What follows is a paraphrase of a section of John Owen’s powerful sermon delivered April 11, 1679, born out of his deep love for his city and nation. In it, Owen applied the timeless warnings given to Israel—warnings meant to awaken hearts and bring repentance—to his own time and place, just as Isaiah had done centuries before.

Now, 346 years later, I feel compelled to echo these same warnings to my own time and place. My hope is that by revisiting Owen’s message, we might confront our collective sins with humility and seek God’s mercy while there is still time. This is not merely an exercise in history or theology; it is a call to action—for the love of God, for the love of life, and for the sake of generations yet to come.

The land was weary, and its people stumbled under the weight of their own making. Jerusalem fell like a tree struck by lightning, its roots gnawed away by greed and pride. The prophet Isaiah spoke plainly: they had rebelled against God’s presence, flaunting their sins as if shame no longer lived among them. “Woe to them,” he cried, for their actions brought ruin upon themselves.

There were signs—warnings scattered across the fields like dry leaves in autumn. First came the loss of good men, those who might have held the nation steady. Without them, the country grew thin, brittle as old wood. Then children ruled where wisdom should have stood, and chaos reigned. Neighbors turned on neighbors, grinding down the poor until nothing remained but dust. And oh, the pride! It rose up like a storm cloud, choking out mercy and justice alike.

In the end, the gates would mourn, empty and silent, while the earth swallowed what remained. This is how nations crumble—not with a shout, but with a whisper.

Action Step:

Reflect on your community’s leaders—pastors, teachers, mentors—and consider how you can support or uplift those who exemplify wisdom and integrity. Write a note of encouragement to someone whose guidance has made a difference in your life.

National Sins And National Judgments

What follows is the original text of this sermon with headings added to enhance structure and readability.

Part 1: Introduction

Isaiah 3:8-9 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence. The expression of their faces bears witness against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

First, Here is a confluence of sins delighted in.

Secondly, Here is a concurrence of various judgments unregarded. In the ninth chapter of this prophecy, the prophet enumerates, from the 13th verse to the end of the chapter, all sorts of judgments and indications of the continuance of God’s displeasure, concluding every one of them with this: “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still;” and it will end in their utter destruction.

Thirdly, Here are the preparative causes of ruin, that which would dispose Jerusalem and Judah to ruin and destruction. There are five of them reckoned up in this chapter:

When God makes a nation thin of such persons, it is a preparation and disposition to their ruin.

And what did they do?

Isaiah 3:14-15 “Ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.”

Isaiah 3:14-15 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. “What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?” Declares the Lord God of hosts.

This is the end of it all. So that you have an account of what are those causes whereon God in His Word doth pronounce cities and nations to be ruined and destroyed, even then when they stand in their fullest security, in their own opinion.

These paraphrases were created using AI, functioning like a thought thesaurus. Here is a list of available readings.