I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 22-25.
I was struck by how the passage seems appropriate for now when I came to where Isaiah wrote
You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
That is so close to what I have heard many people say. They often think they are quoting the Bible to support their actions, when in fact every time the Bible says something which can be paraphrased that way it is condemning those who say it. Here, Isaiah tells us that God had called those to whom he was speaking to weep and mourn, to show remorse for their sins. With that thought I went back over what came before. Isaiah wrote that the leaders had fled, or surrendered without resistance. How close this seems to reflect the cities where rioters and looters are allowed to run wild with no interference from those who sought out the job of maintaining order in those cities. However, it is worth noting that Isaiah also condemns those who “stood in the breach”, who attempted to restore order with weapons and fortifications. Isaiah condemns them because they do not consult the One who planned all of this long ago and set it in motion now.
In the face of what is happening let us ask the One who rules all for help. Instead of feasting and drinking, let us fast and pray to God, repenting of our sins. Our lives have been turned upside down, but instead of turning to God, we seek to return to our lives as they were.