Isaiah 5
OGCEXAMINATION, Chapter S ONE THROUGH SIX
ASSOCIATION
(Associate the persons or events of column one with the correct person or event of column two. Some of column two are incorrect.)
1
2
Amoz
brother
Zion
Lebanon
plowshares pruning hooks daughters of Zion
eyes coal Hezekiah
ox
mountain of the Lord
ass
unclean
hands
owner
cedars
Sheol
Song Uzziah
died haughty
altar
father
lips
spears full of blood
crib
vineyard Holy One of Israel swords
MEMORIZATION
Come now, and let us ______ together, saith Jehovah: though your _____ be as ______, they shall be as ______ as ______, though they be red like ______, they shall be as ______ If ye be ______ and _____, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and ________, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of ______ hath spoken it. Isaiah 1:18-20. Then flew one of the ______ unto me, having a live ______ in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the ______: and he touched my _____ with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy ______; and thine _____ is taken away, and thy sin forgiven. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, _____ shall I _____, and who will ______ for us? Then I said, _________________; ________. Isaiah 6:6-8
EXPLANATION
Explain the meaning of God asking man to reason together with Him. Isaiah 1:18-20
Explain how the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains. Isaiah 2:1-4
Explain how Israel was like a vineyard planted on a hill. Isaiah 5:1-7
APPLICATION
(In its context every scripture has one meaningthe author’s intended meaning. How may the following be applied in the believer’s life?)
How may God’s refusal to accept Israel’s sacrifices and refusal to hear their prayers be applied to God’s people today? Isaiah 1:10-17
How may the idea of beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks be applied in the New Testament church? Isaiah 2:1-4
How may the Christian apply Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in the temple? Isaiah 6:1-13
SPECIAL STUDY
THE PROPHETMAN, MESSAGE, MEDIUM by John D. Pommert THE MAN
I.
Names and designations for the prophet.
The O. T. Prophets are called by many names and referred to in several ways each indicating something of the character of the man or the nature of his message.
Man of God Deuteronomy 33:1; 1 Samuel 9:6; 1 Kings 12:22; 1 Kings 13:5; 2 Kings 5:14; Jeremiah 35:4; 2 Chronicles 8:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 3:17. This name indicates the moral character of the prophet and the ethical quality of his message. (Cf. the N. T. designation holy prophetsLuk 1:70; Acts 3:21; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21).
Servants of God 1 Chronicles 6:49; 1 Kings 14:18; 1 Kings 18:36; 2 Kings 9:7; 2 Kings 14:25; Titus 1:1. Similar to the above but indicating a serving status.
Messenger of Jehovah Isaiah 42:19; Isaiah 44:26; Isaiah 6:9; Jeremiah 26:12-15; Ezekiel 21:1-10; Jeremiah 20:7. An emphasis upon the teaching or preaching function.
Interpreter Isaiah 43:27; Cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21. These men explained as well as announced the message.
Man of Spirit Hosea 9:7 Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 4:10; Acts 26:24; Micah 3:8 (also translated fool, mad, or wind indicating the people’s opinion of this speaker of strange words).
Watchman Ezekiel 3:17. He is to the people spiritually what the watchman on the tower is to the city physically. Both have important functions; both are responsible for the message; both are to be believed by the people.
Seer 1 Chronicles 29:29; 1 Samuel 9:9. He was a man of insight moved by the Spirit of God to see what others could not.
Prophet Exodus 7:1-2 etc. The most common term used indicating one who speaks for anotherin this case, one who speaks forth for God. Again, a special relationship to God is indicated by this term.
Sons of the Prophets 1 Kings 20:35; 2 Kings 2:3-15; 2 Kings 4:1; 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 5:22; 2 Kings 6:1-7; 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:20. Indicating that the prophets were not holy ascetics but men who trained others to carry on their work.1
II.
Personality of the prophets.
