Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"Her gates shall lament and mourn"
Text: Isaiah 3:26
THE CAPTIVITY OF JERUSALEM FOREWARNED
The relative wealth of Jerusalem and Judah beguiled the nation. Both men and women pursued a worldly life of luxury instead of godliness. A strong word of warning had to be preached!
“And so it shall be:
Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;
Instead of a sash, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, baldness;
Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
Your men shall fall by the sword,
And your mighty in the war.
Her gates shall lament and mourn,
And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.”
Isaiah 3:14-16
1. The womenfolk
a) They will suffer a shocking reversal of lifestyle.
b) The contrast was upsettingly stark.
i) Good scent would be replaced by a stench common among unclean prisoners.
ii) Fashionable sashes would be replaced by cords that bind prisoners.
iii) Well-set hair would be replaced by baldness caused by
worries or malnutrition.
iv) Rich robes would be replaced by sackcloth (mourning clothes).
v) Instead of beauty the faces would be branded to cause ugliness.
2. The menfolk
a) They would die because of the war that was coming.
b) The mighty men would fall due to war.
c) All the power and wealth they enjoyed would disappear.
3. The city of Jerusalem
a) The city gates used to be filled with activities.
b) They would now lament and mourn because of the war with the Babylonians.
c) The city will become desolate and be in great sorrow.