Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Isaiah - Day 21

versebyverse | May 29, 2008 22:09

Scripture:  Isaiah 1:21 (NIV):  "See how the faithful city has become a harlot!  She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her--but now murderers!"

Thought:  To me, God must be so saddened by the changes in many of His people who were once following Him but who have now rejected His ways.

Question:  Am I faithful to God or have I decided to disregard Him?

Here are some opposites:  faithfulness vs. harlotry and righteousness vs. murder.  Perhaps the latter contrast would not occur to us.  How is murder the antithesis of right-doing?  Righteousness is always lived out toward others.  The complete opposite of loving and ministering to others would be to eliminate them through murder.  Remember Cain and Abel:  God told Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is croucing at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."  (Genesis 4:7)  Cain's hatred for Abel mastered him and he committed murder.

Jerusalem is, no doubt, "the city" here mentioned.  Once she was God's vessel--now she is Satan's.  It forces the question, whose vessel are we?  Let us be faithful to God, though pushed and tempted otherwise.  And let us be just and righteous toward others, though through forbearance and patience we must work at it.  There are always the two arenas:  1)  how we are toward God, and 2) how we are toward others.  This verse shows the outcome of the lack of faithfulness, justice and righteousness toward others:  it inevitably leads to murderous hatred.

Prayer:  My God and King, forgive me for any disloyalty toward You at all.  Give me strength to remain faithful to You and to behave righteously toward others.  Amen. 

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