“But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right.” Isaiah 26:7-9 NLT
Isaiah, in telling the true tale of two cities, one of Babylon and the other of Jerusalem, describes the citizens of each. Even though the walk up the hill to Jerusalem is steep – from the valley below to the top of the mount is 2,500ft. Yet, Isaiah writes, “for the righteous, it’s not steep and rough.” Most of the stories of people coming to Jerusalem, or even returning to Jerusalem after years of captivity, write about it being a joyous journey. They come up to the city with excitement.
Isaiah tells us, yet another reason, this is true. Of course, it has always been depicted as the “city of God,” but in this passage he writes about its citizens. The citizens of God’s city, who are righteous, will not even break a sweat because it is God who smooths out their path. Imagine for a moment the true wonder of a city that is known for doing right, filled with justice and held accountable by God himself. Think of the cities we have now! We’ve got cities that are not safe and are filled with poverty, violence, and powerful gangs (in the streets and in the government 😳). Have you noticed our driving habits on the freeways lately? High speed, reckless drivers, racing as though there were no CHP to stop them. Businesses have practically given up trying to stop shoplifting and smash-n-grab mobs. Many have just closed stores rather than deal with the massive financial loss. There is a certain brazen behavior when there are no apparent consequences. The laws are there, but there is no enforcement. Isaiah challenges me when he writes, “we show our trust in you by obeying your laws.” It is both God’s laws and His justice that make this future, great city safe! The final word is hopeful and disturbing at the same time, it is “only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right.” That finality of accountability to what is right, will for many, be too late. Our behaviors testify that people do not believe God exists nor will He be perfect in His justice and judgment.
Prayer
Dad,
I thought everyone wanted to live and possibly raise a family in a safe city. Apparently, this is not true for all. The wicked, those who race to do wrong, preying on the weak and innocent; disregarding the law and peace, they just want the freedom to do whatever they want, to whomever they want to do it to! It’s no wonder our cities are full of pain and brokenness. Those who want to just live their lives and enjoy their neighborhoods will have to wait until you bring justice to the whole earth. Even though Isaiah was Your spokesperson, it did not protect him from the violence in his own time and from his own people. May your peace and mercy go before us as we wait for the fulfillment of your promises.