“Wail, for the day of the Lord is near. As destruction from the almighty, it will come!”
-Isaiah 13:6
Isaiah 13:6 is a sobering verse so as we read through the bible, as we meditate on scripture we’re often times encouraged in different verses, motivated by different verses, sometimes we’re sobered by verses. We’re humbled by them. They cause us to sit back and realize the weight and the seriousness of what’s at stake before God. Isaiah 13:6 says, “Wail” like wail weep because the day of the Lord is near. And when you look, there’s so much we could talk about when it comes to the day of the Lord in the Old Testament, but this is a picture of the coming of God’s judgment.
And the picture here Isaiah 13:6 is god’s judgment is near. Destruction from the Almighty upon sinners is coming. It will come the end of verse 6 says. And so we realize reading this … So we’re not in Isaiah’s day but we know that Jesus is coming back.
God’s judgment is near, so may our weeping and wailing turn into witnessing so that others might be found
in Him on that day.
We know that Jesus is coming back soon and for all who’ve been saved by him, who’ve turned from their sins, and trusted in him this will be a glorious day to see Jesus. They have nothing to fear if we’re in Christ. We have nothing to fear when we stand before God on Judgment Day because Christ has paid the price for our sins so actually look forward to the that day. But for all who are not in Christ the day of Judgment when Christ comes, when people stand before God that is not a day to be anticipated. That is a day to be dreaded.
This Verse Prays For Our Friends To Know Christ
Destruction of the almighty is the language that scripture uses to describe that day. Destruction from the Almighty upon those who have turned from him and not trusted in him. So what’s our response to this? We wail because this is coming, which makes sense. I think about my friends, family members, people I live next to, my neighbors. I think about people in the city around me. Think about the nations. I think about so many people among the nations who have not trusted in Christ and I’m brought just to an overwhelming sense of emotion, and trust you are too, like weep and wail.
This day’s coming so we’re provoked to pray. Aren’t we just provoked to pray God save our friends. I’m thinking of friends right now. I trust you have friends who don’t know Christ. Oh God save them. Let’s call out God save them. Our family members, our neighbors, people around us in the city where we live, that we interact with at work or elsewhere in the community.
Isaiah 13:6 Prays For People Without The Gospel
God we pray for the nations. We pray for peoples who’ve not yet been reached with the gospel. Go bring them the gospel before it’s too late. God we pray. Save people from the destruction of your judgment that is coming and use our lives. God help us to live today for that. Help us to live today for what’s gonna matter forever. Help us to live today not just so that we’re ready on that day, but so that others around us who we love, that you’ve put in our lives so that they will be ready on that day so they won’t have anything to fear on that day. Oh God may our weeping and wailing turn into witnessing so that others might know your grace and be found in Christ on the day of the Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
