It’s gonna happen literally some day. But, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts which are attuned, God’s working the same stuff metaphorically in our day. And whether now or then, it’s ultimately accomplished in the same manner — redemption comes by justice and by righteousness.

Therefore the LORD God of Armies,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“I will turn My hand against you
and will burn away your dross completely;
I will remove all your impurities.
I will restore your judges to what they were at first,
and your advisers to what they were at the start.
Afterward you will be called the Righteous City,
a Faithful Town.”

Zion will be redeemed by justice,
those who repent, by righteousness.

(Isaiah 1:24a, 25-27 CSB)

Started in on Isaiah this morning. And Isaiah wastes no time as he starts in on the people of Judah and Jerusalem. A people, the LORD Almighty says, who have “rebelled against me”; who “do not understand”; who are “weighed down with iniquity”; a “brood of vipers, depraved children” who have abandoned, despised, and turned their backs on the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 1:2-4). So much for opening pleasantries.

And yet, before the end of the first chapter, the prophet speaks of a remedy for their malady, a fix for their failure. And it involves heat. The hand of God raised against them into a flame of judgment which will burn away the dross and remove all the impurities. Judgment that results in a great reversal of their rebellion and spiritual adultery. So much so that the welcome signs on the roads leading into town will be rewritten: “Welcome to Zion, the Righteous City, a Faithful Town.” For the heat of God’s raised hand will lead to repentance, and repentance to redemption. And that by justice and by righteousness. Some day. Some day soon, we think.

But what about today? What about the people of God today? What about our propensity to give into hearts which, though they’ve been made new, are still dealing with the enigma of being “more deceitful than anything else, and incurable” (Jer. 17:9 CSB)? What about our battle with the relentless allure and temptation to walk in the ways of the world around us? And what about the idols, oh the myriad of idols we’re prone to bow down to? And, more often than not, we fall into all these failures without even being aware of it?

“For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked'” ~ Jesus

(Revelation 3:17 CSB)

We need to recognize the heat. We need to be aware of the crucible. We need to pick up on the impurities being revealed and deal with the dross coming to the surface. And then, we need to repent. Do a 180. Agree with God. And, says the LORD God of Armies, you will be redeemed.

How? By justice and by righteousness.

The justice of the cross and the righteousness of the Crucified. The justice of sin’s debt paid in full through the shed blood of the Lamb of God, the righteousness found through the imputed nature of the Son of God. Confident in His finished work even as we are being conformed into His likeness.

The story of redemption to be played out someday is the same story of redemption being played out today. A little fire, a lot of heat, and those once forever delivered from the penalty of sin are daily and continually being delivered from the power of sin. The work of God begun in us (Php. 1:6), being completed by the forbearing kindness of God toward us (Rom. 2:4). And that, by justice and by righteousness.

Then, one day soon and very soon: “Welcome to Zion, the Righteous City, a Faithful Town.”

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.