Definition and Usage:
Wasteness refers to a state of desolation, ruin, or emptiness, often used in the Bible to describe the aftermath of divine judgment or the consequences of sin. It conveys a sense of barrenness and destruction, both physically and spiritually.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 24:1-3 : "Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants. The people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor. The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word."

· In this passage, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a time when the Lord will bring judgment upon the earth, resulting in widespread wasteness. This serves as a warning of the consequences of disobedience and sin, emphasizing the impartiality of God's judgment.

2. Jeremiah 4:7 : "A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited."

· Here, wasteness is depicted as the result of an invading force, symbolized by a lion, which brings destruction to the land. This imagery highlights the severity of the judgment that comes upon those who turn away from God.

3. Ezekiel 6:14 : "I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

· The prophet Ezekiel conveys God's intention to make the land a desolate waste as a demonstration of His power and as a means to bring the people back to the recognition of His sovereignty.

Theological Implications:

Wasteness in the Bible often serves as a metaphor for the spiritual barrenness that results from sin and rebellion against God. It is a vivid reminder of the consequences of turning away from divine commandments and the inevitable judgment that follows. The imagery of wasteness underscores the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance and restoration.

Symbolism:

Wasteness symbolizes the absence of life and productivity, reflecting the spiritual desolation that occurs when individuals or nations forsake God. It is a call to return to righteousness and to seek the restoration that only God can provide.

Application:

In a contemporary context, the concept of wasteness can be applied to the spiritual state of individuals or societies that have drifted from biblical principles. It serves as a cautionary tale, urging believers to remain faithful and to seek God's guidance to avoid the spiritual and moral decay that leads to wasteness.1. (n.) The quality or state of being waste; a desolate state or condition; desolation.

2. (n.) That which is waste; a desert; a waste.

7722. sho -- perhaps a ravage
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition perhaps a ravage NASB Word Usage ravages
(1). desolation, destroy, destruction, storm, wasteness. ...
/hebrew/7722.htm - 6k

God's Dealings with the Earth During the Tribulation Period.
... That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and
desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/3 gods dealings with the.htm

The Exodus.
... they might not be scorched by the heat, and by night were enlightened by a pillar
of fire, lest the horror of darkness should be added to the wasteness of the ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxxv the exodus.htm

From Such Scriptures Grace is Proved to be Gratuitous and ...
... tilled and fortified? Are these things for the merits of their wasteness,
their desolation, their uprooting? Far from it. For such ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 15 from such scriptures grace.htm

Manasseh and Josiah
... "That day is a day of wrath,. A day of trouble and distress,. A day of wasteness
and desolation,. A day of darkness and gloominess,. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 32 manasseh and josiah.htm

Heralds of the Morning.
... Destruction upon destruction is cried."(500). "That day is a day of wrath, a day
of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /17 heralds of the morning.htm

Heralds of the Morning
... Destruction upon destruction is cried." Jeremiah 4:19, 20. "That day is a day of
wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 17 heralds of the.htm

The Seventh (And Last) vision "On Earth"
... This is the very meaning of the Hebrew verb (...) hayah) to come to be. [412]
"And (or but) the earth BECAME wasteness and emptiness.". ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the seventh and last vision.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... Lamentations 1; 2; 3; 4). Now was Zion become a ploughed field, and Jerusalem turned
to heaps; a place of briars and thorns, and of wasteness and desolation ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... "That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and
desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

Wasteness (4 Occurrences)
...Wasteness (4 Occurrences). Job 30:3 They are gaunt with want and famine; They gnaw
the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation. (See JPS ASV). ...
/w/wasteness.htm - 7k

Wastelands (4 Occurrences)
... Wastelands (4 Occurrences). Job 30:3 They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw
the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation. (See NIV). ...
/w/wastelands.htm - 7k

Waster (7 Occurrences)

/w/waster.htm - 8k

Gloominess (2 Occurrences)
... Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day
of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds ...
/g/gloominess.htm - 7k

Deserts (18 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 29:10 Therefore behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I
will make the land of Egypt deserts of wasteness and desolation, from Migdol ...
/d/deserts.htm - 12k

Desert (322 Occurrences)
... James Version "empty place" (Job 26:7), "waste," the King James Version "nothing"
(Job 6:18), "confusion," the Revised Version, margin, "wasteness" (Isaiah 24 ...
/d/desert.htm - 46k

Wasteness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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