Isaiah 6:11 "Then I said, 'How long, O Lord?' And he said: 'Until cities lie waste...'"

“Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And he said: ‘Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate’” (Isaiah 6:11).

Question:

My pastor preached a very inspiring message using this passage. His answer to “How long?” was “not long” for believers. However, the verse itself seems to indicate a very long time.

Comment:

This passage is from Isaiah’s description of the vision in which he received his call to prophecy; he is lifted to the throne room of God, a hot coal is placed on his tongue to burn away all words not divinely sourced, and he is sent to give spiritual direction to the kingdom of Judah. So in approaching this passage, keep in mind that Isaiah is intent on justifying his words by having God describe conditions as they already are in the kingdom—the leaders are locked in fear-based reactions to outer events, refusing to hear the word of God, refusing to believe Isaiah’s message. The prophet is warning of dire consequences. He has God saying, in effect, “OK, fine! Be that way! I’ll show you!”

I think the question of “How long” is entirely up to us. Jesus taught that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and the only question is how long we will remain stuck in our stubborn insistence on doing things our way. Wilderness experiences such as Isaiah is describing are a part of our spiritual journey. They will last as long as we continue making the choices that have created them. As soon as we surrender to the Lord of our being, and allow ourselves to be guided to new choices, a new consciousness will emerge. So you and your pastor are both right!

Blessings!

Rev. Ed