Pride, Judgment, and the Promise of Shelter

Good morning. Today we are in Isaiah 3:16 all the way through chapter 4, verse 6.

When I say that I have not wanted to do this section of Scripture, particularly Isaiah 3:16–26, I am not over-exaggerating.

This is a harder group of verses to sit with, mainly for me because I don't see many other places in Scripture where God very specifically and firmly calls out women and lays out what He lays out here.

And there's a lot currently going on in our world about women and choices that have been made and horrible consequences, and this just feels heavier today.

Before I go into it, I do want to point out that I don't think—and some of the things that I've read around it support—that this is saying that these things in and of themselves are wrong.

Just like Isaiah has been dealing with the inner heart all throughout this so far, that's what this is about when he talks about the outward trappings of what this looks like.

I really see a connection between Isaiah 3:16–26 and Isaiah 1:10–15, where we saw God tell His people, "I am done with your sacrifices and your festivals that you are performing with your hands still covered in blood."

And then we get into the promise part that I really like, where Isaiah 4:2–6 really seems to echo and build upon Isaiah 1:16–18.

He starts in verse 16 and says:

"Moreover, the Lord said, 'Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, and go along with mincing steps and jingle the anklets on their feet, the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, and the Lord will make their foreheads bare.'"

He talks about haughtiness, seductiveness, mincing steps. Those are all things about pride and attitude and how we hold ourselves as women, which is very counter to how He asks all of us to be, which is humble, meek, and kind and gentle.

And then He lists all of the things that He is going to take away from them: anklets and headbands and earrings and bracelets and perfumes, outer garments, purses, inner garments.

Oh my gosh, all the outside trappings.

We don't necessarily have all of that in this day and age. We have—we have things. We have the fancy necklaces and the nice hairdos and the—what's the word?—the designer labels, the designer purses, the designer perfumes. The things that just quietly make a comment about the things that we have.

And then in 24, He does this whole section where He says, "Instead of balsam oil there will be…" "Instead of a belt, there is a rope…" And He goes through several more of those things.

He talks about how our men will fall by the sword, and then we switch. It seems like Isaiah switches from talking about women specifically and back to talking about Zion, the city here, and how she will sit deserted on the ground.

Yikes.

And then we read 4:1, where it says:

"For seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying, 'We will eat our own bread and we will wear our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!'"

Isn't that another way we look to the world to save us instead of Jesus?

We hope that our marriage will take away stuff, that it'll lend us something—whatever we think with that.

Women have many views on marriage, and there are many who think that marriage is what will save them, that will give them a life of ease.

And yes, I realize that I am going a bit further than the Scripture says, but I do think that there's something there about how we look to not only the outward trappings, but also our spouse, to give us something on which to stand, to make us a little prideful, a little haughty.

And then we get into the promise of if we return to Him, if we humble ourselves and come into obedience with the Lord.

Then verse 4 of chapter 4 says:

"When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy."

And verse 6 says:

"There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain."

And then all of that—He's also talking about God creating a remnant of followers and believers. But also, He's saying that that remnant has to humble themselves, has to be obedient, and then we get the shelter and protection of the Lord.

There's a lot to unpack here.

There's a lot to sit here.

Oh Lord, this passage was hard.

But really, Lord, what I hear You telling me and reminding me is to not be haughty, to not be prideful, but rather to humble myself before You. To allow You in to clean me all up, to make me washed white as snow or white as wool.

Thank You.

Thank You for not only showing us what the judgment is, but how we can turn back to You.

Oh Lord, that You would speak into our hearts and our minds. Lord, that You would be with us, with each one of us as we go out and do the things that You've placed in front of us to do, take care of the people You've put in front of us, to remember that judgment sits with You alone.

Oh Lord, I love You, and I am so thankful for You—for Your warnings, for Your promises, for Your renewal when we return to You.

Precious Lord, it is in the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Thank you for joining me today as we wandered through God's Word with wonder.