Oh sinful nation,
people weighed down with iniquity,
brood of evildoers,
depraved children! (1:4)

The book of Isaiah opens with God’s judgment of Judah. They have abandoned him. Their offerings are useless, their hands covered with blood. Murderers now dwell where righteousness once did. Their rulers are rebels.

God urges them to repent –

“Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil.
Learn to do what is good.” (1:16-17a)

But they won’t. And so:

“a day belonging to the Lord of Hosts is coming
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up – it will be humbled…
So human pride will be brought low,
and the loftiness of men will be humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
The idols will vanish completely. (2:12, 17-18)

Through Isaiah, God shares some details about this judgment day:

On that day people will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made to worship,
to the moles and bats.
They will go into the caves of the rocks
and the crevices in the cliffs,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth. (2:20-21)

On that day the Lord will strip their finery: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescents, pendants, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle jewelry, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets, signet rings, nose rings, festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses, garments, linen clothes, turbans, and shawls.
Instead of perfume there will be a stench,
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of beautifully styled hair, baldness;
instead of fine clothes, sackcloth;
instead of beauty, branding.
Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle.
Then her gates will lament and mourn;
deserted, she will sit on the ground. (3:18-26)

On that day seven women
will seize one man, saying,
“We will eat our own bread
and provide our own clothing.
Just let us be called by your name.
Take away our disgrace.” (4:1)

So far, this sounds like a terrible day. Until:

On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors. (4:2)

Why does it suddenly sound good?

Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy – all in Jerusalem who are destined to live – when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night over the entire site of Mount Zion and over its assemblies. For there will be a booth for shade for heat by day, and a refuge and shelter from storm and rain. (4:3-6)

I think we begin to see how this day can be both terrible and wonderful in the remark about the cloud of smoke and the flame of fire. This is an echo of the exodus:

The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. (Exodus 13:21)

The exodus, terrible and wonderful.

For the Egyptians, a horrifying experience. Their country desolated. Their children dead. Their army drowned. All awful consequences of their wicked deeds and their hardness of heart. And when God rescued the Israelites, the Egyptians’ abused slaves, they walked away singing with joy over those very things:

I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea! (Exodus 15:1)

Judgment and rescue go hand in hand. Both show God’s glory. If he is to save and avenge his suffering people, he must punish their oppressors. (And his repeated pleas for repentance show how much he wants everyone to join his people.) And this is good and righteous; sin’s natural, just consequence is death.

Even when God came to earth to make ultimate salvation for mankind possible, it was terrible and wonderful. What amazing salvation Jesus’ death brought to the world, and what tremendous suffering he endured to do it!

God yearns to rescue. He yearns to rescue you. Let him. Be part of the joyful remnant.

Zion will be redeemed by justice,
her repentant ones by righteousness.
But both rebels and sinners will be destroyed,
and those who abandon the Lord will perish. (1:27-28)