“The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken.”
Isaiah 24:19 (NIV)
This is an awesome poem!
As you read it straight through, you are moved along with its Words.
Verse 19 by itself is a parallel structure - the repetition of “the earth” gives it structure and the descriptions “broken up”, “split asunder” and “violently shaken” appear to be a cascading description of destruction.
Amos begins with “the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake” as a way of communicating to the people that his words are God’s Words, for Amos predicted an earthquake in 8:8 and 9:5. Clearly, this was a substantial earthquake and not merely tremors like we hear about in California monthly. This fulfillment of a localized earthquake should cause us to believe the prediction in 9:9 of a shaking among all the nations. The fact that all over the world localized earthquakes happen, should give us warning that a worldwide earthquake is coming and cause us to make peace with our Creator. Isaiah 24 gives even more description of this shaking that is to come, and I wonder do we see God as this big?
Do we see Him as big enough to pick up the earth and shake the wicked out of it? Do we see Him as big enough to preserve His holy people, and protect them through the shaking?
Do we believe the truth of Isaiah 24:20, that our rebellion is the cause of this shaking?
May we be those who tremble at His Word now - so that we won’t perish when the real trembling starts.
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