Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
The book of Isaiah starts with a string of invectives directed at its own readership. Maybe it was a strange way to start a book, but let’s hear it out. Isaiah says that his readers are like sons in rebellion against their father (verse 2). They are worse than asses because at least an ass will remember who is feeding it (verse 3). They are corrupt apostates, full of wickedness (verse 4). They are sick in the head and faint of heart (verse 5). They are covered with bruises and festering wounds (verse 6). Their fields are wastelands, and their cities are heaps of rubble (verse 7). Their greatest buildings are nothing more than sheds (verse 8). Worst of all, they are no better than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 9).
Isaiah starts his book with such a harsh dressing down because his readers must understand that to be with the Lord of Hosts is to accept not only the substance of God’s criticisms but also the tone in which He delivers them. It is no good to surround yourself with people who praise you all the time. Sometimes you need to hear a critical voice and even a jarring voice, ideally from a person you trust and who has your best interests at heart. If you can’t grasp this point, then just stop reading right now.