“Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, that dwell carelessly, that say in your heart, I am, and there is no one else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day, the loss of both children, and widows.” (vv.7-8a)
Here God speaks (through Isaiah) of the judgment that is going to come against Babylon because of their treatment of His people. And we know, from the book of Daniel 5:26-28, that Babylon did indeed fall in one night to the Medes and the Persians just as prophesied here by Isaiah in our text. But how did this happen?
Scripture tells us that God was angry with the Jews who had polluted His name by their false worship. So He gave them over into the hands of the Babylonians. However, the Babylonians did not show God’s people mercy during their captivity. They were very hard on the people of Israel made them bond-slaves. On the elderly they laid a heavy burdens (v.6), and bragged about never knowing the loss of children or widows because of their greatness (v.8). Pride, mistreatment of God's people, and holding themselves above God, led to their judgment, and in a moment, in one day, and they would experience the loss of everything (v.9).
But for us, it is comforting to know that even when we are being corrected, or disciplined by God, that He is also there as our protector, defender, and shield. And, that the chastening of the LORD is because He loves us and desires to see us restored, not tormented under some heavy burden. But on the other side of the coin, Woe to those who would treat God’s people without mercy, placing a heavy load of condemnation upon them, or speaking evil against them. For God has chosen them and has said, "I will bless those that bless thee, and curse those that curse thee" (Genesis 12:3).
Therefore, let’s all be careful how we treat one another, especially to those in the body of Christ. Better to treat God's people with mercy than cruelty, with compassion and forgiveness, than indifference or heartlessness, with restoration instead of neglect.
The Truth: “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)
Here God speaks (through Isaiah) of the judgment that is going to come against Babylon because of their treatment of His people. And we know, from the book of Daniel 5:26-28, that Babylon did indeed fall in one night to the Medes and the Persians just as prophesied here by Isaiah in our text. But how did this happen?
Scripture tells us that God was angry with the Jews who had polluted His name by their false worship. So He gave them over into the hands of the Babylonians. However, the Babylonians did not show God’s people mercy during their captivity. They were very hard on the people of Israel made them bond-slaves. On the elderly they laid a heavy burdens (v.6), and bragged about never knowing the loss of children or widows because of their greatness (v.8). Pride, mistreatment of God's people, and holding themselves above God, led to their judgment, and in a moment, in one day, and they would experience the loss of everything (v.9).
But for us, it is comforting to know that even when we are being corrected, or disciplined by God, that He is also there as our protector, defender, and shield. And, that the chastening of the LORD is because He loves us and desires to see us restored, not tormented under some heavy burden. But on the other side of the coin, Woe to those who would treat God’s people without mercy, placing a heavy load of condemnation upon them, or speaking evil against them. For God has chosen them and has said, "I will bless those that bless thee, and curse those that curse thee" (Genesis 12:3).
Therefore, let’s all be careful how we treat one another, especially to those in the body of Christ. Better to treat God's people with mercy than cruelty, with compassion and forgiveness, than indifference or heartlessness, with restoration instead of neglect.
The Truth: “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)
