The Wasteland

DAMAGE to the earth’s environment seems to be on the rise today. Yet current ecological difficulties pale in comparison to what the world will experience someday under God’s judgment. Isaiah envisions a virtual wasteland in which nothing remains untouched (Isaiah 24:1).

Why will the earth be plundered, polluted, burned up, and destroyed? Because it languishes under the curse of a broken covenant (Isaiah 24:5-6). Humanity has turned away from God, and the world must be destroyed before it can be made anew.

It will be made anew, but not before “the wine fails, the vine languishes, {and} all the merry-hearted sigh” (Isaiah 24:7). In other words, joy will be turned to gloom. Society will break down, as evidenced by boarded-up houses (Isaiah 24:10), a depressing sight already common in many cities today. Likewise, the city “gate” will be destroyed (Isaiah 24:12), meaning that urban life and commerce—indeed, everything the city stands for—will be ruined. The world will be left like so many war-ravaged areas today: without government, police, hospitals, and food; wracked by disease, desolation, and death.

This somber outlook for the world leaves little room for comfort. It assures us that in the end God will reign (Isaiah 24:23), but the point seems to be that our world is ultimately headed for judgment. If we are sobered and saddened by that message, then perhaps Isaiah’s words have had their intended effect.

Courtesy of Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.