Isaiah Symptoms of Sin ~ Part 2 Chapter 5:18-30

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1 Isaiah Symptoms of Sin ~ Part 2 Chapter 5:18-30 S in brings its own judgment. There will be final judgment of the lost, lost for their rejection of Christ, judged for their sins. But there are often natural consequences for sin in this life and these consequences fall on believers as well as unbelievers. This principle is seen, for example, in the case of abortion. With its increase, we see the destruction of children, and not just in the womb. There has been a rise in violence against them in the home, the school, the street, etc. There are also bizarre contradictions in how they are perceived. In the womb they are either an inconvenience, or they are teachable, so the pregnant mother plays Mozart to them. They are our future, so in the schools they are subjects of experimental social engineering. As a result, charter schools and home schooling are on the rise. Public schools, like the womb, are not safe places for children. Dr. McGee expounded on the principle of consequences for sin when he reported: When I was a young man in Nashville, Tennessee, I went to a dentist who was also a good friend. One day he told me something which happened in that town several years before. He told me that one of the most reputable doctors in the city had headed up a dope ring. It was difficult for the law to reach him because of his position. One day the doctor tightened up on the dope in order to get a higher price. For a brief period of time he cut off the supply of dope. This, of course, pushed the price up higher. During that time both his son and daughter were exposed as addicts. He knew nothing about their problem until he cut off the dope supply. That man had the shock of his life, and it apparently led to his death, which occurred shortly afterward. God doesn t have to put His hand in and judge every time. In many instances He just lets sin take its course. 1 Israel and Judah would reap the consequences of their sins, natural and supernatural consequences. Some come from their actions but the most devastating come at the hand of God. I Introduction II The Song of the Vineyard Verses 1-7 III The Six Woes Verses 8-30 A. Covetousness Verses 8-10 B. Drunkenness Verses C. Carelessness Verses D. Deception Verse 20 E. Pride Verse 21 F. Injustice Verses IV Conclusion Verses McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 3, Isaiah, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982, p. 206.

2 This chapter, which finishes up the first section of Isaiah, presents a mixed approach. First it has a song which is also a parable. This is the Song of the Vineyard. In it Isaiah presents God s charges against Judah/Jerusalem. His children have been rebellious and idolatrous. As a consequence, the people were to go into exile. The city and eventually the temple were to be destroyed, which subsequently occurred in 70 A.D. This is an interesting court, because God condemns the defendant simply by declaring them guilty. He passes the sentence of exile and destruction. Then He presents the evidence. This isn t because He needs evidence, but because if we are to learn of Judah s sins, we must have the opportunity to understand them. The first two we considered where reflections of a self-centered lifestyle. The wealthy, and this included those in authority, were a covetous group of people. You shall not covet your neighbor s house. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor (Exodus 20:17). Next we saw they were a hedonistic people. They lived for themselves. This was typified by drunkenness. They were following the injunction which we ll see later in Isaiah. Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! Let us eat and drink, you say, for tomorrow we die! (Isaiah 22:12-13). Introduction: Now in the morning session we will look at the rest of the evidence God is presenting against Judah, four more woes. The message here is: God will not step back from His anger. But don t forget, in the midst of this negativity, that God s anger against His own children is intended to break them for the purpose of restoring them. In that day, the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain (Isaiah 4:2-6). III The Six Woes: Verses 18-19: The language here is again figurative. The picture is of men dragging a heavy cart, harnessed to it by cords of deceit and wickedness, They have fallen into the trap of self-deception, a common enough problem for all humanity. They are proud of their wisdom. They taunt God, asking why hasn t He done anything. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, Where is this coming he ) 68 (

