Isaiah Chapter 3: The situation is hopeless (almost)

3:5 ‘People will oppress each other –  man against man, neighbour against neighbour.’

#JourneyIsaiah

This Chapter presents grim reading:

·       

God ‘is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water’ (v. 1)

·       ‘children will rule over them.’ (v. 4)

·       ‘in that day he will cry out, ‘I have no remedy’ (v. 7)
‘Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.’ (v. 9)

·       ‘Disaster is upon them!’ (v. 11)

·       ‘your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. (v. 12)

·       ‘the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald.’ (v. 17)

·       ‘Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.’ (v. 25)

The people addressed by the Prophet Isaiah (the one thought to have written the first 39 chapters) are not in a pretty place. In fact, the situation looks more or less hopeless. And this is not just about breaking the finer points of the Law or the Torah. Running through Isaiah and many of the Prophets of Israel is a burning rage driven by a love for the poor:

‘What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.’ (v. 15)

In today’s world a sense of fatalism, doom, approaching disaster pervades at many levels from new social media to conversations in quiet places and speechless worry in the watches of the night.  There is not much by way of consolation to take from Chapter 3 of Isaiah. In fact, there remains another 36 chapters before we reach the place of more suffering tempered by hope and some consolation. A long road opens up ahead of us. 

Be ready.

Be steadfast.

Be calm.