What type of men were these holy prophets? Clovis Chappell summarizes them as follows: (1) humanthey had the same feelings and frailties of other menthey were not angels or superhuman creatures; (2) men of insightwho could see (by aid of the Holy Spirit) God’s meanings in daily events; (3) individualistseach has his own peculiarities and personality which refused compromise; (4) fiery zealotsmen who did not preach a Believe-what-you-want message but with a Thus-saith-the-Lord authority and urgency; (5) unpopular menwho endured fire and sword and death because they refused to compromise their message (Hebrews 11).2 Too often we make these men something other than men whom God used. They were holy men, dynamic men, inspired men, courageous men, but MEN!
III.
MARKS of a Prophet
Kyle Yates shows us a different side of these men when he outlines the marks of a prophet.3 He sees the prophet to differ from other men in: (1) his uncompromising individuality; (2) his consciousness of his divine call to be a mouthpiece for God; (3) his awareness of his privileged access to the inner counsel of God; (4) his boldness expressed in action and not just theory-he always commands attention; (5) his awareness of God’s authority and backing in every emergency even when he is a lone man against a mob; (6) his prayer life and communion with God which often results in a separation from men; (7) his cleanness of life and holy moral character (none of the genuine prophets receive even a breath of scandal concerning moral lapses); (8) his outspoken and fearless criticism of social evils; (9) his ability to foresee and reveal the future.
IV.
Social Position and Background of the Prophets
Brant Lee Doty has an interesting two paragraphs about the backgrounds of these men when he writes:
God used a most heterogeneous selection of men for this purpose. Some were of royal blood, while others knew poverty and the hard life of farm or field. Some began their labors while yet virtually children, whereas others did not step fully into the position until well advanced in years. A few probably knew personal wealth, but the great majority were of humble, lowly background. Regardless of these factors of age or wealth or station, the messages came from God and must be delivered fearlessly.
The prophets were not trained by some standardized procedure. Some were called instantly from their occupations, perhaps without prior hint of their selection. Some spent a part of their lives in schools introduced by the time of Samuel (1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:20). They learned from the compounded, wisdom of earlier men, with special attention to a full mastery of the laws of God, preparing their hearts in anticipation of the call from heaven, and springing to their tasks when this call clearly came.4
V.
Comparison to Modern Day Preachers
Some have compared the prophets to modern day preachers who also preach the Word of God. However, there are several differencesmainly that the prophet’s message was directed by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) whereas the present day preacher can claim no special guidance. The preacher has a regular congregation and receives a set salary while the prophet was not called by the people, did not preach regularly to the same group, and did not receive any pay. The preacher is under the authority of an eldership while the prophet was answerable only to God. The preacher plans his preaching and can even announce his text in advance; the prophet spoke at odd times and in odd places. The preacher spoke in a religious context to religious people; the prophet usually spoke outside to whatever people were present. Other differences could be noted all indicating the apparent similarity of preacher and prophet to be only in a few particulars.5
VI.
A Summing Up
To sum up the O. T. prophet, we should think of him as a ``holy man (i.e., one set apart with a special mission) speaking a message from God to an impenitent people. His message was often indicative (Webster’s second definition of this wordpointing out, giving intimation or knowledge), sometimes predictive, but always productive (for God’s Word does not return unto Him void.)
THE MESSAGE
I.
The Context of the Message
The prophet always declared that his message was not his own but came from God. Young in My Servants the Prophets uses up four pages simply listing the declarations of Isaiah, Thus saith the Lord, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, etc. These men were convinced that the message they preached came from God. In fact, they were not always happy in their ministry nor with the responsibility to preach but were faithful to its delivery nonetheless (Cf. Jeremiah 15:16 ff; Jeremiah 20:7 ff; Ezekiel 3:3).
This message frequently contained predictions concerning future events, but the main burden of the message dealt with present evils and a call for immediate repentance. Harper’s Dictionary6 summed up the tension between today and tomorrow by noting, Though prophecy was primarily concerned with current situations, the prophets realized that tomorrow is inherent in today.