3 promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forget that long ago by God s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:3-7). But these are individuals bound to their own sin, tied to it, trapped by it. And so they also drag the consequences of their sin with them. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast (Proverbs 5:22). So, they dare God to act. In hypocrisy, they say to God, Okay, come on let s see you act. We dare you to. These are men who are called God s, part of the nation Judah, but living as practical atheists. They act as if there were no God. These are the same type as the Pharisees and teachers who came to Jesus, and were identified by Isaiah. Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you. Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him (Matthew 12:38; Isaiah 1:4). Even God s children can be atheists. When we live as if God is not significant to our daily life and choices, then we live as practical atheists. This is a downward path leading to further separation from fellowship with God. And God intends to bring his people back to him. Verse 20: The next woe exposes the total moral disintegration of those identified in it. They not only can t distinguish between what is right and wrong, but even worse they have reversed God s standards. And while Isaiah is speaking to God s children, we can certainly see how these woes can also be applied to cultures as well. Sadly this is one that is very applicable to ours. There are a whole list of sins that are socially acceptable: abortion is a right of female privacy, stealing is simply good business, the acts of homosexuality and adultery don t hurt anyone and are simply alternate lifestyles; and it goes on and on. But, fortunately there does seem to be some turnaround, because many people reject the views of those in leadership and, unlike in Judah,are willing to take a stand for what is right. Grogan says of this verse: This woe has a link with the previous one (v.18) for deceit is there expounded as skepticism about the ways of God. Unhappily it is an easy journey from such skepticism to the total reversal of values this verse demonstrates, for God is the source of all values; and if we are wrong about him, we can soon be wrong about everything. The Pharisees rejection of Christ showed itself in the same way, for they attributed the works of the Holy Spirit to Beelzebub. 2 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons. 2 Grogan, Geoffrey W., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Isaiah, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, ) 69 (

4 So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin. (Mark 3:22-29). Verse 21: And what is behind all of this? Pride! This is what caused Satan to fall. And this is the downfall of all mankind, the belief that they can dictate to God or be gods. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil (Proverbs 3:5). And so we see the ultimate stupidity, the ultimate self-deception, to be impressed with your own wisdom. The reason it is stupid is because it leads to destruction. Verses 22-23: And so we come to the last woe. Notice, up to now there has been no warning of judgment. But that is soon to come. The last woe returns us to the accusation of hedonism. This bunch are know and praised for their ability to imbibe large quantities of liquor. These guys had all made the Ahaz book of world records. These are the party guys and they support their habits by selling justice. And it is this sale of justice that is the real problem. The hedonism is the character flaw. But, the real flaw is the worship of self rather than worship of God. We live in a world of self-deification and even within religion the ultimate goal, as with the Mormons, is to become deity, a god. Verses 24-25: Enough is enough! says God. With two therefore(s) God tells Judah what is to happen. First, using imagery Isaiah describes the destructive wrath of God. Like fire blowing through a dry field, so will God s wrath burn through His rebellious people. The people are rotten to their roots and only total destruction of evil can bring restoration. Therefore, God s wrath is kindled. Can you think of anything more terrifying than knowing that God s wrath burns against you, His child? This is what Isaiah tells Judah of their situation. And it was of their own making. Look at the level of destruction against the people. What they have done to themselves spiritually, God was going to do physically. But God s wrath is not assuaged by this judgment. He continues to let it fall. This is a warning of the coming invasion. Conclusion: Verses 26-30: Rabbinical scholars see this as the Assyrian invasion of Israel. In these verses, the prophet foretells the Assyrian invasion upon the northern kingdom of Israel. It will be as though God had raised an ensign to signal to them to come from afar, and whistled to them if they did not see the ensign. I.E., He will inspire them to come swiftly to attack Israel [Redak, Kara] 3 3 Rosenberg, Rabbi A., Isaiah, Volume 1, The Judaica Press, Inc., New York, NY, 1992, P ) 70 (

