OUR LORD WHO CAN HEAL OUR LAND

Isaiah chapter 3 verses 4 - 9 are words spoken against Jerusalem and Judah by the Lord for their evil deeds and their evil words against Him. The passage reads this way;

“I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.”

People will oppress each other—man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say, “You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!”

But in that day he will cry out, “I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people.”

Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling their words  and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.

Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

The declaration of the dismal condition of God's people reveals a desperate and collapsing society.

The symptoms of a decaying society are listed as the experience of Jerusalem and Judah.

This society is shown to be in serious trouble because adults do not want the responsibility of leadership. Children, with their lack of knowledge and wisdom, find themselves being propelled into positions of rulership. 

Citizens lose civility and oppress each other. The youth mistreat the elderly and the honored people are besmirched by the dishonourable.

When social disollution reaches this far, people will seek those who have even slight advantages (like possesing clothes) and try to make them their rulers. But even these will decline because of how intractable the problems are.

When a people strives against the Lord, their society gradually dissolves and weakens and falls into the hands of enemies or just decays into abject ruin.

However, as it says in 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14,  "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Amen.