This gave rise to double-prophecya message which had relevance for those of that day as well as also foreshadowing a far distant event such as the return of Christ from Egypt.
II.
The Content of the Message
What, then, did these men preach? In terms of today they presented doctrine and duty. The doctrine had to do first of all and most of all with God. On the basis of what they believed about God, the prophets also dealt largely and boldly with ethics.7 The prophets came with a message but it was not a new message primarily for as Martin Buber notes,
Generally speaking, it is not a new teaching they advance, but they fashion its form to fit the changing historical situations and have different demands, and they perfect a teaching they have received but where is the beginning of this teaching?8
They always point back to the Mosaic law or the Abrahamic covenant as a basis for their preaching. God’s people have a special relationship to God and thus have certain obligations to Him and the world. When this call to repentance failed, they reached judgment, destruction, and hope. Halley summarizes the mission and message of the prophets under five heads: (1) To try to save the nation from idolatry and wickedness: (2) With little response, to announce impending destruction; (3) But to give hope in that a remnant will be saved; (4) From this remnant will come an influence that will change the world; (5) That Influence will be none other than the Son of David, Jesus.9
III.
The Style of The Message
The prophets employed the noblest characteristics of the Hebrew people (at least in the writing prophets) as they used the poetical forms of that day with its balanced statement, parallelisms, etc. This structure added a structural force to the meaning of their words. A message delivered in a striking and memorable way has greater impact than the same message sloppily given.
They used many types and symbols.
They found that dramatic approaches made the message more urgent.
IV.
The Audience
Primarily, the prophets preached to all people as exemplified by Amos in the marketplace.
Sometimes the message was directed to the king or higher authorities (Nathan, Jonah.)
It was not restricted to Jewish audiences but also extended to foreign peoples (Cf. Amos, Jonah, Obadiah).
The prophets made use of every circumstance be it a home (2 Kings 5:9), a wayside (1 Kings 20:38), in the court (2 Samuel 24:11), or in the temple (Amos 7:10 ff).10
THE MEDIUM
… To the prophet
The message came to the prophet in a variety of ways. Sometimes it came in a dream as with Joseph (Genesis 37). But the prophet knew that it was the voice of God and not just a bit of undigested mutton.
The message might come in a vision or a series of visions such as those Ezekiel received. The prophet understood these scenes as containing a revelation from God and was able to interpret these to the people.
The message seems to come directly to the prophet in most instances. The means are not described, but the prophet is sure that the message came from Jehovah (2 Peter 1:21). I found this comment from the Zondervan Pictorial Dictionary quite interesting:
The Biblical prophet must be distinguished from the, prohetes of Greeks. The latter really acted as an interpreter for the muses and the oracles. The prophets, however, were not interpreters. They uttered the actual words which God had given to them, without any modification or interpretation upon their part. The Bible itself gives an accurate description of the function of the true prophet, … and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him (Deuteronomy 18:18 b). The words are placed in the prophet’s mouth by God, i.e., they are revealed to the prophet, and then the prophet speaks unto the nation precisely what God has commanded him.11
… From the Prophet
The prophet received the message from God; he delivered this same message to the people.
The basic medium used was that of words, those verbal symbols of spirit meanings. Thus, the prophet was very concerned about delivering the exact word(s) of the Lord. (Remember Young’s emphasis upon the frequency of the thus saith the Lord in the prophets.) Rowley had a thought-provoking comment when he wrote, We should not forget that every prophetic word was believed to have a vitality within itself to work for its own fulfillment. (Cf. Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 55:10 f) The prophet’s word was not merely a forecast of the future. It was a living force which helped to mould the future.12 (Remember the early chapter of Genesis when God spoke and the worlds were created,)
But the prophet also spoke by symbolic action. Isaiah would walk naked and barefooted (Isaiah 20:3) as an object lesson to Israel; Jeremiah would bind a wooden yoke to his neck (Jeremiah 27:2) so that he could preach forecoming bondage for these hard-hearted people without saying a word; Hosea took a wife of whoredom to illustrate the love of God. Of course, the action in itself would not proclaim the messageit amplified the verbal one which preceded or attended it.
Some of the prophets put these messages into written form (Cf. Jeremiah and King Zedekiah); thus, they are able to speak to us today through these written forms.
We might even say that God spoke through the personality of the prophet himself (Hosea is a good example as he personifies the love of God as he lives his love for Gomer.)
Oftentimes the personality of the prophet even recedes completely into the background, and the speaker appears to be God Himself. Almost naturally, for example, one reads words such as I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins; return unto me; for I have redeemed thee (Isaiah 44:22). The usage of the personal pronoun in the first person clearly refers to God Himself. Nor is such a phenomenon unusual. It appears throughout the prophecy, and is interwoven naturally with the utterances which the prophet speaks forth as having been given to him by God.13
The godly patience of Jeremiah incarnates the patience of God as did no other until Jesus came. Noble men and great preachers who lived their messagethese were the prophets. Hebrews 11 well describes their faith, courage, and devotion concluding with this poignant statement, of whom the world was not worthy. A nobler group of men have not appearedbut the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the greatest of all these. Praise God for a Christ Who can make the most insignificant Christian of greater import than the greatest of these great men. Greater than Jeremiahby what grace has He wrought it?
FOOTNOTES
Much of the foregoing was taken from Class Notes given by George M. Elliott at Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Cincinnati, O.
Clovis Chappell, And the Prophets, pp. 10-15. Abingdon Press, N.Y. 1946.
Kyle M. Yates, Preaching From the Prophets, pp 3, 4. Broadman Press, Nashville, Tenn. 1942.
Brant Lee Doty, Standard Bible Teacher and Leader, July, 1958. Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio.
David Freedman and James Smart, God Has Spoken, pp. 151, 152. Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pa. 1949.
Quoted by Jerry Phillips, Elements of the Prophetic Call, Christian Standard, August 10, 1968.
Andrew W. Blackwood, Preaching From Prophetic Books, pp. 16, 17. Abingdon-Cokesbury, N.Y. 1951.
Phillips, Ibid.
Homer Halley, The Pocket Bible Handbook, p. 251. Homer Halley, Chicago, Illinois, 1951.
H. H. Rowley, Prophecy and Religion In Ancient China and Israel, Chapter 1. Harper & Brothers, N.Y., 1956.
Merrill Tenney, ed., Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Prophet.
Rowley, Op. Cit., p. 13.
Edward Young, My Servants the Prophets, p. 175. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1965.
Isaiah 5:1-7
CHAPTER FIVE
C. THE IMPRECATION OF ABANDONMENT Isaiah 5:1-30
THE WORDS OF ACCUSATION
TEXT: Isaiah 5:1-7
1
Let me sing for my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
2
and he digged it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
3
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
5
And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
6
and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7
For the vineyard of Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry.
QUERIES
a.
Did Isaiah actually put this in the form of a song?
b.
What are the wild grapes brought forth?
c.
Why use the figure of a vineyard?
PARAPHRASE
Now I shall sing indeed of my Beloved a song of my Beloved about His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He plowed it carefully and took out all the rocks and planted His vineyard with the choicest vines. He built a sturdy watchtower in the middle of it to aid in its protection and cut a permanent wine-press out of the solid rock. Then He patiently waited anticipating a bountiful harvest of sweet grapes. But the grapes that grew were wild and putrid. Now, men of Jerusalem and Judah, you have heard the case! You be the judges! What more could I have done? Why did My vineyard give Me wild grapes instead of sweet? Now I would indeed have you to know what I am about to do to My vineyard; I shall remove the fence of hedge and the vineyard shall be consumed by predators and I shall break down its wall of stone and it shall be trampled down by wild beasts. I will not prune it or cultivate it any more. Briers and thorns will grow up and strangle the vines; I will command the clouds not to rain on it any more. I have been giving you the case of God’s chosen people. They are the vineyard I have been speaking about. Israel and Judah were His pleasant plantings. He expected justice, but they produced bloodshed instead. He expected righteousness, but the cries of deep oppression came to Him.
COMMENTS
Isaiah 5:1 POSSESSOR OF THE VINEYARD: The vineyard belongs to The Beloved, God. Even the song about the vineyard is of the Belovedthat is, originates with the Beloved. The prophet sings the song on behalf of the Beloved. This seems to be a song composed rather like some of our contemporary folk-songsby on-the-spot improvisation. Whether sung to the accompaniment of an instrument or not is immaterial. This song was intended for teaching, not entertainment! The vineyard was a favorite subject for parabolic instruction, both in the O.T. and the N.T. (Cf. Psalms 80:8 ff; Hosea 10:1; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:6; Ezekiel 17:1 ff; Ezekiel 19:10 ff; Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 21:33-43; John 15:1-11).
Isaiah 5:2 PROVISION FOR THE VINEYARD: It is God’s vineyard by absolute right. He planted it upon land which was His. He planted it in a very productive, conspicuous place in the midst of civilization (on a fertile hill); He cleared it of all hindrances of foreigners (gathered out the stones); He built protective fortresses within it (watchtower); He made provisions to use the fruits of the nation (built a winepress). Then with Divine patience and long-suffering He cultivated this nation with great blessings of deliverance and chastening. He sent His servants the leaders and prophets to tend it. He had every right to anticipate an abundant harvest of sweetness; instead it produced wildness, putridness and rottenness.
Isaiah 5:3-4 PETITION AGAINST THE VINEYARD: It is the very essence of the righteous dealings of God with man that such dealings, when perverted, bring inevitable self-condemnation upon the perverters. Here, the guilty are petitioned to make a judgment as to where justice lies between the Owner and His vineyard. It reminds one of Jesus asking the Jews to make such judgments upon themselves (Cf. Matthew 21:28-43, etc.). There comes a point in God’s dealing with man beyond which God can do no more to produce good fruit in man’s life. There is a point where God is forced, by the very nature of the moral being of man, to give up. Man, left to his own devices, falls into complete ruin.
Isaiah 5:5-6 PUNISHMENT OF THE VINEYARD: Really all that God has to do is withdraw Divine protection and sustenance and leave men to their own selfish, evil devices, and that would be punishment enough (Cf. Romans 1:18-32). When God withdrew His protection from Judah, the wild bull of Assyria (Isaiah 10:13) and the lion, bear, leopard and iron beast of the book of Daniel all trampled the vineyard down. When God withdrew His sustenance from Judah, she suffered famine and hunger (both spiritual and physical) in her captivities. Often times the prophets use rain to symbolize the refreshing presence of the Spirit of God. Ezekiel represents the Spirit of God leaving the temple of God in Jerusalem near the end of the national existence of Judah (Cf. Ezekiel 11:23).
Isaiah 5:7 PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE VINEYARD’S IDENTITY: If the audience of the prophet has not already surmised who was being evaluated, the prophet would not leave it to doubt. The vineyard is JudahGod’s covenant people (Israel does not here necessarily refer to the northern kingdom, but is synonymous with covenant-people). This is like Nathan’s statement to David, thou art the man! God looked for His people, with all their advantages of having His word and being sustained by His power and seeing His love, mercy, justice and goodness exhibited, to produce the same kind of characterjustice and righteousness. Having all this and appropriating it are two different things! This people appropriated the nature of the pagan gods they were so enamored of (Cf. Hosea 9:10). Where a man’s treasure is, there will his heart be also!
