David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Isaiah 46-48, Psalm 45.

Isaiah 48:9-13

“For my name’s sake I defer my anger;
    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
    that I may not cut you off.
¹⁰ Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
    I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
¹¹ For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
    for how should my name be profaned?
    My glory I will not give to another.

¹² “Listen to me, O Jacob,
    and Israel, whom I called!
I am he; I am the first,
    and I am the last.
¹³ My hand laid the foundation of the earth,
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I call to them,
    they stand forth together.

My leadership mantra is, “I want the first word.” I seldom want the last word. Sometimes I must have the last word. When I’m the one responsible for making the decision, I have the last word, and I’ll take ownership of it—and responsibility for the outcome. But my last word is seldom the ultimate last word. And my first word is never really the first word. After all, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

I want the first word as a leader because, by speaking first, I frame the question. And the one who frames the question charts the course to the future—as much as anyone can actually shape the future. I want to suggest a pathway forward while allowing those who have heard the first word to shape the decisions and work together toward the goals that first word has framed.

But God is different.

He has both the first word and the last word. Only God can claim to be the First and the Last. No one was before him. No one will second-guess him. His word is final. I think of that whenever I read, “I am the first and I am the last.” His first word was, “Let there be light.” And there was light. And the light was good. The Bible’s last word is grace. Jesus says:

“Surely I am coming soon.”
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20–21)

There are a whole lot of words between God’s first and last words. Some of them are hard. From, “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid,” to, “What is this you have done?” And, of course, there are the hard words of judgment Isaiah speaks to God’s people and to the nations.

But God’s last word is grace. The Law may be his necessary word, but in Christ his final word is always forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Full disclosure, though: I do get the last word every Sunday when I lead worship. The last word is a blessing I never tire of pronouncing:

The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The LORD look upon you with favor and give you peace.

That’s a last word I will always be glad to speak.