Why God Wouldn’t Forgive Judah
Isaiah 22:1-14
August 27, 2023
This morning we come to the most important of all the oracles.
This is the oracle that now finally addresses Jerusalem directly.
You see it in verse 1, “The oracle concerning the valley of vision”
“the valley of vision” is the title God has sarcastically given to Jerusalem.
• It is clear in verses 9-10 that Jerusalem is the subject.
• The term “valley of vision” would seem to indicate a city that sees clearly.
• It would seem to indicate a city that understands what is going on.
Based on chapter 22 we realize that this is a sarcastic name
For despite the frequent warnings of Isaiah,
Jerusalem doesn’t have a clue.
They have become precisely the people God told Isaiah they were
Back on the day when God commissioned Isaiah.
Isaiah 6:9 “He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’”
That is them.
People that look but just don’t get it.
So this is now the 9th oracle of Isaiah.
By now you know that all of these oracles were addressed to Jerusalem.
• They may have been about surrounding nations, but they were all preached to Jerusalem.
• They were all messages for them.
And having studied those first 8
We have even been able to discern a pattern and point to them all.
The first 6 all shared in common a warning and a reminder not to trust in foreign nations for help or for deliverance from Assyria.
Neither the Philistines, nor Moab, Nor Damascus, Nor Egypt, Nor Cush, Nor Babylon is going to be able to deliver you. They can’t even deliver themselves.
And so the first 6 oracles emphatically taught us that
When a nation faces the judgment of God
They should not look to external or worldly sources of deliverance.
Assyria is the bully in the playground
• They have been raised up by God for the punishment of godless nations.
• No worldly nation is going to be able to turn back the judgment of God.
If you want salvation, you are going to have to go to God.
When we studied the 7th oracle
• Which was concerning Edom
• We learned what is required in order to seek God for salvation and that is repentance.
• Edom was told that if they were going to inquire then they were going to have inquire correctly.
• They were invited to come, but in coming they must “return”; they must repent of their sin and return to God.
So while facing the judgment of God
The only salvation to be found is from God
And the means of approaching Him is through repentance.
And then we looked at the 8th oracle last Sunday night
• Which was about Arabia
• We learned that there is no substitution for repentance.
• Arabia’s “splendor” or glory could not exempt them from God’s judgment.
• Arabia’s “might” could not deliver them from God’s judgment.
• Man’s glory is far short of God’s glory.
• Man’s might is far short of God’s might.
And we even were reminded that if salvation is to be found
Not only must a man repent, but he must also find a Savior
Whose glory is equal to God’s
And whose might can withstand God’s judgment.
And there we find Jesus alone.
He alone shares the Father’s glory.
He alone was able to endure the full fury of God’s wrath on the cross.
There is no other Savior.
So at this point we are even SEEING THE GOSPEL begin to emerge through these oracles.
• Judgment on sin is real and present.
• Don’t trust in men for salvation.
• Run to God for salvation through repentance.
• Don’t trust in your own glory or strength to deliver you.
• Run to Christ who alone has acceptable glory and strength to save.
I know it took us a few weeks to get through them,
But the somewhat blurry message is now starting to become clear.
So now, having related that truth to Jerusalem we come to the 9th oracle
And this one directly addresses them.
But what we find is that
Jerusalem has learned nothing from those first 8 oracles.
They were given light but they couldn’t see it.
They were told truth but they couldn’t hear it.
And the oracle to them actually ends with a terrifying promise from God.
(14) “But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me, “Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you Until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.”
• This oracle ends with a promise from God that they will not be forgiven.
• It ends with a promise from God that they will die.
IT’S NO WONDER ISAIAH IS WEEPING.
• He has preached for years
• Now God has revealed to him that his congregation has refused to listen
• And will end up in judgment.
This is a sad oracle.
So, what happened?
Well, let’s work through it together this morning.
We’ll break it down into 5 points.
#1 A TROUBLED PEOPLE
Isaiah 22:1-3
So let’s begin with
Isaiah pointing out a people who appear to be in distress.
