Isaiah 56:9-57:2.  As we began this last section of the book of Isaiah yesterday we saw God encouraging people to take advantage of the salvation he was offering.  We saw in Chapter 55 that the salvation comes at no cost to us.  In yesterday’s reading we saw that it was available to all who really wanted to have a relationship with God.  God used the idea of the Sabbath (the seventy day of the week which Jewish people were instructed to keep as a special day not a common day of work) as an example of having a relationship with him.  The Sabbath was to be a day when our actions especially honor him (Remember though that the other days of the week are not to be used to honor him too. See 1 Corinthians 10:31).  But the message is not all happy thoughts and roses.

Isaiah 56:9 calls all the animals to come and eat.  The beasts of the field, or farm animals, and the beasts of the forest or wild animals.  In the following verses (Isaiah 56:10-12) we see a description of the religious leaders of Judah.  They are called watchmen (kind of like guards keeping an eye out during the night for invaders), silent dogs (they cannot warn of an intruder), zoned out sleepy dreamers, dogs who never get enough to eat, shepherds who do not know what they are doing, and selfish and self-centered.  These leaders waste their lives partying and think they can get away with it forever.  Scholars aren’t really sure what the beasts represent but it looks like they could be talking about foreign nations.  The “farm animals” would be friendly nations that the kings of Judah have made alliances with to protect them and the “wild animals” would be enemy nations like Assyria.  In both cases the leaders have allowed these nations to hurt their people.  The friendly nations by mixing their false religions into Israelite society (like during the reign of Ahaz) and the enemy nations coming and destroying parts of the kingdom while kings like Hezekiah try to use politics and alliances to save the people.  In both cases the leaders are not teaching the people who God is (the one and only God) and that he can provide and protect.

The first verse of chapter 57 continue to describe the effects of bad leaders  by telling us that people who love God are suffering and dying because of the leaders lack of care.  In the end of verse 1 and in verse 2 we see hope for those who love God though.  Death is not the end of the story, those who lived for God are at rest and have peace in death.  In the days of slavery in America many slaves had faith in Jesus and found hope in promises of eternity with God.  Songs like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” talked about that hope.  One line from that song goes, “I looked over Jordan and what did I see, coming for to carry me home?  A band of angles coming after me, coming for to carry me home.”  The idea is that they were in the wilderness across the Jordan River from the land promised to God’s people and God was sending angles to carry them across to that promised land.  A land described as flowing with mild and honey in the Bible.  A picture of peace and abundance.  So while the false leaders were finding their comfort here and now the people who love God realize it comes in God’s forever kingdom.

When Isaiah 56:12 says that the lazy drunk religious and political leaders though that things were going to keep going the way their were with them living the party life there is a hint that they are going to be surprised by reality some day.  In Luke 16:19-21 we get a glimpse of reality about a very similar situation.  There is a rich man who is living a very satisfying life, nice cloths and plenty to eat.  And there is a poor man, Lazarus, who is by the gate to his estate wanting just the crumbs off of his table, “Just sweep the floor in your dining room and let me eat what you sweep up.”  The poor man was sick.  Eventually the poor man died.  In the story his soul or spirit winds up in some sort of place where souls of the dead went, Sheol or Hades.  We see that he joins Abraham in that place.  Next the rich man dies and his soul also goes to Sheol.  But we find out that Sheol contains some pleasant “rooms” and some not so not so pleasant ones.  Evidently there is an impassable canyon in the middle of Sheol.  The side where Abraham and Lazarus are existing is comfortable but the side where the rich man is existing is hot and he calls it torment.  There must also be some water somewhere because the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus over to give him a drink but Abraham tells him that there is no way to cross.  The really sad part of the story is that this place is only temporary, like a holding cell in jail.  The Bible teaches that while Jesus’ body was in the tomb that he went to Hades and gathered all of the souls of those trusting and waiting for God’s salvation (like Abraham) and took them to Heaven (Ephesians 4:8).  Those on the other side, like the rich man, are evidently still there and according to Revelation 20:13-14 at the end of a 1000 year reign of Jesus as the promised king descended from David there will be a resurrection (the word means to rise up) of all the dead souls in Hades.  But it will not be to join the others in God’s forever kingdom.  They will be judged by their own works (instead of by Jesus’ work on the cross) and will be sent away for eternity to a place described as “the lake of fire”.  That is the reality that is hinted at in Isaiah 56:12.  But remember  Isaiah 56 started with god calling us to have a relationship with him.  And in Isaiah 55:1, the last mini message in the last section starts out with an invitation to be a part of God’s forever kingdom, for free.

The good news is God has a plan that could save every person who has ever lived no matter how bad they have been.  But it requires us to give up and let God help us, and many of us are too proud to give up.  The bad news is those who do not put their faith and trust in God and his suffering Servant, Jesus, will be sent away from God and all of his goodness forever.  God I know that to many people this reality seems harsh.  But you are pure and special and have good and right standards.  I know you don’t want people to spend eternity in the lake of fire, you even tell us that it was originally created for the Devil and those angles who followed him it rebelling against you.  But you also are not a tyrant who forces people to love you.  You gave us a choice and all choices have consequences.  God help many people make the good choice.  Help those of us who have thrown ourselves at your feet be willing to show your love to those around us.  Let us be your giving hands and our serving feet.  Help us make people thirsty to have a relationship with you so that they will come and drink the “water without cost”.  Help us all lose our pride and enjoy your care.