NOTES for Isa 3:1-14
In today's reading the prophet Isaiah says things that are very important for us today about what happens to a society that is not guided by God's truth. He paints a picture of complete impoverishment and shrinking, and the details of this picture are, alas, all too recognizable. The prophet speaks of a society in which there is no just judge, no wise leader, and no prophet proclaiming the Truth. Not even a decent leader for the smallest group can be found. The artist's voice falls silent, and ideas of true beauty are lost. Then, the prophet says, people grab any decently dressed person and give him authority, while he swears that he cannot heal the wounds of society...
So Jerusalem collapsed and Judah fell. So a society collapses where God's truth has been forgotten. The prophet speaks of a people who are no longer even ashamed of their sin and their unfaithfulness to God, and who bring evil upon themselves. The prophet says that the leaders have corrupted the paths of the people. This is very understandable to us, because we are used to blaming leaders for all the sins and wounds of society. But the prophet has just said that this society, unashamed of sin, itself chooses anyone at all as its leaders. So that we may understand quite clearly what is being discussed, the prophet speaks to the leaders of God's people: "the spoil of the poor is in your houses."
We may not have the strength to correct what is happening to us. But at the very least, it is important for us to hear what the prophet says about us, so that we may clearly understand why we remain in such a deplorable state and know what to pray about and what to repent of.