Articles
Woe unto Judah - Isaiah 5
Woe unto Judah - Isaiah 5
Isaiah compares God's people to a vineyard. Though God had done what was needed to produce a people of righteousness and holiness, they simply refused. We have now seen this time and time again, beginning with Adam in the garden, continuing with Israel in the wilderness, the people during the time of the judges, the united kingdom period, and now into the divided kingdom period. When God expected to receive good fruit from his vineyard (people), they produced only evil.
Our thoughts and actions have consequences. God stands in judgment. God, through Isaiah, now pronounces a series of 'Woes' unto the people.
8 – For accumulation of wealth, particularly property, at the expense of righteousness and kindness to the poor. Micah, living in the same era, said it this way: "They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, a man and his inheritance." (Micah 2:2).
11 – For drunkenness while ignoring thoughts of God.
18 – For willful sin and open rebellion to God.
20 – For total perversion of righteousness: calling good evil and evil good.
21 – For holding to their own thoughts & ideas while rejecting God's revealed words.
22 – For honoring 'heroes of strong drink' while rejecting honesty and righteousness.
Isaiah summarizes this: "For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. On this account the anger of the Lord has burned against His people" (vs. 24-25).
We live under a different covenant, and America is not the chosen people/nation of God, yet our country is quickly becoming like Judah in our moral and spiritual makeup. We who are disciples of Jesus must be different (2 Cor. 6:17-7:1). We cannot live like the world nor even allow ourselves to think / reason like them (Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:17-22, etc.).
We cannot just wait for our country to turn around and become better, we must be godly and let our lights shine (Matt. 5:16). Only by teaching and influencing others can we make a moral change in our society.
God still reigns in the kingdoms of men. Many nations have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. I am not responsible for the sins of the country, but I am responsible for being a godly influence to those I live amongst. How brightly is your light shining?
Hugh DeLong
