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Read Isaiah 34

Judgment Against the Nations

34 Come near, you nations, and listen;
    pay attention, you peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that is in it,
    the world, and all that comes out of it!
The Lord is angry with all nations;
    his wrath is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy them,
    he will give them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out,
    their dead bodies will stink;
    the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
All the stars in the sky will be dissolved
    and the heavens rolled up like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall
    like withered leaves from the vine,
    like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,
    the people I have totally destroyed.
The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood,
    it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
    fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah
    and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
And the wild oxen will fall with them,
    the bull calves and the great bulls.
Their land will be drenched with blood,
    and the dust will be soaked with fat.

For the Lord has a day of vengeance,
    a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause.
Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
    her dust into burning sulfur;
    her land will become blazing pitch!
10 It will not be quenched night or day;
    its smoke will rise forever.
From generation to generation it will lie desolate;
    no one will ever pass through it again.
11 The desert owl and screech owl will possess it;
    the great owl and the raven will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom
    the measuring line of chaos
    and the plumb line of desolation.
12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
    all her princes will vanish away.
13 Thorns will overrun her citadels,
    nettles and brambles her strongholds.
She will become a haunt for jackals,
    a home for owls.
14 Desert creatures will meet with hyenas,
    and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures will also lie down
    and find for themselves places of rest.
15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
    she will hatch them, and care for her young
    under the shadow of her wings;
there also the falcons will gather,
    each with its mate.

16 Look in the scroll of the Lord and read:

None of these will be missing,
    not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth that has given the order,
    and his Spirit will gather them together.
17 He allots their portions;
    his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
    and dwell there from generation to generation.

Go Deeper

Jesus is coming back. We must be ready. Throughout all of Scripture, every single prophecy that is foretold of Jesus comes true. From the largest and broadest prophecies (Jesus will have a sinless life and a miraculous ministry) to the most specific (Jesus will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver), every single prophecy is fulfilled. The fact is, when God says something is going to happen, it is guaranteed to happen.

If we believe this to be true, why do we not apply this same belief to the promises of coming judgment on all nations? In Isaiah 34, we see the description of a gruesome, bloody war in which the Lord carries a sword. On this day of judgment, no earthly being will be able to escape. But do we truly believe this will happen to us? Maybe even during our lifetime? 

Think of those doomsday movies that have become popularized. Picture a large asteroid coming to destroy the earth. When people are told the asteroid is coming, what do they do? They run and hide! They try to protect and save others! They tell everyone! They live differently than they would if there was an asteroid coming to destroy the earth. Imagine how unloving it would be if the person who found out about the impending doom decided he “didn’t want to force his beliefs on someone else,” or, “was going to live differently but not use words to tell people about the doom coming.”

The reality is this; we’ve been told judgment is coming. It is not a question of if but when. From beginning to end, Scripture promises the return of Jesus. And every single person will be judged solely based on if their lives have been covered by the blood of Jesus or not. Nothing the world values will matter any more: wealth, job titles, vacation houses, test scores, and athletics. Even good things we’ve done won’t matter. Nothing will matter except for what Jesus already did on the cross for us.

The fact is, we all are either destined for heaven or hell right now: your family, your co-workers, your classmates, the person in line in front of you, and the person who cut you off while driving. Every single person you come in contact with today will stand before God judged solely on if they have placed their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus or not.

If we truly love others, then the most unloving thing we could possibly do is not tell the world of the judgment that is to come and the only way to be saved from this judgment. It is simply the best news you can share. You do not need to be the best communicator and theologian. You simply need to be a willing servant of Christ. Tell someone. Tell everyone. Jesus is coming, and all will be judged; fortunately for us, the judge offers a way out, serving the sentence for those who put their trust in Him.

Questions

  1. What has shaped your understanding of God’s judgment? What do you believe that will be like?
  2. What are some of the world’s values that you have overvalued in your own life?
  3. Do you live as if everyone around you has an eternal destination? Why or why not?

Pray About This

Take a moment to think about if you truly believe that Jesus will come back to this physical planet and enact His judgment. If this is hard to grasp, ask God to help you understand. Then ask God to give you the courage to share the Good News of the Gospel with at least one person today.

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5 thoughts on “Isaiah 34”

  1. When you think about this, Isaiah 34, God is not happy with this world so the rest of everything seems so trivial. We should all be about our Father’s business of making sure the people that are in our midst know and have the opportunity to serve God. Instead I focus on what is most important to me when I am out of this house and that is generally work. Because of that focus I do not have or make time to speak to many people. I actually think about what and how to speak to them due to just not wanting any to perish but I am afraid. As you read these comments, you know I pray for boldness daily, I want and desire it to be able to speak the name of Jesus to this hurting world. So instead of speaking words to them I do pray for random people often. Today I have an opportunity to have a conversation with a man that is an agonistic, he says. Please pray for me to let God speak through me to him, not my thoughts and words but HIS. Planting seeds, watering, whatever needs to be done tending this tiny area of God’s world, let thy will be done through me, let me be bold. “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2. “Now, Lord… grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word…” Acts 4:29. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7.

    Thank You God for boldness, power of Your Word, love goggles and a sound mind that does not stumble around but is clear and Your give me the words that I need to speak. Thank You for Holy Spirit to be my help in Jesus name amen
    WOOHOO!!!!

    1. Praying for you. Amy, that your countenance would shine brightly and that your words would be marked by truth & grace in your encounter today.

  2. It will not end well for those who oppose God and his people. Isaiah paints a gruesome picture with his words that should startle us from our complacency. The Lord’s vengeance is sure, every word spoken through his prophets will be fulfilled. We read of Edom’s complete destruction (substitute America) in great detail. When God is finished it would be labeled “The Land of Nothing” as wild animals would make it their home, never again to be inhabited by humans. (V17) Reading this should jar us wake and propel us to “rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them from pity, sin and the grave, weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of Jesus the mighty to save”. This beloved hymn written by Fanny Crosby is my anthem today.

  3. I can’t help but add this today about Isaac Watts; if you don’t know the true meaning behind ‘Joy to the World’, research the true meaning of this Christmas hymn, and then read Psalm 98 that inspired the lyrics for Watts.
    For such a gloom of passage today v3 “the mountains will be soaked with their blood”; Psalm 98:8 reads, “let the mountains sing together for joy;”
    With such a time of thanksgiving, Christ should be the honored guest. Spreading the gospel doesn’t have to include so much as words but how you make someone feel around the table…in your home. To whom you give credit to for your blessings…and how you honor His presence in your festivities.
    I’m thankful for this morning time before the hustle of gathering to fellowship. Thank you for your dedication in preparing our hearts towards the true meaning of this time.

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