Isaiah on Tuesday - Eat, Drink and Be Merry

For tomorrow, we die! The famous cry of the hopeless, the faithless, the arrogant shows up in Isaiah 22:13 as the central theme of a Jerusalem on the brink of destruction. Here we have Isaiah's glorious prose lamenting the complete abdication of Jerusalem to those who would destroy it. Without a fight, they are simply led off to oppression and destruction.

As I read this chapter, Jerusalem has grown arrogant and prideful, leaning on their own understanding and strength which is actually folly and weakness. Confronted with a threat which is yet far off, they simply yield ground, drown themselves in debauchery and are led off.

The lesson for me is this: victory belongs to the Lord. If I think my walls will keep me safe or my preparations will protect me, then I am ruined. Why? Because when confronted with a real threat, I will realized that there is nothing I can do to prevent destruction. I may be able to mitigate my loss, but true strength lies not in me, but the one who made me. David understood this and many times wrote as such in the Psalms: "The Lord is my Rock", "Refuge", "Fortress","Strength".

When something arises as a threat either physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually we have two responses. We can respond as Jerusalem did here: "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Or we can trust in God even as Stephen did in Acts 6-7. The immediate results aren't guaranteed to be good, but the eternal results are.