How many political leaders are willing to risk their people’s discontent in favor of far reaching reforms and plans for the future? How many people are willing to sacrifice today’s pleasure to ensure tomorrow’s survival? Isaiah stands firm in front of King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem who make decisions that he considers not just immoral but also indecent, counter to the core of their faith. As the Assyrian army advances on the region, the king chooses to build a broader wall and expand the city’s reach so that it is better protected. Why a wall? Because Judah chose to join the coalition that will go against Assyria - despite the high stakes. Isaiah is against this rebellion, furious that so many homes in Jerusalem are demolished to build a bigger wall and that instead of lowering their heads in the face of the superpower and patiently trusting in the outcome - the leaders choose hubris and short-sighted goals that will end up in disaster. But what he’s looking at transcends that particular political moment and what was or was not a wrong choice, proven so over time. Walking through Jerusalem today one can see the remains of Hezekiah’s wall, and the signs of its destruction, no matter how solid and broad. And one can hear the modern Isaiah's voices railing against similar wrong choices that celebrate greed and power but overlook justice for all. One memorable line from today’s chapter has become a famous description of what happens when we focus on today’s pleasure and avoid tomorrow’s price tag. Isaiah looks at Jerusalem as it celebrates Hezekiah’s military might, enjoying excess, feasting with no regard for the future:
וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֗ה הָרֹ֤ג ׀ בָּקָר֙ וְשָׁחֹ֣ט צֹ֔אן אָכֹ֥ל בָּשָׂ֖ר וְשָׁת֣וֹת יָ֑יִן אָכ֣וֹל וְשָׁת֔וֹ כִּ֥י מָחָ֖ר נָמֽוּת׃
“There was rejoicing and merriment, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
Some claim that what Isaiah is quoting here is a popular song - heard in Jerusalem as people drank and celebrated, either aware of the war around the corner - or choosing to ignore it. The irony of building bigger walls and hoarding water while feasting away and looking away from tomorrow - is what’s he’s after. The message still resonates.
In his book The Prophets, Abraham Joshua Heschel describes this moment, cross referencing it to other parts in the Bible that fill in the details:
“We can picture the scene. Jerusalem is tumultuous, exultant; the people are all on the housetops, shouting. The king speaks at a mass meeting in the square at the gate of the city. “Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him; for there is One greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles” (II Chron. 32:7–8). Jerusalem rejoices, and Isaiah is distressed. The people “looked to weapons” (22:8) as the source of security, rather than to Him Who is the true master of both nature and history. “You did not look to Him Who created it, or have regard for Him Who planned it long ago” (22:11).
Isaiah’s wrath at the king extends beyond his rejection of the choice to join the Anti-Assyrian coalition and his projection that this revolt will fail miserably - he is offering a counter-offensive to what will one day become an Epicurean ethic, taken to its extreme: Feast today, forget tomorrow. What Isaiah’s words still carry today is a warning to all climate crisis deniers and all who prefer quick profits instead of slow returns and wise investment in equity and access, less now and more next - but for all. Put down your fork, friends, and listen to the prophets: How can we prioritize being in the present - and be the ancestors our future generations will be proud of?
Image: “Let us eat and drink because tomorrow we shall die”, Museum of Wonder, Alabama
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