SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 24
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I waste away, I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!” Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. [Isaiah 24:16-17]
Isaiah hears the people enthusiastically worshipping God, but he is not able to join in; Yes, God is coming but it will be a time of awful judgment.
Isaiah’s head is not buried in the ground like an ostrich, ignoring the wickedness that pollutes the whole earth.
The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. [Isaiah 24:5-6]
At this point Isaiah is having a hard time singing worship songs because he is painfully aware of how serious human sin and depravity are, and how difficult the day of judgment will be.
In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. [Isaiah 24:21]

“Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. [Matthew 11:21-22]
Jesus comes in the name of the Lord, speaking grace and truth, demonstrating compassion and mercy.
But He does not go soft on the judgment of God; although He did not come to judge, one day that judgment will come.
Though now is an extended season of mercy, the final day of accountability before God – when the books (our hearts) are opened and our true character is exposed.
Jesus refers to the same city of Tyre that Isaiah was referring to in Isaiah 23, the wealthy and immoral people that God’s judgment will humble.
And Jesus says that if He had come and spoken to them, they would have repented – yet Korazin and Bethsaida refuse to repent; they are even worse than the ones Isaiah pronounces judgment on.

We might be inclined to say, ‘who me? or ‘who us?’
We might be inclined to deny the seriousness of sin; people are basically good, except for a few bad apples.
Listen to how we worship, look at how we sing, consider how ‘good’ are lives are, compared to others.
But Isaiah and Jesus see beyond outward appearance and personal judgment; they see the selfish condition of the human heart and the secret shame we all try so hard to deny.
The earth today remains defiled by it’s people, we still defy and disobey God’s laws; when compared to our own standards we feel pretty good, but when compared to God’s standards, we fall far short.
God knows this, and is merciful, and is eager to help us become the people He created us to be.
But first we need to repent, to admit our problem, to be honest and humble before God.
Through Jesus this call to repentances comes loud and clear.

I do believe that a curse consumes the earth, and that all the suffering and misery in the world today are the result of our individual and collective sin; I am not the only cause of the problem, but I am a part of it, and so are you, and so is everyone.
The only way God can help us is if we stop denying it, stop burying our heads like ostrich’s.
Only as we humble ourselves, and admit our own shame and selfishness, can we experience mercy and forgiveness and freedom.

PRAYER:
Lord, to some degree I do sense my sin and my shame, and I am not proud of it. Show me my heart as You see it, not to depress me but to humble me before Your grace and make me eager to receive it!