At a sermon at Church of the Messiah on February 22, 2025, Kyle Kettering's text was Isaiah 33:13: "Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might."
Kyle noted that "far and near" can be understood in several possible senses. This expression can be a merism, a way of saying "everywhere." The expression can also be understood geographically, in terms of distance from Jerusalem, as in Psalm 97:1 and Isaiah 24:15. On the other hand, it can be understood in a spiritual sense, as in Isaiah 29:13. It also can be understood chronometrically, in reference to different eras; or culturally. Certainly there's a great cultural gap between the ancient Near East and today's United States.
In whatever sense we understand Isaiah 33:13, God is avaialble to all who are willing to submit to him and obey him--verses 14-16. People from both Israel and the nations are brought together into one holy temple, as Ephesians 2 explains.
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