Only God Can Restore

How did a city go from flourishing in the fruit of faithfulness, righteousness, and justice to becoming a whore harboring the putrid things listed in Isaiah 1? They lost their fear of the Lord and their hunger to hear Him. They became confident in their own wisdom and wanted their own ways. They even made worship their own, at which point it ceases to be worship of God, and becomes all about self. So what hope is there? Who could or would restore such a people? The Mighty One of Israel, of course. And He is still doing it today.

“Therefore the Lord declares,

the LORD of hosts,

the Mighty One of Israel:

‘Ah, I will get relief from my enemies

and avenge myself on my foes.

I will turn my hand against you

and will smelt away your dross as with lye

and remove all your alloy.’”
Isaiah 1:24-25

Because God is love, He is not accepting of “whatever.” Anything that harms and is impure is not acceptable. Would you, as a parent, allow your children to continue in harm and partaking of things that are impure? Would you bandage your child’s wound without cleaning it first? Of course not. He first smelts away the dross and removes the alloy. We see cleansing and purifying; the refiner’s fire. Then, rebuilding can begin.

"And I will restore your judges as at the first,

and your counselors as at the beginning.

Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,

the faithful city.”

Isaiah 1:26

Restoration does not come before repentance and cleansing. Apart from the Lord, the faithful and helpful become unfaithful and harmful. But in the power of the Lord, the vilest offender can become righteous and faithful. Oh, Lord, thank You!