Today’s Reading: Isaiah 3-5; Romans 1:18-32

The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
will take away from Jerusalem and Judah
everything they depend on:
every bit of bread and every drop of water,…
I will make boys their leaders and toddlers their rulers. – Isaiah 3:1,4

The Sovereign Lord was pronouncing his judgment on the people of Judah. They would soon turn on one another, oppressing each other. Young people would boldly insult their elders, and vulgarity would disregard what was once considered honorable. They would be without good leadership because no one would be willing to be in charge of the mess their nation had found themselves in.

They display their sin like the people of Sodom
and don’t even try to hide it.
They are doomed!
They have brought destruction upon themselves.
Tell the godly that all will be well for them.
They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!
But the wicked are doomed,
for they will get exactly what they deserve.
Childish leaders oppress my people,
and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you;
they send you down the wrong road. – Isaiah 3:9b-12

On that day of judgment the Lord will strip away
Everything that makes her beautiful…
Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink….
Shame will replace her beauty. – Isaiah 3:18,24-25

They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties —
lyre and harp, tambourine and flute —
But they never think about the Lord or notice what he is doing.
So my people will go into exile far away because they do not know me. – Isaiah 5:12-13a

Why were the people of Judah being led away by the thousands to the land of their enemies? Because at some point they turned their hearts away from the Lord. They no longer knew the God who had led them out of Egypt; they no longer knew the God who had faithfully fought their battles and lived among them. The Lord had given them the land He had promised to them, but they had brought judgment upon themselves when they chose disobedience and idolatry over complete surrender to God.

But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by his justice.
The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness….
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.
What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes
and think themselves so clever. – Isaiah 5:15,20-21

They had exchanged the truth for a lie, redefining what God had created and forming their own theology based on perverse thinking and false notions. They knew God’s justice would require that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they did them anyway (Romans 1:28-32). God help us, for this sounds like the status of our world today.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. – Romans 1:18-20

But for those who know God to be sovereign and holy, His promises remain. For those who walk in fellowship with God, there will be a beautiful future. Those who worship Him as God and give the Lord thanks for all He has done will experience the riches of His glory. God will protect those who are faith and give them reason to hope for a better day.

But in that day, the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious;
the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory
of all who survive in Israel. – Isaiah 4:2

He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day
and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land.
It will be a shelter from daytime heat
and a hiding place from storms and rain. – Isaiah 4:5b-6

Where do we fall, as individuals, as a church, and as a nation? How will we respond to the culture of the world around us? Will we chase after the lies and ridiculous notions of those who have rejected God, or will we stand firm on the truth of God’s word? God has made the consequences clear, and He leaves us with the freedom of choice. We can choose to succumb to the ridiculous ideologies of man or we can place our confidence in the truth of God.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

Sovereign Lord, we repent for the status of today’s culture. We grieve for the distance we have moved away from your truth and your plan. We bow before you this morning in submission to all that you are and all that you are calling us to be. May your Spirit convict us when we stray from your truth, and may you be glorified as we faithfully walk in the way you have laid out for us. Amen.