A Thoughtless Lapse

January 14, Isaiah 62:1-5


I really like reading chapters that deal with the redemption of Israel, like this one does.  But, I always feel like I need a bit more information when I read one of the prophets, because I feel like I might be missing something.  I wonder if the people of Israel were this way, too.

I think they might have been.  Isaiah warns them against becoming complacent in their sin, encouraging them with the concept of the watchmen in verse 6.  If the righteousness of Israel is to "go forth as brightness," then there certainly must be some watchfulness, a sense of waiting, of looking for the thing that they're missing.  D.A. Carson writes that the image of the watchmen is a warning of "judgement to come where there is no repentance, or where there is a thoughtless lapse into sin."

I stop to reflect on how many times I've had "thoughtless lapses into sin."  The times I've slipped into gossip without thinking about it.  The times I've chosen to have a bad attitude, to complain, or to harbor bitterness against someone else.  The times I've become lazy in my care for others.  My list could go on for a very, very long time .  And, if you're honest with yourself, I bet yours could, too.

If I stop and think about it, a "thoughtless lapse into sin" should be a scary thing.  Because, if I'm being thoughtless, then I'm obvously somewhat desensitized to whatever sin I'm lapsing into.  And I wonder if this is because I'm missing something.

D.A. Carson writes that this chapter is about much more than just the restoration of the physical Jerusalem.  He says that it is also about the anticipation of the Kingdom of God to come.  Of heaven.

Suddenly, it makes sense, all of the hope, beauty, and victory promised in this chapter make sense.  And the "thoughtless lapse into sin" begins to fade away.  Because, maybe this is what we're missing.  Maybe we need to remember that this our life isn't just about us.  What we do.  The number of days we can plan out ahead of us.  It's about the Kingdom of God to come, the Kingdom of God that is coming.  Maybe, if we lived like this, as subjects of this Kingdom and its King, then our "thoughtless lapses into sin" would become less and less frequent.


And maybe then, we wouldn't be missing something.

"May we learn to tell the truth with our lives, following him who is the way, the truth, and the life." (Tom Currie, Prayers for the Road)