Draw near, O nations, to hear,
and give attention, O peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it;
the world, and all that comes from it.
2 For the LORD is enraged against all the nations,
and furious against all their host;
he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter.
I had a lot of experience in getting yelled at in school. Sometimes though, I could tell that the words screamed into my ear were meant as a warning to the whole class or, in one memorable instance, the entire school. Isaiah was carried by God the Holy Spirit to warn Judah on multiple occasions that God would judge them by the nations. It was meant for them alone, not the nations. Here, God communicated the same message to them but it would be one more warning for Judah also. God was calling all the nations, including Judah, to listen and repent. We know how that turned out. Judah failed the test.
America is but one of the nations on earth, albeit the most powerful. God so loved the world and Jesus is coming to judge the world. We tend to think America IS the world, not just one of the nations. This message from Isaiah to Judah and the world is also for America and the world. We need to be attentive to God’s warnings in his word. We are, as Johathan Edwards called us, sinners in the hands of an angry God. We are also, if we believe in Christ, safely in his arms. Draw O nations, and hear that!
Dear Lord, thank you for the love and mercy you show the nations by sending your Son. Help us to be attentive to the gospel message today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.