Day 190.
In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; the signet rings and nose rings; the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. (Isaiah 3:18-24 ESV)
In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. (Isaiah 4:2-4 ESV)
Isaiah writes about judgment day and it is an awful and terrible day of judgement. There is no escape from the terror of the Lord. And yet, for those who repent and do not forsake the Lord, there is safety. The land will bear rich fruit and the people “recorded for life” will enjoy it.
As you read through the early chapters of Isaiah about God’s judgment upon Jerusalem you find that this did not sneak up on them. They have been living as though God were not real. Their “religion” has been a show. There is no justice for the oppressed. The rich live in their wealth and turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor and dress themselves up in splendor to participate in the cultural practices of the day. Things haven’t changed much. The good news is that God will wash away the sin of the repentant. All is not lost, though it may seem like the world has gone astray. All of this will come in view on “that day.”. The question is, will we live in view of that day or pretend it does not exist?
