The Vineyard is Bad!

 ¹³ The LORD takes his place in court;
       he rises to judge the people.
 ¹⁴ The LORD enters into judgment
       against the elders and leaders of his people:
       "It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
       the plunder from the poor is in your houses.  Isaiah 3:13-14

Are you noticing a theme this week?  I am reading one chapter of Isaiah per day, and writing our devotional here about one verse that I learned something from.  Hope you like this format!  I may continue with it when we are done with Isaiah - but that will be awhile!

If you are reading along with me, you'll notice that this is not a happy time for Israel.  God is ticked!!  Isaiah is doing everything he can think of to get the people to see - this has gotta end!  God's gonna get sick of this and get sick of you and it will not be a happy time.

Look at verse 14, above:  "The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people . . . "  Notice who God is judging - not the "world," the "sinner."  God is judging HIS people.  The elders.  The leaders.  And why?  Because His people have ruined things!

So often the church takes the attitude that we can't wait until God judges the sinner.  They'll get what's coming to them, yesseree!!  But oh, that's a pretty presumptuous attitude.  Yes, God will do that one day.  And yes, the lost will get their judgment.  But get this - so will we.

I fear that there are some sitting in church pews and in church board meetings and in Sunday School classes who don't understand that.  And I truly fear for their eternity. 

Look, I'm not trying to judge anyone.  I'm just talking to myself here - I can get so frustrated with the world sometimes!  But I am reminded that God will judge us all - sinner and saint.  And I need to be humbled by that thought.  I'm no better than the murderer or thief.  I'm no better than anyone else.  And my salvation is as much a gift to me, the undeserved, as it is to anyone.

I can only hope that when my time comes, God will say, "Well done."