5 Wiersbe summarizes the closing verses this way: (God s) hand was raised in judgment and would not come down until He had completed His work. He would summon the Assyrian army from afar and use it to chasten His people. The Northern Kingdom of Israel would be destroyed, and Judah, the Southern Kingdom, would be devastated but eventually delivered, only to go in captivity to Babylon a century later. God was serious about the nation s sins. If they would not repent and accept His offer of pardon (1:18), then all He could do was send judgment. 4 Now let s consider the specific imagery of the verses. First God calls for nations surrounding Judah to invade and to ravage. He lifts an ensign as a rallying point for specifically Assyria. Next He whistles so those who miss seeing His signal hear it. While the people had been taunting God, saying You really aren t going to do anything are you? But once God begins to act, He moves swiftly. A well equipped and trained army enters the field. And so this roaring army moves on the nation. Matthew Henry states: Their roaring, or shouting, before a battle, shall be like a lion, who with his roaring animates himself, and terrifies all about him. Those who would not hear the voice of God speaking to them by his prophets, but stopped their ears against their charms, shall be made to hear the voice of their enemies roaring against them and shall not be able to turn a deaf ear to it. They shall roar like the roaring of the sea in a storm; it roars and threatens to swallow up, as the lion roars and threatens to tear in pieces. 5 No, the battle had not yet started, (that is in Isaiah s time), but it was going to as sure as the sun was going to rise. And God s judgment does and will continue until such time as the nation repents and returns to Him. There shall not be the least prospect of relief or succour. The enemy shall come in like a flood, and there shall be none to lift up a standard against him. He shall seize the prey, and none shall deliver it, none shall be able to deliver it, nay, none shall so much as dare to attempt the deliverance of it, but shall give it up for lost. Let the distressed look which way they will, every thing appears dismal; for, if God frowns upon us, how can any creature smile? First, Look round to the earth, to the land, to that land that used to be the land of light and the joy of the whole earth, and behold darkness and sorrow, all frightful, all mournful, nothing hopeful. Secondly, Look up to heaven, and there the light is darkened, where one would expect to have found it. If the light is darkened in the heavens, how great is that darkness! If God hide his face, no marvel the heavens hide theirs and appear gloomy, Job 34:29. It is our wisdom, by keeping a good conscience, to keep all clear between us and heaven, that we may have light from above even when clouds and darkness are round about us. 6 But if he remains silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him? Yet he is over man and nation alike (Job 34:29). So, Chapters 1 through 5 have shown the sin of Judah in her rebellion against God demonstrated in a number of ways but underlying all, idolatry. Yet, through all the darkness and sin a light always shines forth. It is the light of God s mercy and grace. These qualities are al- 4 Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament The Prophets, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, p Henry, Matthew, Commentary On The Old Testament, Isaiah, The Master Christian Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version Ibid. ) 71 (

6 ways available to both His rebellious children, and to the unbelieving lost. For the lost, the call is to repentance and acceptance of the gift of salvation through the shed blood of Christ. For the rebellious believers there is a warning of consequences and loss of reward, but a promise of restoration with repentance and a cry for forgiveness. The believer must always make sure he is choosing the correct foundation on which to build his life. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). Let us heed the warning of Isaiah, any believer if he takes his eyes off the Lord and lets his ears hear the world s call is in danger of God s discipline and a broken fellowship. But, praise God, His desire is our restoration or as the Apostle John put it. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). And so just as warning comes to us, we can share warning, but even more we can share the Good News, the Gospel with those who will one day stand before the Lord. What a blessing and joy to be able to be used by God in the most important enterprise that can ever be carried out, the evangelism of the lost. Then Jesus came to them and said, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-19). ) 72 (

7 Isaiah Symptoms of Sin ~ Part 2 Chapter 5:18-30 I Introduction II The Song of the Vineyard Verses 1-7 III The Six Woes Verses 8-30 A. Covetousness Verses 8-10 B. Drunkenness Verses C. Carelessness Verses D. Deception Verse 20 E. Pride Verse 21 F. Injustice Verses IV Conclusion Verses Introduction: (Exodus 20:17; Isaiah 22:12-13, 4:2-6) III The Six Woes: Verses 18-19: (2 Peter 3:3-7; Proverbs 5:22; Matthew 12:38; Isaiah 1:4) Verse 20: (Mark 3:22-29)

8 Verse 21: (Proverbs 3:5) Verses 22-23: IV Conclusion: Verses 24-25: Verses 26-30: (Job 34:29; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 John 2:1-2; Matthew 28:18-19). Personal Application: This week look around you for someone who needs to hear of God s love and mercy. Present the message of hope with God s love and Spirit in your words. Prayer for the Week: Lord, I praise Your Name for Your willingness to let me be involved in the giving out of the message of the Gospel. In Christ s name, amen.