Reading: Isaiah 3
Reading the OT can be very tricky, and this passage might be one of the trickiest of all. In the OT Isreal – the nation and the church – were the same thing. The people of Israel represented by the monarchy and the priests were the people of God. After Jesus, the people of God continue to be his church, but that church does not have temporal authority as well. (My kingdom is not of this world. – John 18:36) That has never stopped the church from trying to take temporal authority. Even Luther and the Reformers used the power of the state to effect religious change. (They did this by declaring the Princes to be emergency bishops and that emergency never really subsided – I know, big surprise.) Why this makes reading the OT tricky is it is very easy to read Isaiah and see many of the symptoms in society at large, but the message was for the people of God. Society at large, i.e. the United States, is not the people of God. That is a mistake many Evangelical churches make.
That separation does not mean God’s judgement does not impact modern nation states – it does. But when you are reading something directed at Israel it really needs to be interpreted as applying to the church. Has all skilled leadership been removed from the church? Does the church go begging people saying here you be our leader – and those people say no way? Does the church loudly and openly display sin – not even trying to hide it? Maybe just as importantly has or does the leadership of the church lead it down the wrong road – does that leadership destroy the vineyard and take from the poor?
Some of those might resonate. Arguably getting good men to take leadership positions in the church has become very hard. In certain church bodies basic morality has been superceded. Many congregations sit and squabble for years over a declining people and everything that those people depend upon – the bread and water of verse 1 – gets removed as the squabbles decimate. If you find youself in such a church body though it is not clear that the answer is to jump ship. God says in Isaiah 3:10 – tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! God doesn’t say flee. He doesn’t say leave in cursing. A remnant returns from exile. God does not abandon His people.
So, you may find yourself in a church ripe for exile. The answer from Isaiah 3 might be to stop looking for others to heal it, but take the leadership role. Maybe your church is great, but is looking for leaders. Maybe your role is to go along with it to exile to prepare for return. Prayer helps. And so does that promise. Stay faithful. In Jesus’ words – Watch! You will enjoy the rich reward when the King returns.
