Read
God Will Punish Israel
8The Lord had warned the people of Israel, 9and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,
10“Houses of brick and sycamore
have fallen to the ground,
but we will build houses
with stones and cedar.”
11The Lord made their enemies attack them. 12He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them. 13The people of Israel still did not turn back to the Lord All-Powerful and worship him.
14In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. 15Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. 16They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. 17The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him. They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.
Reflect
It is difficult to read passages like this, where God is angry and punishes. We think of God as a God of love, who forgives and will eventually take us to be with him in heaven. Perhaps we think this is just the Old Testament, and the New Testament teaches differently.
Take a closer look. In Psalm 103:17-18 the psalmist writes “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him . . . who keep his covenant.” Time and time again the Old Testament speaks of the “steadfast love” of God, and how this love was for everyone, not just Jews. The Old Testament uses this term 245 times to speak of the kindness and friendship that God offered to his people whether or not they deserved it.
It was unconditional, but it demanded a response. God’s purpose was to create a people who would reflect him to the nations round about. This is why it is closely connected with the covenant – the good way of life that he required of his people so that they might live well and live long in the land he gave them to possess (Deuteronomy 5:33).
They failed to keep their side of the covenant, and again and again God sent prophets to remind them and to offer forgiveness if they would change their ways. By the time Isaiah wrote the passage that is today’s reading, the people, proud and stubborn, had absolutely refused to listen. And so God allowed the Assyrians to conquer them and take them into captivity. This, of course, was not the end. Isaiah could see that one day a son would be born who would establish a kingdom of justice (Isaiah 9:7).
God’s offer of mercy is not there for us to take advantage of it. He is a God of justice too.
Respond
Forgive us, Lord, for the times we take your forgiveness for granted. Help us to be faithful disciples, taking seriously what you have to say about how we should live. For the sake of Jesus, who gave his life to make this possible. Amen.
Annabel Robinson
Annabel was born in Kew, near London, England. She committed her life to Jesus Christ at a Scripture Union camp when she was 16, and immediately found joy and peace. At Oxford she was active in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, where she met her husband, Reid. They emigrated to Canada in 1965, where she taught Classics at the University of Regina until 2007. She has two children, Heather in Oslo and Alasdair in Calgary.