Isaiah 5:12 says, And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. Isaiah said they were playing music at their religious feasts, but they were not considering the work that God did for them. I have said many times that I believe music is an important part of worshipping God, but if we are just enjoying the music without giving any thought to God and His goodness to us, then it is not really worship.
Verse thirteen adds, Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. God said that His people were in captivity and hungry and thirsty because of their disobedience to Him. God had not caused this, but they had. If we are disobedient to God today as Christians, we may not suffer physically or materially, but we will once more be a captive to sin and be spiritually hungry and thirsty.
Verse fourteen continues, Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. Isaiah said that God had stated that those who had become greedy, enlarging their own estate without concern for others, and spoke without regard to God for their own glory with a lot of pomp were doomed to descend into hell. Those who put their faith in the things of this world without accepting God’s gift of salvation are doomed to hell, no matter how much they may think they have gained in this world. As followers of Christ, we will never descend into hell, but if we take the focus of life off of Jesus Christ, we will become spiritually destitute.
Verse fifteen concludes, And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: God also said that those who treated others badly, or were mean, and thought themselves to be mighty men would be brought down. We should never allow this to happen in our life as Christians, and we certainly should not allow it to happen in the church.
Verse sixteen states, But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. After telling them about what was going to happen to those who didn’t obey God, Isaiah then stated that the God of hosts, who he added is the God Who is holy, would be exalted. One day, when Jesus Christ returns, even those who have refused to accept Him as Savior and Lord will exalt Him. God is the only holy God and always will be.
Verse seventeen adds, Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. At that time, the people of God will eat in peace. They will no longer have enemies trying to destroy them. Those who had grown fat or rich outside of God’s will at that time will see all their fat, or riches, devoured by others. People are never going to keep the things of this world forever, and if they don’t lose them in this lifetime, they will when Jesus Christ returns.
Verse eighteen continues, Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: Isaiah said God had pronounced woe on those who had gladly been living in vanity and iniquity. There are people today who are only concerned with increasing their wealth by whatever means with no concern for the less fortunate. Isaiah said that this will one day lead them to woe.
Verse nineteen states, That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Isaiah then asked that God quickly come and carry out His promises. There are people today who are still praying for the same thing, but I personally believe that we should be more concerned with reaching the lost with the gospel of Christ instead of praying for Jesus’s quick return. God knows when this is going to happen and when it does, it will be too late for anyone who hasn’t accepted God’s gift of salvation, and we should never want that for anyone.
Verse twenty adds, Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah warned those who tried to change God’s law, proclaiming evil to be good and good to be evil. There are so many cases today where the people of the world declare what God has called evil to be good and what God has declared good to be evil. They live in the darkness of sin instead of the Light of God.
Verse twenty-one continues, Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! We will never be wise by our own abilities, since true wisdom comes from God, but many people who refuse to believe in God say that they are too wise to believe in what they call foolishness, but one day they will find out how wrong they are.
Verse twenty-two concludes, Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Matthew Henry says this means those who have built up the ability to drink strong drinks without being affected and are proud of it.
Verse twenty-three says, Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! This verse gives the underlying reason why woe had been pronounced on the people. They justified the wicked and rewarded them while taking things away from the righteous. Sometimes, we hear the question asked saying basically that if God is so great, why are we who are followers of Christ struggling so much materially. People may also live in a country where everything is taken away from Christians and given to those who do not believe in God. Woe has already been pronounced on them.
Verse twenty-four adds, Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah said that God had already pronounced judgment on them, even if it didn’t happen immediately. Their works and material wealth were like stubble to God and would be burned away with fire because they had rejected God’s law. The first law that we have to obey to keep ourselves from being cast away into the fire when God’s judgment comes is that each person must be saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone. If we have been, then what happens to our material possessions is no longer important. Even as Christians, those things we have done outside of God’s will, even if they bring us great success in the world, will be burned away.
Verse twenty-five continues, Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. God hates sin, and He has made a way for people to avoid the penalty of sin by putting their faith in Jesus Christ, and if they refuse to, they will face everlasting punishment. Though God is a God of love, He does not overlook sin, but will always be angry about it, and even though He loves the sinner, if they reject His gift of salvation they face His judgment. This does not make God vindictive as some people like to claim but only makes Him a God of righteousness.
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