When Isaiah warns about God’s justice, it sounds a lot like Karma
In this chapter the prophet appears to teach the principle of Karma. He doesn’t, but it’s easy to see how others could make that claim. God is good. He is good to those who are good to others. On the other hand, those who cause harm and injustice upon others will see their actions come back upon them. The injustice they inflicted on others will recoil back on them. We understand that life isn’t fair but it’s natural for us to cry out for fairness. We hear of the so-called ‘social-justice-warriors’ who seek equity for those who are oppressed. It’s an understandable human response. Often those ‘warriors’ do more harm than good. The problem is that humans can’t judge fairly. God can so it’s best to leave that to Him.
(This continues an ongoing commentary on the Book of Isaiah.) Some samples here and here
The Lord will make sure that justice is meted out fairly when the time comes.
Karma in the Bible?
Many people ask is karma biblical and the answer is no. Karma is a Hinduism and Buddhism belief that says your actions determine the good and the bad that happens to you in this life and the afterlife. Karma is associated with reincarnation, which basically says what you do today will determine your next life. (Taken from an article found here.)
Some Bible verses that appear to teach Karma
Galatians 6:9-10 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
James 3:18 And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Psalm 7:16 The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.
God, not Karma, will judge fairly
The last verse quoted above applies directly to the Isaiah passage we are considering. The trouble (war) that the Assyrians brought to others would recoil back on them. Isaiah makes that clear here in chapter thirty-three. It’s God’s inescapable pattern of justice.
We can find many verses that seem to support the principle of karma, but it’s better to understand it to be God’s just reward. God fairly judges those who do well and also righteously judges those who are unjust toward others.
We cannot escape the fair justice of The Almighty. He will make everything right in the end. It’s the waiting that has and always will be the challenge. We don’t usually see immediate justice. It comes later, often the justice and equity are given out in eternity.
That’s why Jesus said we shouldn’t look for treasures now. Store them up in heaven, by doing good in the lives we live.
Matthew 6:20
Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. English Standard Version. but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Let’s get into the chapter and see how God’s form of karma plays out on the oppressors in Assyria.
Isaiah 33: 1 A warning to Assyria that plundered Israel
“Woe to you that spoiled, and you were not spoiled, and dealt treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with you! When you shall cease to spoil, you shall be spoiled, and when you shall make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with you.”
The prophet warned Assyria. You spoiled others, but no one spoiled you. You acted treacherously even though no one was acting treacherously toward you. When you are done with your treachery, that same treachery will come back to haunt you.
Jesus spoke about this principle in Matthew 7:1-2
Judge not, that you not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
The way we judge others will come back on us. So, we should be careful about how we treat others. The measuring stick I use for others will be used on me, so I need to be careful.
Isaiah 33:2 O Lord, we wait for you.
“O Lord, be gracious unto us. We have waited for you. Be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.”
Faith in God turns into prayer. But faith in karma can leave a person frustrated. If we grow bitter and angry our faith turns into bitter complaining when things don’t go well. We need to have faith that God’s justice will prevail. Even if we must wait years for it. The prophet gave a voice to the many silent cries that came from the Israelites. Those who had true faith recognized that the Lord was their salvation even when times were difficult.
Isaiah 33:3 God rose up in their time of need
“At the noise of the tumult the people fled. At the lifting up of thyself, the nations were scattered.”
When the Assyrians attacked from the north, the tumult struck fear in the people. Historians record this as the dispersion of the ten northern tribes of Israel. God stood up to defend Judah and the attacking army scattered. In the biblical record, we see this was the time when a great revival occurred in Judah. They saw that God come to protect them when they prayed for help. This strengthened their weak faith in the Lord.
A revival occurred and people turned back to God. But it didn’t last long. So the story repeats.
Isaiah 33:4 They fear the consuming army
“And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar. As the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.”
