OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

The future looms large during Advent. We are, after all, entering into a sacred time of hope when we look with expectation toward the consummation of our salvation. If, however, we become too preoccupied with our future, we may miss the salvific work of God in our present lives, which actually grounds our Advent faith. Our Old Testament texts for this Second Sunday of Advent confront us with this danger. Both are messianic texts that soar to breathtaking heights in envisioning the future that God has in store for us. Yet upon closer reading, one begins to wonder whether  Isaiah 11:1-10 and Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 are not actually more concerned with God's present salvation than with a utopian future.

Isaiah 11:1-10 - "Celebrating the Messianic Rule"
Setting.   Isaiah 11:1…