“Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us. We expectantly wait for light, but [only] see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity and gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind, yes, we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the twilight; in dark places and among those who are full of life and vigor, we are as dead men.” Isaiah 59:9-10 ->me: Now the text of Isaiah 59 turns to the people speaking in first person what they realize about themselves in their sinful state. While I was getting ready this morning I listened to a message on Romans 9:23 which talks about us, as believers, being ‘vessels of mercy’. I like the term vessel because it suggests that the function of the vessel is to receive [be filled up] and to pour out. What is described here is the exact opposite; in fact I would call these ‘vessels of wrath’ (also from the message I listened to). When we continue in the sin spoken of here – it drives away righteousness and the deliverance our God can provide. When we have unrepentant sin we strive to see the light but darkness is all we find. We want the world around us to be illuminated but we trudge around in a foggy gloom and with a lack of identity. We grope for those things in this world that bring us temporary relief. It is no matter whether it is light or darkness in reality because the darkness is within us. Verses 12 and 13 go on to talk about how, in our unconfessed and unrepentant sin can become vessels of wrath. When I see believers who have fallen away, these are the attributes I see them possess which inspires me to consistently check that I am right with God so that I can be a vessel of mercy to be poured out on those who have walked away.
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