Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate, the LORD has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:8-12
God’s judgment upon those who do not heed His Word and repent can be a hardening of the heart so that they hear but do not understand and see but do not perceive. And this hardening of the heart (or withdrawal of His enlightening Holy Spirit) continues until they are swept away in God’s judgment and suffer the temporal and eternal punishments for their sins. Those with understanding see it happening in our own nation and land.
O Lord, have mercy on us and grant that we see the error of our ways and look to You for pardon and forgiveness in the shed blood of Jesus, Your Son, and our Savior. In His name, we pray. Amen.
“‘Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips, and your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged.’” Isaiah 6:5-7
These words of the Prophet Isaiah are a reminder to us that all of us are unclean and cannot stand in the presence of the Almighty God. Even our best worship and praise come from unclean lips and from a people of unclean lips. Only when our sin is purged and taken away by partaking in faith of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God in human flesh, can we come into God’s presence and offer up worship and praise acceptable in His sight.
“Woe is me,” O LORD, for I am sinful and unclean, unworthy to stand in Your presence. Wash away my sins in the blood of Jesus, shed for me on the cross, that I might be acceptable in Your sight and stand in Your presence. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you all nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Galatians 3:8-9
Both Jews and Gentiles are justified and counted righteous by faith in God’s promise to pardon sin and grant an eternal inheritance in His kingdom for the sake of Christ Jesus and the atonement He made when He was sacrificed for all on the cross.
Grant that I trust alone in You and Your sacrifice for me upon the cross, O Christ, that I might be pardoned and, with believing Abraham, receive an inheritance in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]
“Therefore, the anger of the LORD is kindled against his people, and he has stretched forth his hand against them and has smitten them. And the hills trembled, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” Isaiah 5:25
When we consider the severe judgment of the Lord God upon His own people for their rebelliousness and sin, who are we to think that God will not judge us and our nation for turning away from God and His Word? Our only hope is to repent of our evil and rebellious ways and to humbly look to God for mercy and healing in the shed blood of Jesus.
Your anger is kindled against us, O Lord. Your judgment has begun. Open our eyes to the truth and grant us true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Savior. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
People and nations who rebel against the Lord and His Word seek to justify their evil deeds by calling evil good and good evil, light darkness and darkness light, bitter sweet and sweet bitter. Ultimately, God will judge and condemn those who reject and oppose what He has so clearly revealed in His Word.
Awaken our people and rulers to the truth of Your Word and grant that we repent of our attempts to justify what is evil and condemn what is good and look to You for mercy in the shed blood of Christ Jesus, Your Son, and our only Savior. In His name, we pray. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]