He asks them a question in verse 1:
“What is the matter with you now, that you have al gone up to the housetops?”
• The NIV translates it, “What troubles you..?”
• The KJV translates it, “What aileth thee..?”
In other words, they have all gone up on their roofs,
But it’s NOT for a party and it’s NOT just to enjoy the evening night air.
THEY ARE HIDING.
There is a fear of invaders who will enter their city, enter their homes, and kill them.
So in order to escape these coming invaders
The people of the city have all gone up onto their roofs to hide.
(Remember Rahab hiding the spies on her roof)
But why is that is puzzling to Isaiah?
Because it was just a moment ago that they were all having a big party.
(2) “You who were full of noise, You boisterous town, you exultant city;”
Why were they all celebrating and partying?
They were all partying because they had not died.
(2b) “Your slain were not slain with the sword, Nor did they die in battle.”
There had been a huge party in Jerusalem
Because they had not been slain with the sword or died in battle.
But all of a sudden, right in the middle of the party,
• Someone flipped the switch
• And these one-time partiers were scared out of their minds
• And immediately went and hid on their roofs.
THAT IS STRANGE.
No wonder Isaiah asked, “What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?”
Well the ANSWER is given in verse 3
“All your rulers have fled together, And have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, Though they had fled far away.”
So why were the people in fear and hiding on their roof?
• Because all of their leaders had fled and had been captured.
• And now the people fear that those who captured them will return and sack their city.
SO WE SEE THE SCENE, BUT WE HAVE TO ASK:
“What is this referring to?”
It CANNOT be talking about the Assyrian invasion.
• During that invasion the leaders didn’t flee.
• Furthermore Assyria never entered the city.
But we know of an invasion when they did.
2 Kings 25:1-7 “Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.”
Isaiah is clearly speaking here of the coming Babylonian invasion
• When the people had previously been “full of noise” and “boisterous” and
“exultant”
• But all of a sudden their celebration turned to terror.
• Their leaders fled and were captured
• And the people went to their roof to hide from the invaders.
So LET’S DISCUSS what Isaiah is seeing and what Isaiah is talking about.
We have read it several times by now, but you remember that:
• When Assyria invades Judah, they come right to the gates of Jerusalem, and it looks bleak.
• But Hezekiah seeks the LORD and God delivers Jerusalem from his hand.
• Isaiah prophesied that Sennacherib wouldn’t even shoot an arrow into the city, and he didn’t.
So, when you read about their celebrating in verse 2
It is talking about the celebration of their deliverance from Assyria.
• They didn’t have anyone “slain with the sword”.
• They didn’t have anyone “die in battle.”
And the city of Jerusalem broke out into a huge party
Rejoicing in the fact that Assyria had been turned away.
But Isaiah is looking past that day and he tells the city,
Your rejoicing is going to be short lived.
Now, that SHOULD RESONATE with you.
Do you remember Isaiah’s answer to Edom when they wanted to know how much longer the night would last?
Isaiah 21:12 “The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”
What a message that is proving to be to Jerusalem.
You’re going to get a reprieve, morning is coming, but so is more night.
NOW WE UNDERSTAND IT.
You may survive Assyria, but you will not survive the judgment of God.
And Isaiah is spelling that all out for them here.
And because of that, Isaiah is beside himself.
#2 A WEEPING PROPHET
Isaiah 22:4
Certainly we see the HEART OF GOD here in Isaiah.
• He is weeping just as Jeremiah wept over the fall of Jerusalem.
• He is weeping just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem.
• He is weeping just as Paul wept over the lost Jews of his day.
But it also reminds us here that
Isaiah is absolutely certain of the truth of what God has shown him.
(4) “Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
This is Isaiah’s version of the book of Lamentations.
He is heartbroken over what he has seen.
And he tells the people, “There’s no use trying to comfort me.”
• I know what I saw.
• I know what is coming.
Aside from giving us tremendous insight into the heart of Isaiah and of God, the MAIN POINT here is that THIS IS CERTAIN.
This city which is currently living it up and partying in celebration
Is going to fall.
