Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 22-25.

The passage starts off with Isaiah condemning those who take all the right steps to prepare for disaster: they put together a go-bag.  They pile up sand bags to hold back the flood waters.   They plywood up their windows against high winds, or mobs.  They arm themselves in order to defend against aggressors.  They have stored up preserved foods and other necessities against shortages.   They have taken all of the steps one should take to deal with natural or man-caused disasters, except for the most important one.  They have not turned to God in prayer.  They have prepared in all of the ways they can imagine, and then they feast in the face of the disaster they foresee.  However, God had called them to prayer and fasting.  We have been called to prayer.  Are we praying?  If you look at the world and see disaster coming, God has called you to prayer and fasting.  Are we listening to God’s call?  Are we doing what He asks of us?

Every year I try to avoid writing about the above again, but in the end I feel called to repeat that message, at least as much because I feel called to pray more as for any other reason.  However, this year I see a bit more in today’s passage.  God is calling us to warn the world around us of His coming judgement.  He is calling us to turn to Him and to call others to do likewise, but before we attempt to call others, He is calling us to pray.  If we turn to Him in prayer now, we will lift our voices in joy and praise the Lord when others see only disaster.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 22-25.

Isaiah begins today’s passage by talking about how when Jerusalem was threatened with attack the people put a lot of effort into building up its defenses, but they did not take time to turn to God and ask for His aid in their defense.  In the face of trouble brought about by their sin, they did not mourn and seek the Lord.  Instead, they partied.  In a way what’s going on in the world around us is similar.  Too many people are reacting to the judgement they see coming by saying “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”  When they should be crying out to God for forgiveness and help.  Instead of facing the fact that God is trying to get them (and maybe us) to change their ways (our ways?), they spend their time having fun.  Do we mourn for the suffering?  Do we mourn for those who do not know the Lord?

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 22-25.

Isaiah prophesies the fall of Jerusalem to start today’s passage.  He may be referring to the actual fall, or perhaps to a more figurative one before that.   In either case, he calls the people out for making preparations against that attack without calling on God.  However, not only did they fail to regard God in their preparations for the coming disaster, they ignored the warning God gave them.  Knowing that disaster was coming the people feasted and partied, rather than approaching God with fasting and mourning.  As a result, God determined that the earth would be laid waste.  Except that is not quite right.  Isaiah tells us that the people brought about that destruction by defiling the earth.  Destruction happens because we fail to listen to God’s laws and commands.   Yet Isaiah tells us that, even in the face of this destruction, God will be a refuge for those who recognize that they are poor and needy.  He has a feast made ready for all peoples to partake and is prepared to wipe away the tears from everyone.  All we need to do is trust in Him and declare Him our God.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 22-25.

In today’s prophecy, Isaiah condemned those who saw the coming disaster, but did not turn to the Lord in response.  He condemns those who did what they could by gathering resources and building defenses, but who did not cry out to God for aid, who never even thought about God in the face of the coming disaster.  Isaiah goes on to condemn those who, instead of weeping and wailing in remorse over the coming disaster which was coming because of their sins, chose to party and live it up one last time before the end.  Those who. instead of turning from their wickedness in the face of disaster, decided to double down on the wickedness they had practiced up to that point.  Isaiah goes on to give an example of a government official who saw what was coming and decided to build a monument to be his grave rather than using his position to offset the misery some were already feeling.  From there Isaiah proceeds to describe the coming devastation God is bringing on the world and upon those who refuse to turn from their sins to Him.  In that description Isaiah warns that both the rich and powerful, the poor and needy, and the common person will all face the same fates.  The rich will not escape the suffering because of their riches.  The politically connected will not be able to use their connections to escape the coming disaster.   And yet, Isaiah also promises that God will provide for those who turn to Him in sorrow.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 22-25.

There are two separate sections of today’s passage I want to focus on.  I do not see them as connected, but we will see how it comes out as I write my thoughts.  In chapter 24 Isaiah describes how the people of Jerusalem prepared to defend against invasion by strengthening the walls of the city and securing their water supply.  Yet they did not call out to God.  Further, instead of mourning for the sins they had committed which led them into this position, they partied; taking the attitude that they should take what pleasure they could today because their death was coming.  I see the attitude which Isaiah condemns in this passage taken by many in our society, to the point where they approvingly quote, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”  It has been a long time since I have heard anyone quote that phrase who understood that the attitude it represents was being condemned.  There is a time and place for having a good time, but let us be sure we only do so after we have turned to God and made ourselves right with Him, that we are not having a good time at the expense of those in need.

Then in chapter 25, after having discussed the coming devastation upon the whole earth which will come from God’s judgement, Isaiah tells us that the time will come when God will do away with death.  He will completely get rid of death and suffering.  He will do away with our sorrows and the things which cause them.  We will rejoice in His power and praise His name.  No matter what suffering you face in this life, God offers joy to those who put their faith in Him and allow Him to transform them.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 22-25.

I was struck by how the passage seems appropriate for now when I came to where Isaiah wrote

You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

That is so close to what I have heard many people say.  They often think they are quoting the Bible to support their actions, when in fact every time the Bible says something which can be paraphrased that way it is condemning those who say it.  Here, Isaiah tells us that God had called those to whom he was speaking to weep and mourn, to show remorse for their sins.  With that thought I went back over what came before.  Isaiah wrote that the leaders had fled, or surrendered without resistance.  How close this seems to reflect the cities where rioters and looters are allowed to run wild with no interference from those who sought out the job of maintaining order in those cities.  However, it is worth noting that Isaiah also condemns those who “stood in the breach”, who attempted to restore order with weapons and fortifications.  Isaiah condemns them because they do not consult the One who planned all of this long ago and set it in motion now.

In the face of what is happening let us ask the One who rules all for help.  Instead of feasting and drinking, let us fast and pray to God, repenting of our sins.  Our lives have been turned upside down, but instead of turning to God, we seek to return to our lives as they were.