We do not have a silent God! History has shown us that, time after time, God has sent messengers out into the world. God’s message was always similar. One messenger was Isaiah. Isaiah is believed to have lived in the 8th century BC in the Kingdom of Judah. His prophetic ministry is thought to have spanned the reigns of several kings, including Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Isaiah’s prophecies cover a range of themes, including the impending judgment of God upon the people of Judah along with other nations, the promise of a coming Messiah, and visions of a future golden age of peace and justice.
Isaiah is highly revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Christianity, for example, Isaiah 7:14 is frequently cited in connection with the Virgin Birth, and Isaiah 9:6 is seen as a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Isaiah’s writings emphasize God’s sovereignty, holiness, and plan for redemption. He addresses social justice issues, ethical conduct, and the responsibilities of individuals and nations. His teachings on justice, compassion, and righteousness continue to be relevant, even today! Isaiah’s words are often cited in discussions about morality and social responsibility.
While Isaiah’s prophecies were initially directed at the ancient Kingdom of Judah, many of the points he addresses, such as redemption, hope, and the relationship between humanity and the divine, are universal. This universality allows Isaiah’s writings to resonate across historical and cultural contexts. Isaiah is revered not only in Judaism and Christianity but also acknowledged in Islam. His writings are quoted in the Quran, further contributing to their influence across different religious traditions.
What brings us to study Isaiah this week is Isaiah’s warning noted below:
In the chapter (Isaiah 5), we find a passage known as the “Song of the Vineyard.” In this poetic and metaphorical passage, Isaiah uses the imagery of a vineyard to convey a message about the people of Israel and God’s expectations for them. The specific message in Isaiah chapter 5 begins by describing a vineyard planted by a landowner who carefully prepared the soil, cleared it of stones, planted choice vines, and built a watchtower to protect the vineyard. The owner expected the vineyard to yield good grapes. When the owner looks for good grapes, he finds only wild, sour grapes. The metaphor describes the disappointment of God with the people of Israel. Despite God’s care and provision, the people have not produced the righteous and just behavior that God desires. As with the failure of the vineyard to produce good fruit, the owner declares that he will remove the protective hedge, allowing the vineyard to be trampled and destroyed. Isaiah explicitly interprets the metaphor, stating that the vineyard represents the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines. They have produced no good fruit!
(Isaiah 5:20-23)1NIV New International Version Translations – “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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.”
For us today, there are also very specific warnings that can save our nation. We must understand God’s disappointment and the impending consequences of our nation’s disobedience. Isaiah 5:20–23 conveys a message about moral and ethical decay, describing the inversion of values and the consequences of turning away from God’s ways.
- Woe to those who call evil good and good evil: The passage begins with a proclamation of “woe” or judgment upon those who purposely confuse moral values, labeling what is evil as good and vice versa. This describes a society that has lost its moral compass.
- Who put darkness for light and light for darkness? This reinforces the idea of moral confusion, equating darkness with light and vice versa. It emphasizes the distortion of truth and righteousness. Our media and government should pay particular attention to this warning.
- Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter? Have you heard politicians tell you how good you have it? This warning highlights the old trick of distorting what is pleasant and good (sweet) with what is unpleasant and harmful (bitter). This is a perversion of values and an inability to discern right from wrong.
- Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight! Isaiah is warning those who are arrogant and self-reliant, relying on their wisdom rather than seeking guidance from God. It reflects a present-day warning against human pride and a lack of humility.
- Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks: These addressed those who indulge excessively in worldly pleasures, particularly in the context of stimulants like alcohol. It suggests a society or individuals focused on self-indulgence rather than righteousness. We can add to this warning drugs and the perversion of sex, to name a few (indulgences).
- Who acquits the guilty for a bribe but denies justice to the innocent? Isaiah’s warnings conclude by condemning corruption within a legal system, where individuals are swayed by bribery or self-interests to pervert justice. This reflects a breakdown in the moral fabric of society, with the powerful exploiting the vulnerable. This may be one of our greatest contemporary failures: the failure to uphold God’s laws equally as part of our justice system. We have become “justice for you but not for me.” Those in power have redefined God’s laws to their benefit.
Isaiah, speaking on God’s behalf, is condemning the moral confusion and corruption prevalent in the society of Judah. His condemnation is just as appropriate for our nation today. Instead of calling good actions good and evil actions evil, we are busy distorting moral values. Isaiah was calling for a return to righteousness and justice. We are urged to embrace true wisdom and righteousness, seek justice for the innocent, and avoid corruption. And how do you do this? Through repentance and a return to righteous living!
Retrospective Commentary
The Kingdom of Judah was eventually conquered by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century BC. Isaiah’s warnings were well-founded! The Babylonian conquest led to the destruction of Jerusalem, including the Temple, and the deportation of many Israelites to Babylon, where they were enslaved. The exile lasted for decades (several generations) before the Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland to rebuild their nation and their temple. Many, however, chose not to return. They had established new lives in the foreign lands where they were exiled. They may have formed communities, built homes, and established families. Many had found economic stability where they were living. Those who returned would face challenges and opposition, and not everyone was willing to risk potential conflict or instability by returning to a land that had experienced destruction and turmoil. And finally, the younger generations, born in exile and without the same historical ties, were less motivated to go back. They had assimilated into the cultures of the lands where they were exiled. For those who did not return, they were lost forever to the gods of foreigners. This was the price of sin!
Contemplations
- Do you believe that we are living in a nation that ignores God’s laws?
- Ideas to explore: It does not take much time to examine the Scriptures to find God’s laws. Whether it is the “Big 10” or Christ’s command to “love one another,” can you add anything?
- If you believe in a Creator and Scripture, do you believe that God will punish those who do not follow His laws?
- Ideas to Explore: What does history tell us? Why is there such an attack going on to erase history?
- Of Isaiah’s list, what is the one that you are most concerned about?
- Ideas to Explore: Inversion: calling things the opposite of what they are. The world is telling us things are great. Drugs, alcohol, etc. The perversion of our nation’s justice system.
- What is your plan?
- Ideas to Explore: Become a doomsday prepper and stockpile food, money, and protection. Be happy, do nothing, and just trust that God will handle everything. Pay close attention to what our nation’s educational systems, government, and society claim to be true (then teach the truth).
- Immigrants, whether legal or illegal, come to our nation seeking justice in an unjust world. Do you think they are in for a surprise?
- Ideas to Explore: Why does the US Commerce Department support illegal immigration? Leaders have been quoted as saying, “We need someone to pick our crops!” While our borders remain open, citizens are being held in prison without bail or a speedy trial just because of different opinions on politics. The actions being reported today in our media belong more to a ‘Banana Republic’ than a free nation. Do you think there may be some “buyer (immigrant) remorse?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations