Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17
Isaiah had his worked cut out for him in counselling God’s people in Judah. He ministered and prophesied for 40 years during the reign of four kings. Uzziah and Jotham who, did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but kept the alters and other idols that the people worshipped. Ahaz, who did what was evil, and gave offerings to other gods. Then finally, Hezekiah, who honoured God and the ways of King David.
The people had strayed so far from God and forsaken his commands that Isaiah called them ‘a brood of evildoers’ which sounds awfully familiar to those that John the Baptist called ‘a brood of vipers’. It sounds incredible that God’s people, in any era, would need to be told to stop doing evil and learn to do good.
Their decline, though, had not just happen overnight; it had been slow and gradual. Outside influences had crept in and bit by bit they took their eyes off God and followed the crowd. Justice was ignored, and those in greatest need were neglected. God’s people had forgotten what was good and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35
This is what God is looking for in all of us, yet, all too easily we can fall into the trap of assuming, rightly or wrongly, that someone else will do what needs done. But the act of doing good is not for the select few. God directs each of us to – Do – Seek – Correct – Bring – Plead. This task is as big today as it ever was, and tackling it might feel like sculpting a mountain with a toothpick. God is fully aware of the size of the problem, but He doesn’t want us to shy away from it. We may not be able to address every injustice but we can stand for what is right, and with those who need support.
We should all be in the business of doing good. It’s God’s will and it’s God work, and we honour Him by doing it.
Narrow Path Ministries 