In fact, Isaiah even spells it out.
#3 A COMING PANIC
Isaiah 22:5
(5) “For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain.”
What did Isaiah see?
• He saw “panic”
• He saw “subjugation” (slavery)
• He saw “confusion”
• He saw “breaking down of walls”
• He saw “a crying to the mountain” (weeping over the temple mount)
What Isaiah saw was the BABYLONIAN INVASION.
• He saw people scattering in fear and being rounded up and forced into slavery.
• He saw the city wall being torn down.
• He saw the temple up in smoke and people crying out in horror over it.
The people may have escaped Assyria,
But they would not escape Babylon.
It is so heavy upon Isaiah
That he has to turn away just to weep and to wail.
But certainly they and us would want to know “WHY?”
Why would God deliver us from Assyria and then turn around and destroy us with Babylon?
And THE ANSWER you are going to see
Fits right in line with the message of those oracles.
God saved Jerusalem from Assyria
Because of the repentance and faith of Hezekiah.
But while Hezekiah trusted God the people learned nothing from it
AND GOD IS NOT PLEASED
With how the people responded to the Assyrian invasion.
Let me show you.
#4 AN INAPPROPRIATE PARTY
Isaiah 22:6-13
Here is the heart of Isaiah’s message.
Isaiah begins by REMEMBERING the Assyrian invasion.
(6) “Elam took up the quiver with the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield.”
• “Elam” and “Kir” were both allies of Assyria
• They all approached and filled the valley with chariots.
(7) “Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.”
Later, when Isaiah addresses the arrogance of Sennacherib, he says this:
Isaiah 37:24 “Through your servants you have reproached the Lord, And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses. And I will go to its highest peak, its thickest forest.”
This is all about the day
That Sennacherib approached the gates of Jerusalem.
And it was God who let him.
(8a) “And He removed the defense of Judah.”
God allowed Sennacherib to invade Judah
And make it all the way to Jerusalem.
In Sennacherib’s own chronicles
He boasts of having sacked 46 towns in Judah on his way to Jerusalem.
(Walvoord, John F; Zuck, Roy B. [The Bible Knowledge Commentary; Old Testament; Chariot Victor Publishing; Colorado Springs, CO; 1985] pg. 1069)
Sennacherib also boasted:
“Hezekiah, like a caged bird, within Jerusalem, his royal city, I confined; towers round about him I raised; and the exit of the great gate of his city I shut.”
Cited in: (Spence, H.D.M. [The Pulpit Commentary; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Grand Rapids, MI; 1950] pg. 352)
We have read the Biblical account, it looked over for Jerusalem.
They were totally helpless.
And THE CALL OF THE PROPHET all along had been
That the city should cry out to God.
They should repent of their sin and inquire rightly of God.
THAT WAS THE CALL.
Now, they actually did a lot to try and hold of Assyria,
And that is all listed in verses 8b-11a
(8b-11a) “In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool. Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall. And you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool.”
Isaiah lists 5 things that Hezekiah and Jerusalem did
In order to try and hold off the Assyrian advance.
1) “you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest.”
1 Kings 7 and 1 Kings 10 both speak of storage houses that Solomon built
And in Hezekiah’s day they had been used to store weapons.
And so when Assyria was advancing, one of the moves was to go and gather the weapons from the storehouse so that they would be ready to fight if needed.
2) “you saw that the breaches in the wall of the city of David were many”
The next thing they did was take inventory of their defenses
And they saw that the wall surrounding Jerusalem needed some work.
3) “you collected the waters of the lower pool.”
Hezekiah actually built an underground aqueduct through solid rock to move water inside the city limits.
2 Chronicles 32:30 “It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.”
4) “Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore down houses to fortify the wall.”
So they saw that their wall was in need of help
And they actually went on a campaign to reinforce it.
2 Chronicles 32:4-5 “So many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed through the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” And he took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number.”
5) “And you made a reservoir between the two walls.”
That’s like a mote between the inner wall and the outer wall.
