LET’S SHOOT THE RIGHT TARGET-GOAL

Dear Dawtmi PCCF Unau

Tuzing Bawipa thawhṭhan zingah damte le lawmtein a thawngṭhabia a hrawmtu zumtu nan zapicungah Pathian thluachuah a tharin um ko seh! Pathian dawtnak le PCCF dawtnak thinlung he thawngṭhabia a kan chim tu Dr. Yaw Tam cungah lunglawmhnak langh ter kan van duh. LET’S SHOOT THE RIGHT TARGET-GOAL timi pehtlaiin an kan chimh i kan i lawmhnak a sang chin. Mahthawngṭha na rel dihbak ahcun nanunnak ah thlennak le thazangthar tampi na hmuh ko lai.

Thawngṭhachimtu konglam: Dr. YawTam cu Hla Tui Khua, Mindat peng um Pu Hung Yaw le Pi Mai leen Leen i fapa 3 le fanu 2 an ngeihmi hna lak in a hniangbik an fapa a si. Kum 2002 ah MIT in M.Div. a dih. 2003 ah a sawtmi Roygi Phyu Aung he ṭhitumnak an tuah i Fanu dawhte Glory Leen an ngei. 2008 July 25, ah Philippine ah Fimnak cawng dingin a phan, 2012, march ah Doctor Of Ministry (UTS) in a dih. Tu cu a mah nih caan a van lak nak si colh ko cang lai.

Dr.Yaw Tam

LET’S SHOOT THE RIGHT TARGET-GOAL

Isaiah49:1-6 “Listen to me O islands, and pay attention, you people from afar. The Lord called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He named me. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand He has concealed me; and He has also made me a select arrow, He has hidden me in His quiver. He said to me, “You are my Servant, Israel, in whom I will show my glory,” But I said, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” And now says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to him. He says, “It is too small a thing that you should be my servant. To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make you a light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (NASB)

This text is addressed to the exilic community in Babylon in the early part of the sixth century B.C.E. God called Isaiah to raise up the peoples and to restore the nations. Fred Gaiser, one of the Old Testament Professors says this Second Isaiah is speaking a message of comfort and challenge to hearers of its own time (eight to sixth centuries) and memorable promises of messianic hope to every generation. Many Christians suggest that God’s plan in Isaiah’s life to be like a select arrow with a sharp sword is to hit or to destroy the powerful gods in Babylon.

In Psalm 40:1-11, the Psalmist invites us to listen to the servant of second Isaiah in the so called servant songs (Isaiah 49:1-6, 42:1-9). Many of us may encounter variously themes of divine calling, proclamation, suffering, and failure, and faith amid despair. This text resumes second Isaiah’s depiction of the servant, a complex, and debated figure that the prophet identifies with Israel (e.g. 41:8-9, 44:1-2). The servant now steps forward to speak (49:1-4) whereas God called us to attention in Isaiah 49:1-6. The audience from distant lands are coastlines, peoples from far away) means that anticipate the reach of God’s salvation to the end of the earth. In (49:6), the servant implores everyone how God claimed and prepared him to serve in God’s purpose. Let’s read and meditate the text in verse by verse.

V1. God called me from my mother’s womb. God called prophet Isaiah from his mother’s womb and gave a name to him from the body of his mother. Isaiah opens with language reminiscent of Jeremiah’s call narrative: “before I was born...while I was in my mother’s womb” (49:1; cf. Jeremiah 1:5).

V2. God make me like a sharp sword. God made Isaiah like a sharp sword. Then He made him a select arrow. The servant describes God's formation of him as a “polished arrow” with a “mouth like a sharp sword” that God kept hidden with His hand and tucked away in His quiver-ready for the right moment.

V3. God has hidden Isaiah in His quiver. Then God said that Isaiah was His servant, in whom He would show His glory to the nations. By means of the servant, God prepares for the day when He will be glorified. In turn, the servant is enveloped by the inescapable presence of God.
Verses 1 to 3 are God’s part. God chose Isaiah even in his mother’s womb and made him like a sharp arrow. Then God prepared him to serve in His ministry. Here, Isaiah clearly knew the purpose of God’s divine plan in his life.

V4. But I said, “I have worked in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.” Here, Isaiah honestly wanted to express himself about his weak points before God. Supposed he was willing to accept God’s calling but he was still afraid that he could not be able to accomplish God’s requirements for the ongoing ministry. Isaiah looked back and knew his human situation and weakness. Some of us may not know what are our weaknesses and strengths. Maybe we always claim only our good points. But we must remember that even our weak points can turn to a successful skill in life.

V5. God formed me from the womb to be His Servant. God made Isaiah once again to be His servant. This passage repeats verse 3 “servant of God.” In this passage Isaiah more clearly understands about God’s deepest calling for His work. Even when we are weak in ministry talents, God will make us to be stronger and successful skill if we are always faithful in His presence like the servant Isaiah.