QUIZ
What kind of song was sung by the prophet?
Why use the figure of a vineyard?
Why did God have a right to expect the vineyard to produce a certain kind of harvest?
Why does God not do more to bring about the right kind of fruit in this vineyard?
How is God going to punish this vineyard?
Who will the beasts likely be that will trample down the vineyard?
What kind of character did the covenant people produce?
Isaiah 5:8-23
THE WOES OF APPLICATION
TEXT: Isaiah 5:8-23
8
Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no room, and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land !
9
In mine ears saith Jehovah of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
10
For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.
11
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them!
12
And the harp and the lute, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of Jehovah, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
13
Therefore my people are gone into captivity for lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude are parched with thirst.
14
Therefore Sheol hath enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, descend into it.
15
And the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is humbled, and the eyes of the lofty are humbled:
16
but Jehovah of hosts is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.
17
Then shall the lambs feed as in their pasture, and the waste places of the fat ones shall wanderers eat.
18
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
19
that say, Let him make speed, let him 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!
20
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!
21
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;
23
that justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
QUERIES
a.
What is wrong with acquiring houses and fields?
b.
What is drawing iniquity with cords of falsehood?
c.
Who would call evil good, and good evil?
PARAPHRASE
Woe to you who acquire property so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone in the midst of great expanses of land! But the Lord of Hosts has sworn your awful fatewith my own ears I heard Him say, Many a beautiful home will lie deserted, their owners killed or gone. Ten acres of vineyard will produce less than ten gallons of wine, and ten bushels of seed will produce less than one bushel of grain. Woe to you who get up very early in the morning to debauch and debase yourselves with endless carousing and drinking of strong drink. Your addiction is insatiable and you drink yourselves into a stupor. By the riotous merriment of your festivities accompanied by the loud, pagan music, you have very effectively turned your attention away from the work of the Lord and have made yourself insensible to His ways. Sin has so darkened your spiritual understanding you are as good as banished from the Lord’s presence into captivitythere is no alternative left to Him but to punish the leaders and the people of this nation with the consequences of their rebellions. There will be both spiritual and physical starvation. Death and the grave are waiting with mouths wide open to devour the multitudes that will die. Those who revel in injustice, drunkenness, and pompousness will be swallowed up in God’s punishment. In that day the haughty shall be brought down to the dust; the proud shall be humbled; and the Lord of Hosts will be exalted above all, for He alone is holy, just and good. The devastation of what was once the vineyard of the Lord will be so complete as to turn the glorious land into pastures for wandering flocks of sheep and goats. Woe to those who are so enslaved to their sins that they drag them along with them everywhere they go like dumb oxen pulling carts. The ropes which bind them to their sins are the lying vanities with which they have deceived themselves. They are so brazen as to mock the Holy One of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them. Hurry up and punish us, O Lord, they say, We want to see what You can do! Woe to them that turn all values upside down and say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. Woe to those who are wise and shrewd in their own estimation! Woe to those who are heroes when it comes to getting drunk, and boast about the wine they can hold. Woe to those who pervert justice by taking bribes, letting the guilty go free and putting innocent men in prison.
COMMENTS
After the general warning conveyed to Judah by the song or parable of the vineyard, six sins are pointed out as those which have especially provoked God to give the warning. He now pronounces woes of application against each of these sins.
Isaiah 5:8-10 WOE AGAINST MONOPOLY AND GREED: Selfishness - greed for possession of land and houses. Many rich people are notorious for this sin. They are not satisfied to own a small business, however well paying; they must monopolize. It gives them a sense of security and power. God never intended for a few to control the wealth of the world. These men of Isaiah’s day were land-grabbers to the extent that there was no room left for the poor man who must either live on the property of the landowners as slaves or immigrate to another territory. This violated the Mosaic law which had apportioned a parcel of land to each family head. This land was to remain in the family. If it should have to be sold, it was to be returned to the original family in the year of Jubilee, God’s judgment is spoken directly into the ear of Isaiah. There can be no mistakeGod will judge! Desolate houses; barren and unfruitful land. Ten acres of vineyard normally should produce 4,000 gallons of wine instead of 8 gallons. The land would produce but l/10th the seed sown.
