After experiencing a vision of God’s holiness, the prophet Isaiah responded to God’s call by saying “Here I am. Send me.” (Is. 6:8).  Then God told him, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely but learn nothing.’  Harden the hearts of these people.  Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing” (Is. 6:9-10). Isaiah would have an unwelcome reception as God’s spokesman.

Chapter 5 describes the spiritual condition of the people. God condemns sins of “exploiting others, drunkenness, taking pride in sin, confusing moral standards, being conceited and perverting justice” (Application Study Bible).  Because of these sins God had already punished the kingdom of Israel with destruction by Assyria.  Judah (to whom Isaiah was prophesying) would be next – if they did not repent. 

In verse 18, Isaiah gives a graphic picture of how people continue stubbornly in their sinful practices. “What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!” Phillips translates as follows, “Woe to those who pull guilt down upon themselves with cords of wickedness and drag their sin along as if by a cart-rope.”

The people continued their sinful practices, while experiencing the consequences of their behavior: they were burdened and worn out in their narcissistic lifestyles. The Israelites were foolish enough to believe they could continue to sin even while they contemplated the possibility of divine intervention. They thought they could practice defiant behavior without fear of God interfering in their lives.  It seems we are doing the same thing today. With God removed from out national narrative, we can do as we please, giving only lip service to a God who seems far removed from the affairs of life. 

In verse 19, Isaiah describes the mocking of God. As they prospered in their sin, they did not believe God could judge them.  “What’s God waiting for? Let him get a move on so we can see it.  Whatever The Holy One of Israel has cooked up, we’d like to check it out” (Message).  The people were challenging God to make himself known by doing something – if he really was in control.  They were cynical towards any “moral standard” that implied consequences. In an attitude of disbelief and arrogance, they challenged God to act. 

With our defiant behavior, we could very well be challenging God in our day to bring his judgment.   Like the people of Judah – who kept on in their rebellious lifestyles, believing God would not bring judgment – we continually remove God from our affairs.   

God was warning the people through the words of the prophet not the justify their sinful lifestyle.  Isaiah’s warning in verse 20 has a very contemporary feel to it, especially when we are encouraged to believe a lie about what is sinful behavior. “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter” (Is. 5:20 NLT). 

With ever greater confusion and chaos regarding basic human behavior, could we be inviting and even experiencing the judgment of God?  When the statement, “I am a woman in a man’s body” becomes acceptable, we have come to believe the lie. 

Prayer for this week: Lord, help me to better see where I might be calling evil good and good evil – and to stand for your truth.  

I have been meditating on the book of Lamentations as I watch the destruction of Ukrainian cities by invading Russian forces. Lamentations helps me to come to grips with the sheer extent of the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Never before has this seemingly “dark” and “foreboding” book been more meaningful to me.  I keep its message in mind as I attempt to make sense of all the commentary being offered by a watching world.  Thank you, Lord, for your word to us in Lamentations today. 

Jeremiah and his fellow Jews lamented the devastation of their beloved city at the hands of the Babylonians in 587 BC, which resulted in their going into exile for 70 years.  “It is impossible to overstate either the intensity or the complexity of the suffering that came to a head in the devastation of Jerusalem and then continued on into the seventy years of exile in Babylon.  Loss was total. Carnage was rampant. Cannibalism and sacrilege were twin horrors stalking the streets of destroyed Jerusalem. The desperate slaying of innocent children showed complete loss of respect for human worth…The worst that can happen to body and spirit, to person and nation, happened here – a nadir of suffering.  And throughout the world the suffering continues, both in large-scale horrors and in personal agonies” (Message).

It will take years for Western culture to digest the evil that is being paraded before us each day.  Much will be said and written; there will be plenty of blame to go around; but the sheer disregard for human life will shake any confidence we have in the future of our civilized world.  I strongly encourage you to join the lament of this book.  It sure has helped me find a place to process my grief and dismay.

I am learning to enter into the lament of the prophet Jeremiah: “This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit.  My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed” (Lam. 1:16).  Jeremiah felt like God had turned against him, “I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.  He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he turned his hand against me again and again, all day long” (Lam. 3:1).

Jeremiah warns the people not to listen to the false prophets, “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity.  The oracles they gave you were false and misleading” (Lam. 2:14).  He reminded them of God’s sovereignty. “The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago” (Lam. 2:17). 

Jeremiah advises the people to cry out to the Lord: “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord” (Lam. 2:19).  They should pray for spiritual awakening. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.  Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven and say: ‘We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven’ (Lam. 3:40-42). 

Above all, in the midst of his lament, Jeremiah finds hope in God’s faithfulness:  “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).