Adders' Eggs and Spider Webs

Isaiah 59:1-21

Today’s reading from the prophet Isaiah paints a bleak picture of iniquity and injustice run amok. God’s people have turned completely away from God, so much so that they no longer perceive God’s presence in their midst. One telling passage presents vivid metaphors for this condition. “They hatch adders’ eggs,” we read, “and weave the spider’s web; whoever eats their eggs dies, and the crushed egg hatches out a viper. Their webs cannot serve as clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make” (Isaiah 59:5-6a). Clearly, even the most basic of needs––food and clothing––have been perverted by sinfulness beyond recognition. There can be no trust and no real community among the people because they have forgotten what it means to be care for one another and to provide for each other’s needs.

Earlier Isaiah has made the point that God has not departed from the people. “See, the Lord’s hand is not too short of save…” says the prophet. “Rather your iniquities have been barriers, between you and your God…” (v. 1-2). The image is reminiscent of William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, the story of a planeload of young boys stranded on an island with no adult supervision. Left to their own devices the boys soon revert to a kind of animalistic state of being, full of violence and terror. Isaiah would have us see that when we turn away from God, when we allow our sins and our selfishness to become barriers, we will find ourselves lost in a hellish situation. God’s guidance, God’s presence has never been a punishment or a hardship, it has given us the structure we need to thrive in community, with care and regard for one another. Perhaps this is overly simplistic. But given the choice between doing things God’s way or doing them our way the wise path is always to seek God’s will and to strive for it. Then we are truly free to love one another and to share what we really need.

Prayer: Lord, do not leave us to our own methods, but guide us and help us to make good decisions so that all may share in your love. Amen.