Comment: The last time that I wrote from Isaiah we saw God angry with the Israelis for 2 particular sins – storing up property to the loss of the poor; the late night boozing to pleasant music again to the detriment of the common man! Now we hear God shouting out ‘woe’ to them four more times!
18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
who draw sin as with cart ropes, Comment: Iniquities starting out as weak cords, maybe even like spiders’ webs but becoming as thick and unbreakable as strong 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!” Comment: These the words of the sinners are challenging God and His counsellors – as if they saying ‘What can You do it about? we know best!’
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! Comment: While stating not his own but God’s condemnation Isaiah uses 2 dramatic illustrations to explain what calling ‘evil’ ‘good’ means. It is like exchanging light for darkness, sweetness for ‘yuck’! A couple of modern examples are a) Are women men or vice-versa? b) Can one describe God’s Creation as happening by chance and use this to determine your own standards of living?
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight! Comment: I know better than you god, you are dismissed! Note no capital ‘G’.
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! Comment: Isaiah gives 3 more examples of what makes God ‘steaming’ angry – Exchanging drinking ability for real manhood; bribery; unjust treatment of those down the social scale!
24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,
and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,
so their root will be as rottenness,
and their blossom go up like dust; Comment: Would you like to think that your life might go up in smoke? Have you ever been involved in fighting a bush fire? I have! The therefore describes such a bush fire!
Not a proverb, but very relevant! 1 Corinthians 3: 12&13 – Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
Prayer: I stand in awe of You Creator Judge God and sincerely and humbly thank You for sending Jesus.
As I read it! 