“The LORD is angry with all the nations” (v. 2) and he brings upon them destruction for all their evil.  Sometimes we forget to call evil as it is because the people who do it, like us, are nice.  Aren’t we?  Yet evil is evil.  Let’s call a spade a spade.

There will be a time God will bring judgment on the whole world.  Like much of Isaiah, it probably was a “now” fulfillment in that God would bring judgment in those days and times.  But also an end times fulfillment where he will bring judgment upon all humanity.  Our only rescue is the cross.

Then the Lord will bring judgment on Edom.  Edomites were descendents of Esau and lived southeast of Israel.  There was a long and bitter history with Israel even though they were related.  When Israel was deported, Edom did nothing but stand on the hillside and mock them.  There was bitter blood between the nations.

But God was going to bring judgment.  Why?

“For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a time of paying back Edom for its hostility against Zion” (v. 8).

The truth is, that Israel does wicked things and righteous things.  Sometimes the wickedness is so bad that God has to bring very hard judgment against them until they repent.  Then he brings restoration.

But at the end of they day Israel is God’s anointed.  They are his covenant people.  No matter if Israel is right or wrong, if you touch and harm the covenant people of God, eventually there will be a price to pay.

It’s like a friend of mine who was traveling in the Middle East.  She had a group of 5 guys abduct her and one of them was getting ready to rape her.  She said to him, “I can’t stop you, but I am in covenant with God to remain pure.  If you do what you plan to do, you will be violating that covenant and will have to face the judgment of God now and in eternity.”

He paused.  He stopped.  And he left her.

People of the Middle East understand covenant.   They know how it works.

Don’t mess with the Lord’s anointed.