Judgement... (Isaiah 34)
When people are mistreated, abused, and suffer at the hands of evil, when they call out to God and seem to get no response, no deliverance. When evil people seem to not go punished. Isaiah says, “Just wait!” YHWH is a holy and just God. He may be loving and gracious too, but the evil done in the world will be judged. Either on the cross, or at the end of days.
Isaiah calls on the nations to witness what is to come. When the Day of YHWH finally arrives, God will cease to hold back. The language in the poem is terrifying. The sword of God will be full and sated with blood. Every evil deed will be paid for. The language is apocalyptic and ancient at the same time. Creation will be sent back to a primordial state. “Formless and void” is the language used to describe the universe before God set it in order and motion.
Today it is difficult for us to wrap our heads around this level of judgement. We live in a culture wholly influenced by the cross and the gospel. We have room for forgiveness in a way that the ancient world could not conceive. Yet we often take things too far by placing ourselves in the seat of evil. Sure, we are flawed, but do we deserve that level of harsh punishment? We always give ourselves more benefit of the doubt than others. Consider how harsh “compassionate” people are when they “cancel” perceived evil doers today. Say the wrong words and you can have your life destroyed. Now consider the murderer, the child molester, the person who uses the downcast as tools to advance their agendas and lifestyles.
We all embrace a justice against other evil doers. We just fail to recognize our own role in the systems of evil that we construct. Isaiah gives hope and restitution to everyone who has suffered from the evil in the world. Unfortunately, we have all participated in inflicting suffering in our own way.
Isaiah calls on the nations to witness what is to come. When the Day of YHWH finally arrives, God will cease to hold back. The language in the poem is terrifying. The sword of God will be full and sated with blood. Every evil deed will be paid for. The language is apocalyptic and ancient at the same time. Creation will be sent back to a primordial state. “Formless and void” is the language used to describe the universe before God set it in order and motion.
Today it is difficult for us to wrap our heads around this level of judgement. We live in a culture wholly influenced by the cross and the gospel. We have room for forgiveness in a way that the ancient world could not conceive. Yet we often take things too far by placing ourselves in the seat of evil. Sure, we are flawed, but do we deserve that level of harsh punishment? We always give ourselves more benefit of the doubt than others. Consider how harsh “compassionate” people are when they “cancel” perceived evil doers today. Say the wrong words and you can have your life destroyed. Now consider the murderer, the child molester, the person who uses the downcast as tools to advance their agendas and lifestyles.
We all embrace a justice against other evil doers. We just fail to recognize our own role in the systems of evil that we construct. Isaiah gives hope and restitution to everyone who has suffered from the evil in the world. Unfortunately, we have all participated in inflicting suffering in our own way.
Comments
Post a Comment