They were preparing for every possible scenario.
• They armed themselves.
• They fortified their defenses.
• They secured a water supply.
AND LOOK, when you read Chronicles
God doesn’t rebuke Hezekiah for making such preparations.
IN FACT, part of being a responsible leader is to take such provision.
• There’s nothing wrong here with getting ready.
• There’s nothing wrong here with doing everything you can to secure the safety of your people.
SO WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM?
(11b) “But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.”
Certainly Hezekiah is excepted here who actually does seek the LORD
And on account of that God spared the city.
Isaiah is talking about everyone else.
• Hezekiah was the only one who trusted God.
• Hezekiah was the only one who sought the LORD.
We read about it in Isaiah 37
Isaiah 37:14-21 “Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. Hezekiah prayed to the LORD saying, “O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. “Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. “Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.” Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria,”
And if you go on you remember that
God promised on behalf of his prayer that He would spare the city.
What is noticeably absent is anyone else seeking God with him.
Do you remember when Jonah warned Nineveh of their destruction?
• Everyone in that city, including the animals put on sackcloth
• And did without food and water
• In order that they might seek God and plead for His mercy.
But here we are in the city of God
And the only person seeking God was Hezekiah.
• Everyone else was involved in gathering weapons…
• Everyone else was involved in rerouting water…
• Everyone else was involved in shoring up the wall…
But no one else was repenting or seeking God
And this was the ONE THING
That God had been saying all along was required.
(12-13) “Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
THERE IT IS!
“in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.”
We are aware that Assyria was God’s rod.
• We know that God raised them up and God was the one sending them.
• We know that God was sending them against godless nations steeped in sin.
• We even know that Judah was such a nation.
But here we are reminded of God’s purpose in doing so.
God’s purpose in sending Assyria was to cause men
To cry out to Him in mourning and repentance.
Certainly you know by now the heart of God.
Ezekiel lays it out perfectly in the day when Jerusalem was eventually destroyed.
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”
The people of Nineveh learned it first hand.
Jonah 3:10 “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.”
In fact, Jonah was so convinced that God was like this that he didn’t even want to warn the Ninevites for fear that they would repent and God would forgive.
Jonah 4:2 “He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.”
We have all rested in that picture of the prodigal son returning
• The father running to meet him and putting a robe on his back and a ring on his
finger and sandals on his feet and throwing that banquet for him.
We know our God to be merciful and compassionate and indeed this is the desire of God.
• He longs for men to repent.
• He desires that men return to Him.
• He delights in mercy and compassion.
So when He raises up a threat like the Assyrians and sends them against godless people He does it so that those people will repent and run to Him.
But Jerusalem missed the point.
• This “valley of vision” could not see the purpose.
• These people had ears but did not hear, they had eyes but did not see.
INSTEAD of joining Hezekiah in seeking the LORD…
INSTEAD of putting on sackcloth and fasting and crying out to God…
INSTEAD of turning from their wicked ways…
“There is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.’”
Even when they thought they had come to their end,
Instead of seeking God their decision was
To enjoy one more night of the sin that they loved.
God may kill us for our sin tomorrow so let’s enjoy it for one more night.
Sure they would try human means to hold back the judgment.
They would work hard to preserve their comforts and their sinful lifestyle.
• They would build walls.
• They would dig aqueducts.
• They would gather weapons.
BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPENT AND SEEK GOD.
If repentance was required to escape judgment
Then they would just take their chances with judgment.
IT WAS AN INAPPROPRIATE PARTY.
And incidentally, this becomes THE NORMAL RESPONSE of Jerusalem.
Isaiah faces this stubbornness for his entire ministry.
TURN TO: Isaiah 28:9-10
TURN TO: Isaiah 28:14-22
TURN TO: Isaiah 29:13-14
TURN TO: Isaiah 30:9-17
TURN TO: Isaiah 31:1
TURN TO: Isaiah 31:4-6
They were a stubborn people.
They would not seek God.
They would not repent.
And that leads us to the final point of Isaiah here.
