Earth Day Series

Isaiah 24: 1 – 23

Earth Day

1 Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants. 2 And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. 3 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. 5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. 7 The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. 8 The mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. 9 They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. 10 The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in. 11 There is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. 12 In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction. 13 When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, it shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the LORD. They shall cry aloud from the sea. 15 Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, the name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. 16 From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: “ Glory to the righteous!” But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.” 17 Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 And it shall be that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who comes up from the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare; For the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. 19 The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again. 21 It shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones, and on the earth the kings of the earth. 22 They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously.

Some people enjoy reading and listening to terrible things that have happened and will also occur in our lifetimes. I know I don’t. In truth, I do not think our Holy Lord does either. Yet, in His love He does this to warn us of the things that will occur to sinful rebellious mankind while also encouraging us that He Is in charge of everything and that He loves us and has good things stored up for us who remain faithful to His Commandments.

If you think you are having a hard time hearing about all the destruction upon all the various nations, how do you think Isaiah felt? Not only did he hear of these future horrible situations, but as you remember from some of our previous studies, he actually saw them occur, as our Lord gave him his own movie in the form of a vision. And don’t forget he was then told to put everything on paper and then go tell everyone the ugly facts.

There is a saying that challenges us to be careful in what you ask for. You want a certain thing and when you get it, it turns out to be something terrible. If you ever did marriage counseling then you would know exactly what I mean.