Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve. Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.”
Isaiah 3:10-12 NLT
A gleam of light emerges in Isaiah’s vision, as he sees reassurance for all those who are Godly. There were Godly people living in Judah at that time, but their righteousness was hidden behind the brazen and disgusting sins of the majority of the people. And Isaiah passed on what he received from the Lord, that their Godliness would see them all right in the end. They would one day receive the reward that they deserved. But Isaiah quickly returned to the wicked because they will one day reap what they have deserved as well, and will be doomed to destruction. Notice that everyone in those days, and as is still the case today, will receive “exactly what they deserve”. God is righteous and fair, and no one will ever be able to complain about their treatment on that terrible day when they stand before Him.
Isaiah continued in his vision with two contentious statements. The first condemned the leaders who, God claimed, were childish, and they oppressed God’s people. Childish leaders are often characterised by their reactive, ego-driven and lack of emotional regulation. They may show signs of whining, blaming others, avoiding responsibility, and needing to be the centre of attention. They deflect blame and never take responsibility for their actions. Such were the leaders in Isaiah’s day, but do these characteristics sound familiar when we consider some of our politicians and other leaders today?
But the next observation from Isaiah’s vision concerned women, and in the context of our verses today, it would seem that women ruling in the Judaean society was not a good thing. This must seem to be a contentious verse in today’s society of equal rights for all, male and female, but in the misogynistic Jewish society, this was a terrible state of affairs. Bible commentators suggest that women had to step up into a leadership role because of the weakness of their male counterparts, and this, of course, might indeed have been the case in Judah nearly three thousand years ago. In a verse from Paul we read, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach”. Should leadership in society and in the church just be a male sanctuary today? Perhaps, but this is not an area which is easily decided, regardless of the Scriptures. Today, there are successful women in leadership positions just as there are successful men. But in both cases, there are bad ones as well.
But returning to the Godly receiving their “rich reward”, do we pilgrims have that assurance, that one day we will indeed hear the Lord say, “Well done …”? Paul wrote, “But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:13-14). He also wrote, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14). Our ultimate reward for a life of belief and trust in Jesus is eternal life, as He promised in John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”.
In our verses today from Isaiah 3, we read that there is a “But” separating the Godly from the wicked. We pilgrims know which side of the “But” we fall on, and at every opportunity, we try to persuade those around us to make the transition as well.
Father God. Thank You for our salvation and the reward we will one day receive. And we give You all the glory for this wonderful life that You have given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 