Isa 22:13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.

Isaiah 22 concerns Jerusalem, here called the Valley of Vision (v.1). Jerusalem was built on top of a hill called Mount Zion. Yet, Mount Zion is not the only mountain. The region is surrounded by mountains. With mountainous terrains mean also many valleys. Hence, it is called the Valley in this oracle. And, it is called the Valley of Vision because it was in this place God’s words came forth. Jerusalem was the Valley of Vision, the seat of prophecy. God’s prophets had warned the city that God would judge the nation, deliver it to the Gentiles, take the people captive and move them to a foreign land, and destroy the city. The people on hearing this sad news should repent and put on sackcloth as a sign of mourning. But NO; they were not in mourning. And, the reason was because they didn’t believe the words of the prophets. So, what did they do? “And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die” (v.13). They saw the army of the Assyrian approaching. They knew the city could not stand against it. The destruction was inevitable. Since we “must” soon die, we might as well enjoy life while it lasts: “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die”. This has been the language of most people living in this world who have sought their portion in this life since the foundation of the world: “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.” Paul quotes the same heathen sentiment of the majority people in his days in 1Corinthians 15:32: “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” Many are saying: “Since we have only one life to live and we may die tomorrow, let us enjoy life to the fullest. Let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.” A rich fool in Luke 12:19 utters these familiar words: “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19). Our Lord warned about the days of eating, drinking and making merry and used the example of the people in the days of Noah. He said: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:38, 39). Those folks didn’t take the warning by Noah seriously but continued in their merry making; they perished in the flood. Folks know they will die. They want to enjoy life before they die. They think death is the end. They are dead wrong. Death is NOT the end: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). It is a hopeless philosophy: “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.” The devil does not want us to believe in the hope of eternal life. The devil wants us to party all night and hopefully die, not waking up the next morning. A rich man in a parable spoken by the Lord was enjoying life until he woke up in the wrong side of eternity; he was suffering (Luke 16:19-31). An eternal death; what a tragic! God wants us to LIVE ETERNALLY (2 Peter 3:9). He wants to save men. He wants us to be SOBER: “Let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). To be sober is to be free from intoxication. Those who eat, drink, and be merry get intoxicated. Those who are SOBER are prepared to meet their Creator; they will live eternally. What about you? Where will you spend eternity?