Commitment: Reject the Root, Sacrifice the Fruit, Tragedy at Columbine (Isaiah 1)
The Columbine tragedy has been difficult for all of us. Emotions have ranged from anger to grief, from shock to disbelief. This event has stirred the concern of a nation that's been suddenly awakened to the painful realization that there has been much going on in our country to which people seem to have become blind or indifferent.
We have watched the parents and students in Littleton, Colorado, and have felt compelled to imagine, "What if it had been our own children or grandchildren involved in this atrocity?" We have personalized this massacre. And we have grieved. We simply have not been able to force ourselves to face the reality that something like this could happen in such a seemingly idyllic, middle-class, all-American community.
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How could this have happened? I believe an answer to this question may be found in the
first chapter of the book of Isaiah. In this passage, modern-day parallels may be found. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had enjoyed a period of great prosperity, but the conditions in Israel had changed. Once again, she had rebelled against God's authority. God, demanding loyalty from His people, had judged His nation by allowing Israel's enemies to attack her. The morally corrupt Northern Kingdom was reduced to a puppet state and was headed toward God's final judgment. Isaiah saw this and also foresaw the eventual punishment and exile of his countrymen in Judah. Isaiah encouraged the king to trust in the sovereign God who had the power to save and restore His people if they turned to Him. In verse one of chapter one of Isaiah we read:
The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isaiah had prophesied for forty years during the reigns of several kings of Judah. Some of these kings were better rulers than others. Some were more faithful to God than others. During the reign of King Hezekiah, Judah saw a revival of sorts. Hezekiah had trusted in the Lord, and God had delivered Judah from the hands of Assyria.1 This, however, was not enough to change the heart of this rebellious nation. Like Israel, Judah forsook the Lord.
Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and fumed their backs on him (
v. 4).
There have been offered so many opinions about who is responsible and who is to blame for the tragedy at Littleton. I am sure that you, like 1, have listened to the many experts with all their commentary. As I have tried to evaluate all that I've heard, I have identified several factors which I believe contributed to this dreadful event, as well as the other school shootings which have occurred over the last three years. I see parallels between the condition of Judah thousands of years ago and the contributing factors which have lead to these recent events.