Woes That Isaiah Pronounced on Judah
December 18, 2020
Commentary
In this passage Isaiah pronounces a sixfold woe upon the sins of the nation of Judah:
Exploiting others (vv. 8-10) – By foreclosing mortgages, the wealthy land owners acquired adjoining land to form huge estates. Drunkenness (vv. 11-17) – He describes people so addicted to alcohol that they begin their drinking as soon as they wake up in the morning, and continue till late at night.Carelessness (vv. 18-19) – They even mock the Holy one of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them.Deception (v. 20) – The people were using God’s vocabulary but not His dictionary.Pride (v. 21) – Instead of listening to God, the leaders consulted with each other and made decisions based on their own wisdom.Perverting justice (vv. 22-25) – The judges who were supposed to enforce the law used their authority to free the guilty and punish the innocent. The people suffered because they rejected God’s law. It is sad to see so many people today searching for meaning in life while spurning God’s Word. We can avoid the error of Israel and Judah by making reading and applying the Bible a high priority in our lives.
Application
When people do not carefully observe the distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows. If I do not take God’s Word, the Bible, as my standard, soon my moral choices will appear fuzzy.
Isaiah 5:8– 25 (NET)
8 Beware, those who accumulate houses, who also accumulate field after field until there is no land left, and you are the only landowners remaining within the land.
9 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies told me this: “Many houses will certainly become desolate, large, impressive houses will have no one living in them.
10 Indeed, a large vineyard will produce just a few gallons, and enough seed to yield several bushels will produce less than a bushel.”
11 Beware, those who get up early to drink beer, those who keep drinking long after dark until they are intoxicated with wine.
12 They have stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and wine at their parties. So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing, they do not perceive what he is bringing about.
13 Therefore my people will be deported because of their lack of understanding. Their leaders will have nothing to eat, their masses will have nothing to drink.
14 So Death will open up its throat, and open wide its mouth; Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it, including those who revel and celebrate within her.
15 Men will be humiliated, they will be brought low; the proud will be brought low.
16 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted when he punishes, the holy God’s authority will be recognized when he judges.
17 Lambs will graze as if in their pastures, amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze.
18 Beware, those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes.
19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take shape and come to pass, then we will know it!”
20 Beware, those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.
21 Beware, those who think they are wise, those who think they possess understanding.
22 Beware, those who are champions at drinking, who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff, they ignore the just cause of the innocent.
24 Therefore, as flaming fire devours straw, and dry grass disintegrates in the flames, so their root will rot, and their flower will blow away like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, they have spurned the commands of the Holy One of Israel.
25 So the Lord is furious with his people; he lifts his hand and strikes them. The mountains shake, and corpses lie like manure in the middle of the streets. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.
Illustration: A bird taught to sing
American pastor and author James H. Brookes told of visiting a friend’s house and hearing the music of a bird singing. It was not the ordinary sound of chirping; instead it resembled the strains of a lovely melody. At first Brookes didn’t know where it was coming from; but when he glanced around the room, he saw a beautiful bird in a birdcage. The lady of the house explained that it had been taught to sing that way at night. The teacher would repeat the notes time and again until the bird was able to mimic them. But this was possible only because it was dark and the bird’s perfect attention would not be diverted. (Our Daily Bread, Monday, May 23).