Isaiah 1:8
8 And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
My dad had a large garden where my brother and I lost dozens of baseballs. He always had a huge crop of tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers, so much so that it was like living in a giant vat of ratatouille. That’s why it was strange for me to find this verse in Isaiah about cucumbers. The Assyrians had taken the northern tribes in 722 BC and were attacking Judah. They decimated the land and only Jerusalem was left standing, “like a lodge in a cucumber field.” Judah had fallen mightily from its heyday in David’s reign. This was promised by God if they were unfaithful to the covenant. Judah had lost more than baseballs in the cucumber field. They had lost the blessings of God. It would get worse when Babylon arrived.
America has lost its moorings. It has been decimated by selfishness, greed, and hate. The rules of civility have vanished like so many baseballs in a cucumber field. There is one thing that stands, “like a lodge in a cucumber field.” That is the Church. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the laws of the United States were founded on Christian principles and values. As a result, America became the preeminent superpower in the 20th century. While still powerful, we are in danger of collapse unless we cling to what got us here. The cross of Jesus Christ fulfilled the law of God and brought believers into favor with him. We are still unfaithful but he is faithful. The church in America can stand high above the fray that is the American culture of fear and fury. Like a besieged city, America can cling to what remains.
The gospel of Jesus Christ.