo. We need disgrace removed. We need death to be swallowed up in victory. And a feast wouldn’t hurt much either. Charles preached on Christmas morning on Revelations 12 and endless chicken in heaven. A whole nother reality that is hard for anyone, let alone the poorest, to get their minds around. Jesus, come quickly.
A great verse for a missionary to keep in his heart!
As Matthew Henry so wonderfully puts it -
But this veil the Lord will destroy, by the light of the gospel shining in the world, and the power of his Spirit opening men’s eyes to receive it. He will raise those to spiritual life that have long been dead in trespasses and sins.
We pray that God will keep you safe and strong in his loving hands.
Dad