Isaiah 1:21-23 – Guarding our God-given sacred trust

In these three verses, we see how the people of Judah had failed to shine for God. They were living a life that contradicted the nature and call of God and were guilty of many terrible sins. Isaiah described how God gauged His once beloved city and people. It was a city in an utterly wretched condition. The once faithful Jerusalem had become a prostitute. Her shine was gone like silver that had become dull and valueless. They were also likened to good wine that was badly diluted and become tasteless. A city that once was a symbol of righteousness had now become a place full of murderers. Instead of being faithful advocates of the unfortunate, the poor, and the needy, her leaders exploited them. Lacking justice, the leaders took bribes and enriched themselves instead of looking after the people. God expects Judah, with whom He had a relationship, to reflect His righteous character. Had they stayed connected to Him and acted rightly, Jerusalem would be the shining city on a hill.

Here God was accusing them of breaching the trust He had given to them. As a people, they had oppressed the poor and needy instead of looking after them. Verse 23 shows how inhumane they were. Their rulers were described as rebels and were companions of thieves. Their people, the ordinary citizen, loved bribes and chased after rewards. They did not care to protect the orphans and were nonchalant to the pleas for help by those who were bereft of their husbands. They had lost sight of the mission they were called to do.

In Proverbs 14:34, God reminds us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” As believers, our mission on earth is to reflect God’s righteous character. We are expected to demonstrate high moral conduct and behaviours in our daily practice. Isn’t this what the Apostle Paul in Titus 2:12 exhorted us to be? As a godly community, we are called “…to deny ungodliness and worldly desire and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age.” The church, God’s godly community, ought to comprise of leaders and members who show upright and moral character.

Today, the church of Jesus Christ, the called-out community of God, is given the trust to exhibit God’s righteous character to a lost world. When we fail to shine for God, we would be guilty of abusing our sacred trust. How we steward our lives and conduct ourselves will show whether we have fulfilled our God-given mandate. We can live as a testament to God or as a reproach to all people. We must guard our God-given privilege. Let us be the faithful redemptive agents of God to reflect and glow for Him wherever we go!