THESE WERE THE PEOPLE OF GOD 2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, ‘SONS I HAVE REARED AND BROUGHT UP’, But they have revolted against Me. — These were the people of God….

THESE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME DUMBER THAN OXEN AND ASSES 3 “An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, MY PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND.” — A donkey has more sense than these…

THESE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME A REBELLIOUS AND SINFUL 4 Alas, sinful nation, PEOPLE WEIGHED DOWN WITH INIQUITY, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. — With ignorance sin is ushered in and the people stray….

THESE PEOPLE ARE SICK FROM HEAD TO TOE; THE HEART AND MIND ENTIRELY SICK 5 Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? THE WHOLE HEAD IS SICK And the whole heart is faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil. — The head and entire body, from head to toe cannot be saved. The wounds have multiplied and none of them are healed.

THE ENTIRE LAND IS SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF THE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS 7 Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. 8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. — The consequences are seen in the land. So a land that turns away from God, not allowing any mention of Him, removing any reminder of Him, will suffer across the land.

THE MORAL FIBER OF A RIGHTEOUS AND GODLY REMNANT IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS HELD THE NATION TOGETHER 9 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. — The light and salt of the earth, though few, are a powerful source of goodness and prosperity. The nation would have fallen much sooner without these.

Categories: Uncategorized