In Isaiah 3 we see a very gloomy
picture of Judah and Jerusalem. They of all people should have the envy of the
world, but instead, we see them thrown into chaos. It all happened because they
refused to honor their relationship with God and be responsible for the divine
privilege that had been accorded to them. They wanted the privilege without
fulfilling their responsibility. As a result, God warned them that they would
be thrown into disarray. So we see here God telling them what He would do to
bring about the disorder to Judah and Jerusalem.
God began by announcing that their supplies and support would be affected.
Their provision for sustenance would be affected. There would be no supply of
bread or water. And their support system would also be drastically upset and shaken. They included, “the mighty man and
the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain
of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the expert artisan and the
skillful enchanter.” In places of leadership, incompetent, immature children
would be put in positions. There would be social disorder. People would become
tyrannical because there would be no one to restrain them. Then there would be
widespread disorder because people randomly choosing incompetent people into
leadership without considering their character. There would also be those
chosen refusing to take up the offer. What chaos! These reprehensible
behaviors resulted from their refusal to honor God.
Judah and Jerusalem were moving toward destruction. They had offended the Lord
and yet failed to realize where they were heading. In their downright defiance,
they were resisting God. Like Sodom, they openly and blatantly defied God,
leaving the door wide open for divine wrath and disasters to come upon them.
The law of the harvest was about to kick in and they would soon be reaping what
they had been sowing, yet they were nonchalant. They were told that with the
soon-coming judgment, the wicked and the righteous would be clearly demarcated.
The latter would be blessed to enjoy the fruit of their conduct while the
former to experience the “woes” of God. The leaders, the elders, and the
princes were charged with destroying God’s vineyard instead of protecting it.
The vineyard of course was referring to Israel as a nation. They had exploited
the citizens to furnish their homes. God asked the leadership how could they be
so audacious as to crush the people who were rightly His?
Sin always leads to ruin. There is no two way about it. Sin will always render
one incapable of sound and logical decisions. Even when the result of sin is
patently obvious, a person in sin is incapable of seeing the impending
consequence. That’s how blinding sin can be! That is also why we must take time
to evaluate life. We must cultivate the habit of keeping a journal of our daily
walk. These needful exercises will help us to be more aware and conscious of
where our lives are heading. It will help us to arrest wrong attitudes before
they escalate into sin that can lead us into a tragic life. Be watchful!
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