Isaiah 33:10-16 NLT
“10 But the Lord says: “Now I will stand up.
Now I will show my power and might.
11 You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble.
Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you.
12 Your people will be burned up completely,
like thornbushes cut down and tossed in a fire.
13 Listen to what I have done, you nations far away!
And you that are near, acknowledge my might!”
14 The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear.
Terror seizes the godless.
“Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry.
“Who can survive this all-consuming fire?”
15 Those who are honest and fair,
who refuse to profit by fraud,
who stay far away from bribes,
who refuse to listen to those who plot murder,
who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—
16 these are the ones who will dwell on high.
The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress.
Food will be supplied to them,
and they will have water in abundance.”
Our passage from Isaiah 33 today has three messages in it. The first concerns the Assyrians and “nations far away”. The second considers the “sinners in Jerusalem”, those amongst the Judeans, and the third brings comfort to God’s righteous people.
Firstly, we’ll consider the Assyrians, with a familiar theme that has emerged and re-emerged as we journey through these chapters in the Book of Isaiah. They appeared invincible, but God described their plans as producing nothing more than “dry grass and stubble”. They will not accomplish what they intended. There is also a principle here for us: human pride cannot ultimately withstand God. People may build their lives around power, wealth, influence or self-sufficiency, but these things cannot protect us when God calls us to account. Verse 12 describes the Assyrians as being consumed like thorn bushes. Thorn bushes are a very dense hardwood and, once alight, they burn slowly and steadily with very little smoke. They produce a lot of heat and crackle while they burn. They need care when handled because the long thorns can damage skin and bring infections to the unwary. But the picture painted by Isaiah is one of a hard and cruel nation, that, regardless of their strength and apparent invincibility, will be consumed by God’s devouring fire. They might make a lot of noise in the process but, slowly and steadily, they will be “burned up completely”. In Genesis 3 we see that thorns resulted from the curse of Adam’s sin: “And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains” (Genesis 3:17-18). But the Judeans were reminded that what looked threatening to them would ultimately be powerless before God. Something we pilgrims should bear in mind as well.
There were “sinners in Jerusalem”. Nothing unusual about that, because there were, and are, sinners in every city around the world. God is very much aware, and grieved, by sinful people everywhere, regardless of where they live. Today, God’s grace is allowing the sinners time to repent and turn to Him, and has done so for the past two thousand years. But it has not always been that way. The prophet Jonah was sent on a mission to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians, around 750 BC, giving the people there a chance to repent of their wickedness. Jonah 1:1-2, “The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are””. His message achieved its purpose, and we read, “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened” (Jonah 3:10). We also know what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, to a wicked people entrenched in their sin. But “sinners in Jerusalem”? The destruction of God’s city, Zion itself, was unthinkable.
The Judeans asked the question, “Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry. Who can survive this all-consuming fire?” Thankfully, Isaiah had the answer for them in verse 15, “Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong“. In other words, those who live a righteous life, God’s way. And the benefits are listed in the next verse: “These are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance“. Isaiah’s message wasn’t teaching that a person earns salvation by being morally perfect. Rather, it described the character of a person who lived in reverence toward God, day by day, as he or she journeys towards Glory. The contrast is striking. In verse 14, God’s presence is a consuming fire; in verse 16, His presence becomes a place of security and provision.
So another message about the predicament the Judeans, huddled behind the gates of Jerusalem, found themselves in. But it’s a message just as alive and active today, and we pilgrims are the “Isaiah’s” tasked with taking it to the “armies of evil” that surround us. Rather than hunker down, hoping that the storm will pass and we will come through it unscathed, we must step up to the front line, bringing God’s message of judgment to those who refuse to repent. A bit harsh? So is reality, and for a while, God’s grace and love will prevail in the gloom of evil that hangs over this world. But it won’t always be that way. Jesus said, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17-18). Being judged by the One sitting on the Great White Throne is the default position for unbelieving people today. It won’t happen until after they die and their souls have left this world. But there is a way to avoid the terrible punishment that will result from the guilty verdict. Perhaps we should go and tell someone? Today?
Dear Father God. Once again, I pray that You lead us to someone who needs to hear about Jesus and Your saving grace. The time is short, and we have Your message of eternal life to share. Amen.