#5 A TERRIFYING PROMISE
Isaiah 22:14
“But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me, “Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.”
Assyria approached Jerusalem to destroy it.
Hezekiah interceded and God spared the city.
But based on the response of the people of Jerusalem
God decided then and there that this city would be destroyed.
They would not repent and therefore they could not be forgiven.
This city would perish.
And history bears this out.
Hezekiah momentarily saved the city, but within 4 years there would be a new king in Judah.
• His name was Manasseh, and he was the worst king Judah ever had.
• He was full of idolatry and the shedding of innocent blood and he sealed the
fate of Judah.
• In fact, Manasseh’s son Josiah would lead a great revival in Jerusalem.
• He would find the book of the Law
• He would renovate the temple
• He would reinstate the Passover
• They call it the Josianic revival and it was great.
But…
2 Kings 23:26-27 “However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’”
And in 586 B.C. God sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the city and the temple and to deport the people of Judah to Babylon for 70 years.
ISAIAH SAW THAT DAY AND WEPT OVER IT.
These people, who were prone to party and enjoy their sin
Would soon find a day when the party would end.
ALL BECAUSE
• They would not learn from God’s discipline
• And they would not repent.
I suppose at this time it would also be good to remember what they were called to repent of.
TURN TO: Isaiah 1
(Verse 4) – They turned away from God.
(Verses 16-20) – Called to return to God and repent.
(Verses 21-26) – You see their lack of justice and compassion.
(Verses 27-31) – You see their idolatry.
God called them to repent of that sin.
But even when He sent judgment, their only desire
Was to get one last taste of sin before they died.
They weren’t willing to leave their sin.
They just tried every other possible way to stop the consequences.
AND THE POINT TO US IS UNMISTAKABLE.
We have stated it over and over and it is impossible to miss.
If you read Romans 1, how can we not see
That OUR NATION is under the judgment of God?
And you can blame bad politicians if you want.
You can say, “Oh the problem is our corrupt government or the corrupt media, or whatever.”
But you do realize that Assyria was corrupt too,
But it was still God who sent them.
Could it be that a corrupt government is part of the judgment?
Most definitely.
And we have people who do what the people of Jerusalem did.
They are working very hard to protect themselves from this corruption.
Some people go to the voting booths
• And hope to vote the right people into office so that we can get relief from bad leaders.
Some people go to the courts
• And build legal defense funds you know to fight back against laws in the court systems.
Some people go to the airwaves
• And try to use journalism and reporting to fight back.
Some people become those preppers
• Who try to get off the grid and store up food and prepare for the coming collapse.
WHAT IS THAT?
• That’s like gathering in the weapons from the storehouse.
• That’s like testing the wall and rebuilding it.
• That’s like digging an aqueduct to get water inside the city.
There’s nothing wrong with fighting corruption
Or preparing to protect those you love.
But none of those things are what saved Jerusalem.
The only thing that saved that city
Was the return of Hezekiah to the LORD.
And if we devote ourselves to human means but do not seek the LORD
Then we are no better off than the city of Jerusalem
Which only managed to save itself temporarily.
“But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago. Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.”
God has called His people to repentance.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
I have heard that verse quoted my whole life,
But very rarely do I see it obeyed,
I’ve never seen it obeyed in any kind of corporate sense.
“Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
What we see in our nation is a people working frantically to secure their comfortable and even sinful way of life.
• Let’s hoard up supplies…
• Let’s figure out ways to stay comfortable off grid…
• Let’s make sure that even if God does pour down judgment on our nation that we will be able to maintain our way of life.
THE CALL OF GOD IS REPENTANCE.
The call of God is for men to run to Him and to seek His face.
And we do so with the promise that our God will abundantly pardon.
CHURCH
• Let us individually and corporately turn from sin.
• Let us individually and corporately seek the face of God.
• Let us individually and corporately put away the world.
Let us “Wash ourselves and make ourselves clean; let us remove the evil of our deeds from God’s sight. Let us cease to do evil and learn to do good. Let us seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan and plead for the widow.”
And if we do our God will abundantly pardon.
