Here is an interesting passage from Alec Moyter's commentary on Isaiah.
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| Isaiah 21:10 Commentary, pg. 148 |
And, of course, as history moves beyond what Isaiah sees around him, the same is repeated, the same principles operate and the same temptations beset the people of God. It is not easy to maintain a position of faith, especially in times of stress and suffering, crushed on the threshing floor. It is so easy to opt for anything that offers promise of release. But faith sees differently. We are still my people; we are (lit.) 'my crushed one, son of my threshing floor': the crushing pressures of life come from the Lord; the blows are his blows, purposely designed to bring the crop safely into the granary. The Almighty power that lies behind all history is that of the LORD, Yahweh, who is not only the Judge of those who disobey but the redeemer, the God of Israel — not the God we chose but who chose us and who will never go back on his choice.
For many Christians such an interpretation would be comforting. God is in absolute control of all things that happen to us and in history. He is the one who purposely crushes us so that we make its "safely into the granary." Our salvation rests on the fact that we did not choose him but he chose us and he "will never go back on his choice."
Or as Christ said:
But if you are an Eastern Orthodox believer then there would be no comfort in such an interpretation but only pushback
First of all, the Eastern Orthodox do not believe God punishes or brings about disasters or blows or crushes his people. That is all the result of man's sin.
Second of all, the Eastern Orthodox believe in synergy meaning man works with God to effect his salvation. If one gives up or turns back or does not persevere to the end by doing good works then God will reject you. There is no idea of an unbroken unilateral covenant God makes with those he chooses because God has chosen all men and its up to them to choose him.
In fact, the Eastern Orthodox have little to nothing to say about God's unilaiteral covenant with men despite the covenant being a major theme of the prophets.
