(Isaiah 3:1-26)
For behold, the Lord God of armies is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
2 The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere boys their leaders,
And mischievous children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6 When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
And these ruins will be under your authority,”
7 He will protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To rebel against His glorious presence.
9 The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they display their sin like Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to them!
For they have done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the righteous that it will go well for them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
13 The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
“It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
The goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing My people
And oppressing the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord God of armies.
16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”
18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 finger rings, nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.
24 Now it will come about that instead of balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will fall by the sword
And your mighty ones in battle.
26 And her gates will lament and mourn,
And she will sit deserted on the ground.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
2 The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere boys their leaders,
And mischievous children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6 When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
And these ruins will be under your authority,”
7 He will protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To rebel against His glorious presence.
9 The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they display their sin like Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to them!
For they have done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the righteous that it will go well for them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
13 The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
“It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
The goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing My people
And oppressing the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord God of armies.
16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”
18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 finger rings, nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.
24 Now it will come about that instead of balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will fall by the sword
And your mighty ones in battle.
26 And her gates will lament and mourn,
And she will sit deserted on the ground.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Here is a warning if one does not turn to the Lord. This chapter describes some of the consequences. How can a person not see that God is the righteous Judge, and He is very serious? Where there is sin, there is darkness, hopelessness and death. But God does not want anyone to live in that state! This is why He came in flesh to provide a way. Accomplishing His work on the cross, He is able to redeem those who humbly go to Him for His forgiveness, which He freely offers to everyone!
This salvation and certain hope is portrayed in verse 10! It is the gospel message! The good news! It will go well for the righteous. When we seek the Lord and His forgiveness, we are set free from sin and we take on the righteousness of Jesus. Believers in Christ will enjoy a personal relationship with the Lord, and in Him, we will enjoy the fruit of our actions. As we strive to live in obedience, all in His strength, guidance and love, we will be rewarded.
Let this be an encouragement to us! Let this be our motivation! Just as we love to please our parents, and/or our friends, and/or our spouse, even more so, we should love and desire to please our Lord and Savior.
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