In the book of Joel, (see here and here.) we see this use of the locusts as a type of utter destruction. The swarms would come in and wipe out the crops. The Assyrians swept in and defeated the northern tribes, inflicting utter desolation upon them. They expected similar results against Judah. God had other plans for them. The Lord stood up, using his version of karma to stop the invading army.
In Gill’s Exposition of the scriptures, he makes the connection to the final attack by the Antichrist.
“and the house of Israel shall gather the substance of the people, their enemies, as they gather a locust:”
the antichristian locusts or caterpillars are here meant, whose substance shall fall into the hands of the followers of Christ, when they shall have got the victory of them; this is the flesh of the whore, her worldly substance, which the kings of the earth, the Christian kings, shall eat or enjoy, Revelation 17:16,
Get the book from the early Church father on this subject.
Isaiah 33:5 Praise the Lord on High
“The Lord is exalted; for he dwells on high. he has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.”
The Lord always wins in the end. This truth isn’t fully seen until every enemy is vanquished. There are small victories in our lives. We cherish those, but the fight continues. We all face a similar Assyrian foe, one who is too much for our meager strength. If we set our eyes on the Lord who dwells on high, it gives us hope in the battle.
If we set our eyes on the enemy or our weakness — failure is inevitable. Focus on the victory and the One who is able to defeat your Assyrian foe.
Isaiah 33:6 The fear of the Lord is wisdom
“And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of your times, and strength of salvation. The fear of the Lord is his treasure.”
The fear of God is a great treasure though many consider it a weakness. It is not, it is a strength. We should fear God because he is the Eternal Mighty Lord who is Creator and Sustainer of everything. When trouble comes, and it does come to everyone, the wise turn to God who is able to save them. The foolish, think they are able to save themselves. They miss out on the treasure of fearing God.
Isaiah 33:7 The Lord’s judgment devastates the land
“Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without. The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.”
The proud ones will cry but there will be none to help them. Though they send ambassadors seeking peace, in the end, they will weep in bitterness. In God’s version of karma, his justice is firm and unmoving. Those who are unmerciful toward others will receive the same from God.
When the oppressors cry for mercy, the Lord will not forget those who didn’t receive mercy from them.
Isaiah 33:8 Highways are wasted
“The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases. He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he regards no man.”
During the devastation brought by the Assyrian invasion, the roads were empty of travelers and merchants. Covenants and promises were broken. God values the person who keeps his or her word. When the Lord makes a covenant he keeps it and expects us to do the same.
The phrase, “he regards no man,” points to the sad condition of humanity in which the lives of others are no longer valued. We first saw this when Cain killed his brother. Today people are killed coldly and callously for no reason at all. People have little regard for others.
God’s justice, what others see as karma, will prevail. For those who have no regard for human life, God will have no regard for their life.
Isaiah 33:9 The earth mourns
“The earth mourns and languishes. Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down. Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.”
Isaiah turns to poetic imagery to describe current and future events. From the historical records, we learn the Assyrians devastated the northern parts of Israel and Lebanon. The prophets commonly used such phrases as “the earth mourns,” to help capture the emotional impact of everything. The people, animals, vegetation, and the land too, were impacted by humanity’s selfish ambition to dominate the weak.
It isn’t karma that will settle things, it is the Holy God of heaven who will.
Isaiah 33:10 The Lord will rise to judge
“Now will I rise, says the Lord, now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself.”
These words serve as a warning to God’s enemies. Both human and spiritual enemies of God will eventually face justice. The Lord has intervened many times in the past. The stories of Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, are set as huge markers of warning to those of us who doubt God’s readiness to judge. He will rise up at the appointed time.
One day in the future, the final rising of the Lord will send all his enemies away. Things will not continue as they are now. Cries for justice will be answered by a Holy God.
Isaiah 33:11 The fiery breath of God
“You shall conceive chaff, you shall bring forth stubble. Your breath, as fire, shall devour you.”
