The Lord Said: "It's Not Going to Be Pretty"

 

Isaiah 3:13 The Lord has taken his place to contend;
    he stands to judge peoples.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
    with the elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who have devoured the vineyard,
    the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people,
    by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts.
16 The Lord said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
    and walk with outstretched necks,
    glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
    tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord will strike with a scab
    the heads of the daughters of Zion,
    and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

Often in the prophets when we read The Lord Said it is followed by a message of judgment. The setting is also often like this one: God is seated as Judge - not of pagan nations, but those claiming His name. Their selfishness and pride will find them out, thinking they are above judgment. As Paul tells the Corinthians (chapter 10) we need to learn from their example. If not, things can get pretty ugly, like a scab, and worse.