Zion or Flames

DEVOTION

ISAIAH

ZION OR FLAMES

Isa 1:27-31

27 Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

29 "You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. 30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire."

NIV

Again we could see Zion as Israel, but it can also be the church, the body of Christ. We live in Zion, it is the place of safety. The last stronghold against evil. This is how it was betrayed in the series the Matrix, Zion the city of the people, a stronghold against the evil machine world. This is us, we are Zion, and we are redeemed with justice. Because we have repented, or are the penitent ones we have been redeemed with justice and righteousness. There is that “but”. It is aimed at those who are not in Zion, the rebels and the sinners. They both will be broken. This is not a good thing and it is not something we should delight in, but rather be sad that people we now know will be among the broken. Have we made sure they know about being in Zion? There is a time coming when all their efforts in the world their sacred oaks they have delighted in will be their shame. All the success in the world will mean nothing on that day. In fact they will be disgraced because they choose the garden of the world to play in. They planted their seeds in the wrong garden and all their leaves will fade, all their wealth, all their fame, whatever glory they chased after will simply fade away into nothing. What happens to them reminds us of the parable about Lazarus and the rich man, both died, but the rich man when to hell, a place of fire, or flames, hot and without water. Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham, in Zion. The rich man pleads for Abraham to send Lazarus dipping his toe in water that he might have just a little water, and drink it from the toe of a beggar no less. A beggar he paid no attention to when he had all the worldly wealth. All that he had, all the people who pursue the things of the world will see all their efforts burn up in the fire and no one there to quench it. Just as Abraham told the rich man, it is not possible for Lazarus to come to him as “Zion and Hell” are divided by a great chasm and no one can go from one place to the other. Once someone is in one there is no going to the other. So it is on the last day, the Day of Judgement. We are invited into the rest of God, into heaven, into the new city of Jerusalem, Zion, and those who rebelled by refusing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be cast out into the lake of burning sulfur, a horrible fate. So Let us rejoice for we live in Zion, but at the same time view those, who do not, as poor and wretched in need of Jesus whom we can share with them. Who would want someone to be in flames that cannot be quenched?