This imagery is comical but at the same time scary. God’s enemies bring forth children made of chaff. Isaiah compares them to chaff. Chaff is an outer shell that forms on grains when they grow. During harvest, the chaff is removed and discarded. Chaff has become a word that is synonymous with something useless, only good for burning in a fire.
The children or offspring of God’s enemies become useless if they are raised to carry on the same self-absorbed attitudes of their parents. They are essentially devoured by the mothers and fathers who raise them to disregard God’s laws and live only for themselves.
Isaiah 33:12 Burned in the fire
“And the people shall be as the burnings of lime. As thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.”
Isaiah continues the ugly imagery of people being burned in a fire. Many of us are very familiar with the images of war and human brutality. Cruelty has no boundaries it seems. I recently saw graphic pictures of hundreds of Christian villagers in Africa who were burned in fires. Men, women, and children were killed, and their bodies burned. Many were tossed alive into those flames. The body is a temporary shell for the soul. We get a new one when we go to heaven. So, those Christians were granted freedom and eternal life by God’s mercy once they passed from this temporal existence.
Like the Assyrians in Isaiah’s day and many others after them, the records of cruelty are not forgotten. God’s justice, karma if you like, will be meted out to those who have done terrible things to innocent people.
Isaiah 33:13 Behold the power of God
“Hear, you that are far off, what I have done, and, you that are near, acknowledge my might.”
Those near or far off will see the Lord’s power. This has happened in the past, numerous times. In the future, all of the Lord’s enemies will face their day in court. The judge will not be lenient toward those who did not show mercy. God challenges those who witness his justice to acknowledge his ability to set things right. He has the power to grant life or death. It’s not wise for us to insist on remaining on the wrong side of God’s grace.
Isaiah 33:14 Woeful sinners; blessed saints
“The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
The sinners are right to be afraid. It is that fear that Isaiah called a treasure in verse six. But if that fear isn’t mixed with wisdom, then a dreadful fire of judgment awaits. The writer poses some interesting questions. Who can live with a fire that devours or everlasting burning? God is the consuming fire that we should fear. We can live with that consuming fire who dwells in heaven if we are protected by his mercy. We receive that mercy when we see ourselves correctly and respond to his offer of grace. See here.
Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Isaiah 33:15 Do these things and live!
“He that walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil.”
Isaiah provides a short “to-do-list,” for those of us who wish to follow God’s standards.
- Make an attempt to walk righteously
- Speak well toward others
- Don’t oppress others and gain from their losses.
- Avoid bribes or even the appearance of them
- Don’t listen to those who have a thirst for blood and violence.
- Guard your eyes against evil practices.
This is a summary of God’s righteous standards. Here is an even simpler way to say it.
Love God – love people.
Isaiah 33:16 The righteous will be raised up
“He shall dwell on high, his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks. Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure.”
The prophet spoke plainly to the Israelites and those down through the years who would read his words. Live by God’s standards and you will live in high places with God. You will find protection and all of your needs met. Your bread and water will be secure.
Keep these truths in focus in light of eternity. We will have trials and hard times in our lives. If we honor God’s ways, we still might struggle or suffer wrong at the hands of others. But God’s justice, karma if you like, will ensure that our future is good.
Isaiah 33:17 They will see the beauty of the Great King
“Your eyes shall see the king in his beauty. They shall behold the land that is very far off.”
The righteous will see God. We will live with him. Remember that Isaiah is writing these things to people who witnessed terror in their streets. Their brethren to the north were scattered or slaughtered. In light of these very real tragedies, he was trying to keep the big picture in focus. We too often can’t see that when we go through hard times. We rarely face the type of hard times the Israelites endured during the time that Isaiah wrote.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
That is a tremendous promise we find in the Bible. Our eyes will see the Great King!
Isaiah 33:18 In peace they will remember the terror
“Your heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe, where is the receiver, where is he that counted the towers?”