V6. I will make you a light of the nations. God wanted to make Isaiah to be a light of the nations until the end time comes. Here at this point, Isaiah becomes a worth servant of God. This is a top called of Isaiah to be a light to the nations. Isaiah knows about the highest call of God. By means of the servant, God will make him a light of the nations in the promise and His divine call so that he can reach the goal of salvation. This is reaching the target point that God wants us to hit over. For the restoration of Israel, it is one small task given the servant’s role as “a light to the nations”. If we invite God, He will give us a light to shine on the nations.

To be more effectively, this passage constantly tells us about a successful ministry skill like a sharp arrow. The first point is to know our calling ministry. The second point is to know our missing mark or our failure in life. The third point is to know our targeting goal. So the symbolic meaning of God’s calling to prophet Isaiah is like a sharp arrow is divided into three step points.

1. The Starting Point: The first staring point is God’s part of making us as a sharp sword. Not everyone, but some may have experienced the nature of arrow and its unique and significance. It may not be wrong to say that most of us know about the nature of arrow. But it is hard to understand the significance of arrow. Unless it has a sharp sword on the tip, it does not mean an arrow. Without a sharp sword at the tip, it just likes a stick. It cannot hit the mark without a sharp sword. The first point is to know the top point of arrow. So let’s go back to Isaiah 49:2ff, God made Isaiah as a sharp sword. After choosing him out of his mother’s womb, God fixed a sharp tip of arrow in the life of Isaiah. God equipped him before going to the nations. Friends, what does this passage tell us today? Do we always invite God to fix this sharp sword of arrow in our life? Do we really know our starting point to step forward to reaching out our goal? If we don’t have a sharp sword like an arrow in our life we cannot shoot our target goal.

2. The Missing Point: We probably know the meaning of missing the mark in Greek translation. The Greek word hamartia is translated as sin in the New Testament; it means “to miss the mark” or “to miss the target.” If someone is not in a right place, it is sin. When we are in a wrong direction, we are missing the point. When we are missing the mark, we are losing our top point of arrow. If we lost our first starting point, we miss our target place. This point reminds us to know our fall and failure. Unless we know our weakness, our strength is nothing. It is vanity. It comes meaningless and nonsense. In the same manner, Isaiah 49:4 tells us that he knows his weakness by the time he encountered God’s divine calling in his life. He sadly to say that he worked in vain and spent his strengths for nothing and vanity. He expressed that he was not fit to hold a position of God’s divine ministry. However, Isaiah said in verse 4b, “Yet surely the justice due to me is with Lord, and my reward with my God.” Here, Isaiah knew his weak points very clearly that would turn to a reward of successful skill. Let’s take a moment for recalling the missing points in our life. Do we really know our weak points and mistakes? What are the hindrances to step forward? Until we are out of a concrete decision, we are missing the mark.

3. The Targeting Point: The third point is God’s part of making us to shoot over. The nature of arrow is composed of three characteristics. The first one is a tip sword at a head of the arrow. The second one is a part of chaff. It is a body of the arrow. And the third one is a back flight of the arrow. This point is sensitive to aim at the target. Without a back flight of the arrow, we cannot aim at the target point. This is a central point to aim at the mark. This is a controlling point of shooting the target goal. Because of lack of concrete faith, sometimes we miss our leadership goal. If our controlling point is in a wrong direction, we are not hitting the goal. To hit the target is to reach the goal. So let’s go back to the first point in verse 2. Are we filled with a sharp sword in our successful skill like a sharp head of the arrow? In spite of being weak, God formed Isaiah again from the womb to be a servant of God. Isaiah understands God’s divine call. He invited God to make him as a servant leader. Let’s keep in obedience to God’s commandments. Let’s honestly invite Him to correct us. In verse 6, “I will make you a light of the nations” is a promise of God to make Isaiah to be a light of the nations. Reaching the nations in the light of salvation is targeting the goal. So let’s embrace God for scoring our target goal.

We are called to hold the issue of ministry skill. It does not mean that every believer is called like prophet Isaiah. The calling may be different but the target goal is the same way. To hit the point is the act of shooting the right goal. God’s special chosen from one generation to another throughout history is to reach out the nations for His kingdom instruments.

Dear friends, let’s reexamine what are our weaknesses and strengths? Let our ministry skill be Christ-like character. Let our life be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let our life be Isaiah’s commitment. Let’s rethink what are the hindrances, the causes, and the problems in team situations. Let’s honestly invite God to make us just like a servant leader not a superman. Let’s take a look back to our failure, our fall, and our mistakes in the past. No matter what pains or failures happen in life, we must keep on going till we get to success our target goal. Until we are blind in seeing our weak points, we are not able to step forward to the third point of reaching the target. This text reminds us to step forward in the right way with a right thinking. Friends, if we are still following a wrong way of missing the marks in our life, let’s come back to the right point of making a right decision for reaching our goal. A sharp sword is put at a tip arrow in servant’s life. If we are candidates in calling for the ministry, let’s use even our small skill for shooting the right goal in the right place, at the right time, and in the right way.

To God be the glory!