What does Isaiah 24:11 mean?

The prophet Isaiah's words here sound familiar because people tend to follow patterns. The Lord's judgment of the earth will leave few left alive (Isaiah 24:6). The destruction has completely killed off the harvest of wine grapes and likely most other plant life (Isaiah 24:7–9). The cities are quiet, desolate ruins: faint echoes of the bustling, brightly lit chaos that used to be normal. People stay inside, behind locked doors, avoiding much interaction (Isaiah 24:10). Until they don't.

Earlier, Isaiah described how loss of wine—a metaphor for all the resources and comfort which have been lost—led to the loss of community gatherings. Now, the people come together to air grievances over these hardships. They may be expressing outrage that some authority hasn't solved this problem. Or it could be that looting and rioting take over as frightened, starved people shout their fury at the sky and each other.

In times like that, it seems no happiness is possible. It's as if joy has been exiled from the world, forbidden to return. In such a world, it seems that sadness is not merely normal; it is the only option. King David described how his own sin led him to live in sorrow, as well:

"For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and my bones waste away"
–Psalm 31:10.

Sin always results in sorrow and loss of joy, eventually. That may be the most lasting result of the Lord's judgment (Isaiah 24:1). The people are left alone with their thoughts and nothing to numb the pain of their existence apart from the life-giving Lord.