Here Isaiah envisions the people looking back at the terror they lived through. They will think about it or meditate on it. The scribes who wrote about and detailed the coming invasion are gone. The military leaders who calculated the number of towers and the soldiers that would be needed to help defend the city were only memories.
There will come a time when that will apply to those on the other side of the battle of Armageddon. the appointed time is set on God’s calendar. It will be a time unlike any other. If God were to let it play out, all flesh would be destroyed. He will step in and apply justice.
Those who showed mercy will receive mercy. Those who were unmerciful toward others will receive no mercy from God.
Call it karma if you like. God calls it justice.
Isaiah 33:19 The fierce enemies removed
“You shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than you can perceive, of a stammering tongue, that you can not understand.”
A short time of peace came for the nation of Judah in Isaiah’s day. The fierce soldiers who spoke in a foreign language came with terrifying swiftness. Lasting, eternal peace will come for all in the future.
Isaiah 33:20 Zion will become the city of festivals
“Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities. Your eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down. Not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.”
Zion, the city of Jerusalem, will finally take its pre-determined place in God’s plan. The city will become a place of festivals where Jews and Gentiles celebrate life and the Giver of Life. This will be the rule of every day during the long-awaited Millennial reign of Jesus on earth.
The time festivals will begin and last for 1,000 years. The Apostle John saw this vision of a thousand years. Many other Old Testament prophets, Isaiah included, wrote descriptions of what it would be like.
Isaiah 33:21 The Lord will be our Mighty One
“But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams. Wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.”
History is full of the stories of mighty ones who built empires. Those mighty ones led armies against surrounding tribes or nations. In the Book of Genesis, we read about the mighty Nimrod, who was a great warrior. The Bible calls him a great hunter. His prey wasn’t animals but humans. He built cities and created one of the first known kingdoms in post-flood history.
Genesis 10:8
And Cush became the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth.
Once God cleans house we will have no need for mighty ones to lead us in defeating other armies.
God will be our Mighty One.
The climate and topography around Jerusalem and in Israel will change in the future. There will be new rivers and streams that serve to cleanse the land from the many wars and of course the final war of Armageddon. Warships won’t navigate these new riverways surrounding Jerusalem.
Isaiah 33:22 God is judge, lawgiver, and King
“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. He will save us.”
Jesus will return to fix the mess of humanity’s failures. When he does, we will gladly boast in our great God. He is just, his laws are right, and he reigns as King with mercy and grace.
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Isaiah 33:23 Broken ships of the enemy
“Your tacklings are loosed, they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail. Then is the prey of a great spoil divided, the lame take the prey.”
Here Isaiah refers back to verse twenty-one in which he mentioned ships of war. There weren’t any ships of war used during the Assyrian or Babylonian invasions. The Phoenicians, who were often at war with Israel, did use warships. So, it wasn’t a common manner of war in which the Israelites engaged, but they were familiar with it.
The prophet adds to the summary of destroyed enemies and their weapons of war. The ‘tacklings’ is something many of us are not familiar with. Those are the ropes, nets, and rigging used by sailors on the ships. With them, they secured the sails, masts, and beams.
Karma’s not going to get you God is.
In the Hindu version of karma, they imagine all things being equal so bad things equal good things in the grand scheme. It all balances out. It sounds nice.
But, that’s not the biblical model. In God’s economy, the good far outweighs the bad for those who choose to follow him. An eternity living with God will far surpass any heartache or inconvenience we endure in our lives.
Isaiah 33:24 Healthy, happy, and forgiven
“And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.”
“And they lived happily ever after.”
People won’t complain of sickness because they won’t be. They won’t carry heavy burdens of sin. They will be forgiven, living righteously with others who do also.
That fairy tale ending will eventually come true. In this life, there are trials and hard times. Nobody lives happily ever after. That’s just for the fiction stories.
But in God’s book, the Bible, we read in many places about a beautiful end that awaits the faithful people who trust in God through difficult times.
The wait will be worth it.
Let me know what you think.