THOU HAST CLOTHING...

"When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand.”
— Isaiah 3:6

Here I see a people in need of a leader in a time of ruin—there is nothing wrong with desiring a leader to guide the affairs of a people: but what disturbs me is the qualification they give for choosing this leader: “Thou hast clothing.”

In clearer words: “You have clothes enough; be our ruler!”

What does this reveal? It shows a people who have mistaken appearance for character—outward condition for inward state; physical splendour for moral strength; what a man has on the outside for what he is within.

Woe to a people whose leaders are glorious outwardly but ignoble inwardly; whose outside is covered with gold while their hearts are full of dross; men who care little about the state of their inner life but make much noise about what they wear and how they appear before others.

Let us therefore place less weight on outward appearance and give greater attention to a healthy conscience, a pure heart, and inward moral strength. Let us seek men whose inner life is worthy of the office they carry.

A servant of God ought to be like the ark of the covenant: gold within, and then gold without. Let the beauty on the outside be the expression of a work already done within.

Amen.

Ojo'je Ad'eyi