How often do you wish evil would be punished? Do you cry out to God to bring judgment on His enemies already? Do you rub your hands with glee when someone gets their comeuppance?
Today, I want to share my ponderings on Isaiah 15. In this chapter God spells out the judgement on Israel's long-time enemy Moab. But the tone is not triumphant. It literally begins with the words 'The burden of Moab.' God did not see their punishment as a victory.
The tone in Isaiah 15 is one of a person weeping. Almost like how the prophets would weep for backslidden Israel.
It's not the normal way people talk about the destruction and judgement of their enemy.
Some say that Jesus was all love and the Old Testament all judgement. They obviously missed the tone of this chapter. Verse five says,
"My heart shall cry out for Moab."
God wept over the destruction of His enemy. It had to be done for God's righteousness to be appeased, but it brought Him no pleasure.
God is not willing that any should perish. His heart cries out for them.
We know Jesus said love your enemies, but do we really love them? Or do we pass off charitable thoughts and actions as love?
'I'll forgive them, but I won't forget.' 'I'll play nice, but I'll still pray for their downfall.' These are not what Christ meant by love your enemy.
Did you know that the same word used in the command to love our enemies is the one used to tell us to love God?
Isaiah 15 is what God meant by the commandment to love your enemies.
The wicked will meet their end, but the Christain ought not to rejoice over it. We should mourn as God mourns them.
Do you really love your enemies? Would your heart 'cry out' at their destruction?
(Weeping girl) Image by Tobias Wahlqvist