Slices
Prepare
Take two minutes to sit in silence before the Lord. He may speak to you, or he may not, but he is with you.
Bible passage
The kingdom of righteousness
32 See, a king will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.
2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The fearful heart will know and understand,
and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5 No longer will the fool be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For fools speak folly,
their hearts are bent on evil:
they practise ungodliness
and spread error concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty
and from the thirsty they withhold water.
7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,
they make up evil schemes
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand.
The women of Jerusalem
9 You women who are so complacent,
rise up and listen to me;
you daughters who feel secure,
hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,
and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble, you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your fine clothes
and wrap yourselves in rags.
12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines
13 and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers –
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.
14 The fortress will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;
citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland for ever,
the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,
and the fertile field seems like a forest.
16 The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,
his righteousness live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence for ever.
18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling-places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
19 Though hail flattens the forest
and the city is levelled completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
sowing your seed by every stream,
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
Explore
In the northern hemisphere, winter has now properly taken hold. Many trees are entirely bare, their branches dead-looking wooden sticks; birds and insects are quiet and hidden. It is hard to conceive of the landscape in its full springtime glory, but the seasons continue to cycle.
There’s a cycle here too – sin, suffering, repentance and rescue, then back to sinning. The wealthy women of Jerusalem seem to have forgotten what follows sin and they’ve become complacent. Assyria was about to devastate their land – there was time to react if they had only paid attention, but they continued to happily swan about in their finery, blithely ignoring the troublesome prophet.
At its worst, Judah must have seemed as dead as a tree in midwinter. How could life ever return? What hope of renewal could there be? The hope then, as now, rests on the shoulders of the righteous king (v 1). Jesus came to announce his kingdom and one day he will return to bring peace: ‘quietness and confidence for ever’ (v 17) for people and the rest of creation. Our task is to live in full acceptance of the painful reality that is today, doing what we can to get ready for a better tomorrow.
Respond
Is there any danger about which you are being complacent? Ask God to give you the courage to face it head on. He won’t let you be crushed.
Deeper Bible study
Think for a minute. When have you been part of a thriving church or ministry? What were the qualities of the leaders?
The longer I’m involved in Christian ministry the more I’m convinced that the most critical factor for success, under God, is good leadership. This seems to be the opening point of this chapter. Isaiah prophecies that God is about to install a new leadership team for his people. Their core competencies will be righteousness and justice (v 1). Note the effects in the community (vs 2–5). It seems that Isaiah is saying that leaders who are committed to living out these godly character traits are a much-needed shelter and refuge amidst the chaos and threats of this world; this aspiration we now know was perfectly fulfilled in the long-promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The women of Jerusalem were headed in the opposite direction. Isaiah describes them as so committed to having a good time (v 13) that they had become spiritually complacent (vs 9–14), a temptation that is definitely not gender specific. I once heard a retired missionary say with tears in his eyes that the thing he regretted most in his years of ministry was ‘when this old heart has become calloused’. He knew that losing your first love1 could undercut an effective ministry as easily as a failing in the area of money or morals.
That’s why the end of the chapter is so significant. Typically, in the Old Testament, the Spirit comes upon prophets and leaders but here, Isaiah envisions what seems like a precursor to the day of Pentecost,2 when ‘the Spirit is poured on us from on high’ (v 15), the very same point made by the prophet Joel.3 Isaiah reminds us that two important qualities for Christian leaders or followers, men or women, are a passion for righteousness and for justice, empowered by the Spirit. That’s how God’s people can go beyond the common good to the common great.
Reflect on any areas of your Christian life where complacency is growing. Ask God to restore your first love for him.
1 Rev 2:4 2 Acts 2 3 Joel 2:28,29
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Daniel 10–12; Psalms 135,136
Pray for Scripture Union
‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Praise God for providing opportunities for SU and our local and national mission partners to meet, encourage and inspire one another! (This week's prayers relate to this story.)
