Isaiah 24:1-13 – Don’t take the grace of God for granted

In chapters 13-23, Isaiah’s message of judgment was pronounced on the nations. There he specifically mentioned each nation by name. In chapters 24-27, his message of judgment was on the whole world. No nation was specifically mentioned. In these latter chapters, God’s judgment is portrayed as a global one. Ultimately God’s enemies would be destroyed and His people, Israel, would be restored to the land.  

In contrast to the order that God brought about at the beginning of creation described in Genesis 1, here in Isaiah 24, we see order being turned into chaos. The earth would lay waste, devastated, its surface twisted, and its inhabitants scattered. In Genesis God systematically brought everything into order. Here God did the opposite and the whole earth would be decimated. Verses 2-3 indicate that regardless of status, class, or position, no one was spared. So thorough would God’s judgment be that everyone would be affected.

 

Next the prophet described the devastation of the earth and her inhabitants. Verse 3 says that the earth would be “completely laid waste and completely plundered.” Why? Because the Lord had spoken. The earth would be rendered useless because she had been abused by her inhabitants. She could no longer yield her produce to sustain them.  There was a breach to the everlasting covenant till earth’s ecology became topsy-turvy.  There would come a time when the earth could no longer sustain her inhabitants, so they dwindled and the number of people decreased.  

 

Verses 4-13 leave us with a very bleak and gloomy scene. Harvest time was usually a time of joy and celebration. Now with the vine dried up and the harvest was not forthcoming, how could the people celebrate? The community of people would be in chaos. Why? because they cannot escape the judgment that God would bring. Verse 13 implies that the judgment of God would be very thorough. How? Just as an olive tree or a grapevine would be left with no fruit after the harvest, so thorough would God’s dealing be that there would be nothing left after His judgment.   

 

With the description of impending doom, what can we take away? Do not take the grace of God for granted. The privilege we enjoy as God’s people comes with the call to be faithful to the responsibility of the privilege entails. What we do with our life matters! So be responsible and live for the glory of God!