Read Is 5:1–25
Isa 5:18-25 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, (19) who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” (20) Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (21) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! (22) Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, (23) who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!
The Lord, the God of Israel is building his case against the people of Israel in the eighth century B.C.. For these four woes plus two more earlier, the Lord is charging Israel with and explaining why he is bringing the Assyrians upon them to destroy them. Like most wicked people, the Israelites didn’t think they were doing anything wrong. They were justified of their own actions in their own eyes. Yet God had judged them righteously and not according to man’s standards. It isn’t as if they didn’t have the Law of Moses which warned them about what would happen if they turned away from the perfect will of God and trusted in false gods, particularly worldly wealth and their stomachs.
So the Israelites are condemned because they taunt the Lord of Hosts saying let’s see if these prophecies of doom come true, then we’ll believe it. They were just like people of today casting aside the warnings of God’s wrath to come. God’s warning to Israel and their subsequent destruction is a lesson and warning to us. The Israelites treated evil as good and good as evil. How much more so today where the world around us accepts and promotes homosexuality and fornication as good and condemn those who speak out against it, just as an example. Yet God’s judgment against all iniquity is coming.
The Israelites thought they were hot stuff and knew everything. How much more today with those who say they cannot believe and trust in a God that does x, y or z, things God indeed does do in the Scriptures and so they reject God’s wisdom and judgments because they think they know better than God but their minds are darkened and cannot see the truth. There were those who were champions at drinking and as such brought injustice to the land. Can we say the world we live in does anything less? God’s judgment against Israel is a warning to us and the world. He is calling us to repent of our evil deeds and judge ourselves according to his holy will. He is calling us to trust in the Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ, who took this judgment upon himself on the cross and offers a full, complete pardon if we would but humble ourselves before him and confess our guilt. Judgment begins with the House of God. What will happen to the world?
Lord you have warned us in your Word of your righteous judgments and provided pardon in your Son Jesus. Grant us faith to believe, repent and do what is acceptable in your sight. Amen.