The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What do you mean that you have gone up,
all of you, to the housetops,
2 you who are full of shoutings,
tumultuous city, exultant town?
Your slain are not slain with the sword
or dead in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled together;
without the bow they were captured.
All of you who were found were captured,
though they had fled far away.
Whether it was studying for a test or planning our wedding, the sudden realization, too late, that we were woefully unprepared is a rude awakening. What makes it worse is when there is someone there who warned us and can now say I told you so. That someone was Isaiah for Jerusalem. The Assyrians were a threat to the whole region, as the Northern Kingdom found out in defeat. The people of Jerusalem trusted in themselves and their leaders. That was poor preparation. Isaiah gave them a better preparation plan. Trust the Lord.
In the Middle East today, there are enemies surrounding Israel and there is no room for fooling themselves into thinking this war with Hamas and Hezbollah will be easy. They may trust America more than God, sadly. But now we have Jesus Christ on our side and we can be prepared in just the right way, in trust. Sadly too, many church leaders have fallen into the same trap Isaiah warned about. They have underestimated the enemy of temptation and have been taken captive by it to the ruin of the people. May we trust God as the source of our strength today.
Dear Lord, thank you that you are with us even when we are avoiding you. Help us to turn to you when things turn against us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church