14Justice is turned back, and
righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and
uprightness cannot enter. 15Truth
is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw
it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. Isaiah 59:14-15
Why has justice turned back? Why does righteousness stand
far away? Because “truth has stumbled in the public squares.” That phrase so
fittingly describes a large part of our culture today. A few years ago, I was
getting a physical for a life insurance policy and the nurse asked me if I was
pregnant. She clarified that it was a question she was required to ask. Required
because now we are supposed to believe that men can get pregnant.
I don’t intend to plunge fully into the issue of transgenderism, but I mention
the incident to illustrate my point. Truth has stumbled in the public squares.
The distinction between men and women had been understood and accepted for thousands of years of
human civilization and now the American Medical Association recommends removing
the sex designation on birth certificates because the designation “fails to
recognize the medical spectrum of gender identity.” https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-announced-policies-adopted-final-day-special-meeting
Of course, this matter of truth has not only stumbled in that
arena but even in its own stable. Many today argue that truth itself is subjective
and based on a person’s lived experience. We have conflated two terms to the
detriment of society. What used to be understood as perception, we now label as
“my truth.” My perception of a situation, event, object, etc. does not equal
the truth of that situation, event, object, etc. When we understand truth as
that which corresponds to reality then my perception of reality is only that--my perception, not my 'truth.'
Every person certainly has a lived experience that impacts
their perception of reality, but a perception of reality is not the same as the
actual reality. If I put on blue-tinted glasses, I would perceive everything with
a blueish hue. That does not mean the green grass is actually blue. It simply
means my perception of that grass is blue. Our lived experiences definitely
impact our perception of reality, but we must maintain a clear distinction
between perception and reality. Using the term ‘truth’ when referring to
someone’s perception of reality creates confusion and causes truth to “stumble
in the public squares.”
Society has also caused truth to stumble by rejecting God and His Word in the public square. When we reject the source of truth from even
entering the conversation, we run into serious trouble. The separation of
church and state clause found in Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists assuring
them that the government wouldn’t interfere in church affairs has been flipped
on its head. Now when it comes to public debate on the issues of our day, society
wants to rule out by default any idea that appears to have a religious
underpinning. A large segment of our society has determined that God has no
seat at the table of public discourse. This segment of society believes God
needs to be kept strictly in the religious buildings and completely out of the public
sphere. When the source of all truth has been banned from the public square, truth
has ‘truly’ stumbled.
So where do we go from here? If truth has stumbled in our
society, what’s next? Consider verse 15 of Isaiah 59, “Truth is lacking, and he
who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it
displeased him that there was no justice.” In a society where truth has
stumbled those that want to pursue God’s truth and depart from evil become a
target for those who have abandoned truth. They become prey. And justice does
not prevail because justice can only grow out of genuine truth. But, “The Lord saw
it…” God does not sit in Heaven blind or ignorant to the realities of the age.
He sees it all, and there we find our hope.
The next two verses reveal that God rises up when truth has
stumbled. Look at verses 16 and 17. “16He saw that there was no
man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought
him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. 17He put on righteousness
as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of
vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”
When God saw truth stumble in Israel, He first looked for
intercessors. When He saw none, He dressed for battle and rose up to intervene.
Though Isaiah’s prophecy concerned the people of Israel, it reveals the
character of God. Truth matters to God and He will ultimately rise up when it
stumbles in the public square.
The passage reminds us that God’s truth will ultimately prevail,
but are we stepping up as intercessors? Do we stand up for truth in the midst
of lies and deceit? Do we pray that God’s truth will stand tall in the
public square? We should. As people who believe in the God of all truth and follow
Jesus who is THE truth, we must intercede. It will not be pretty for a society
where God must dress Himself for battle and rise up against it because truth has
stumbled.
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