Isaiah 3 reminds me of cherry tomatoes. I
really do not like to eat them because sometimes you get one that
looks fine, but is rotten on the inside. The second you learn it is
bad, it is already too late. In today’s chapter, Isaiah is
prophesying about the future Babylonian invasion of Israel, but he
could easily be talking about you and me, right now. Like cherry
tomatoes, nations and families and individuals can face the same
problem; lousy on the inside while looking fine from the outside.
The chapter begins with a warning, “the
LORD Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply
and support…food and…water“.
Understand that from the beginning, God wanted to be the only king
of Israel, but in their stubbornness, they wanted an earthly king
like the other nations. Human rebellion and corruption had divided
the nation and given leaders fully in contempt of God. Now HeGod
is allowing His people to sample the taste of independence from His
protection. They were also losing “the
hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet…the
counselor, skilled
craftsman“. Sadly, the people
that work hard and do the right thing and support our nation are
often ridiculed. What would this nation be without them? “Children
will rule over them. People
will oppress each other… neighbor against neighbor. The
young will rise up against the
old“. Isaiah says the
qualifications for leadership will be eliminated, “You
have a cloak, you be our leader; take
charge of this heap of ruins!”
The outcome is not surprising, “Jerusalem
staggers… they parade their sin like Sodom… They have brought
disaster upon themselves“.
Proverbs 16:18 says it well; “Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall“.
Isaiah reminds us, “Tell
the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the
fruit of their deeds“, but,
“Woe to the wicked!“.
He explains, “Your guides lead
you astray“. I do not
understand how people can follow leaders with a proven record of
producing fruit that is repulsive. Isaiah declares that God is both
judge and jury. “The LORD…
rises to judge the people“.
And He begins with “the elders
and leaders of his people“.
God speaks, “It is you who have
ruined My vineyard“. Corrupt
and inept leaders always blame other people, but God Almighty asks,
“What do you mean by crushing
My people and grinding the faces of the poor?“.
Who do you follow? Do they just look right or have you looked at
the fruit of their deeds?
Finally Isaiah speaks specifically to the
ladies. “The LORD says, ‘The
women of Zion are haughty… flirting with their eyes, strutting
along’“. Clearly these
ladies have focused completely on their appearance. There is an
obvious implication that they are exploiting the men with
self-centered seduction in an effort to get more for themselves.
Isaiah continues, “In that day
the Lord will snatch away their finery… the perfume bottles and
charms… the purses and
mirrors… the linen
garments and tiaras“. He will
replace the things they love with captivity, “Instead
of fragrance there will be a stench… instead of fine clothing,
sackcloth… instead of beauty, branding“.
Do not forget the cause, they rejected God and lost His Word. They
focused only on outward image and became hollow and vain. They fell
from the inside before the army even attacked. Isaiah forewarned,
“Your men will fall by the
sword, your warriors in
battle“. The nation will be
“destitute”
and “she will sit on the
ground“. Friend, have you
forgotten God and His Word? Please remember Revelation 3:16 God
spoke to the apostle about the fence-sitter. “Because
you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of
my mouth“. Are you
reduced to creating a façade? Galatians 5 tells us what His Spirit
will produce in you, “the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control“.
Maybe it is time to allow God to work on you from the inside?