Isaiah 5:11-17 WOE AGAINST DISSIPATION: Misuse of God’s beneficence. They rise early, not to work and live constructively, but to revel and play in riotous music, feasting and dancing. A greedy, grasping, monopolizing people. Luxury loving, drinking, feasting and reveling. Consuming the landwhile the rest of the people lived like slaves. The only liberty they care for is a selfish libertylicense to do as they please. There is no room in their drink-weakened, pleasure-loving brains for serious thought of sober government. Their only thought is how to enjoy this moment, this day; and they squeeze every day dry and fling it to one side after it is finished.
Captivity is the inevitable consequence of such dissipation. Moral, intellectual, political and spiritual enslavement surely follows such decadence. Loss of personal worth, personal identity and death await such actions. In this instance, the people, their wealth, and their haughtiness will come to an end. Both high and low will meet the same endcaptivity. The lambs and sheep of foreigners will feed in their land. The places formerly owned by the wealthy shall be occupied and used by strangers. Assyrians, Arabs, Samaritans and other nomadic tribes inhabited this land during their captivities.
Isaiah 5:18-19 WOE AGAINST UNBELIEF: Not having faith in God they sin openly as those who draw or pull after them a load of sin with cords or ropes. They are so enslaved to their sins and to Satan, they are like harnessed oxen who pull heavy burdens; the difference being men voluntarily wish it to be so while animals have no choice. And we call animals, dumb! And far from being penitent, they are brazen. When told of God’s coming judgment, instead of fleeing to hide in the rocks, they scoff, What is God waiting fortell Him to come on. We would like to see Him come in judgment! The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Absence of the fear of the Lord leads to stupidity (Cf. II Tim. Chapter s 3 and 4).
Isaiah 5:20 WOE AGAINST MORAL CONFUSION: Moral confusion always results from unbelief (Cf. Romans 1:18-32). Where there is no faith in God there are no clear-cut moral distinctionsno clear conception of what is right and wrong. There can only be moral relativisma thing is right because we want it to bemoral anarchy. Dostoïevski has his priest character say, in The Brothers Karamasov, If there is no God everything is permissible. Nietzsche, the insane German philosopher, insisted that what the world needed was a transvaluation of values. Nietzsche was simply carrying out his evolutionary atheism to its rational end. When unbelief takes over, all values are turned upside-down. What is good is said to be bad; what is bad is said to be good. The playboyism of our 20th century attempts to convince people that Christian ethics (especially in sex) are evil. Where this reversal of values occurs, cowardice becomes caution; recklessness becomes courage; stinginess becomes thrift; prodigality becomes generosity; sin becomes maladjustment! Right or wrong becomes a matter of custom. Cursing, drinking, promiscuous sexual activity, gambling are all justified on pragmatic bases. There appear as many ethical standards as there are individuals. People make up their own laws to suit their own purposes. Recognition of authority, except for oneself, disappears. Society soon resembles a chicken with its head cut offno coordination, no purpose, no control. Moral anarchy results in civil and social destruction and death.
Isaiah 5:21 WOE AGAINST CONCEIT: Not only do they sin blatantlythey take pride in their adeptness in sinning. They are wise in their own eyes. The farther men drift from God in unbelief the more conceited they become (Cf. Romans 1:18-32; 2 Peter 3:3-7; 2 Corinthians 10:7-12). God becomes something to set on a table as a kind of ornament. Religion becomes a fetish, having no real place, no real function in life. The real issues and problems of society are made relative to selfish interests. Pride is the snare of the devil. Pride brought the judgment of God upon angels.
Isaiah 5:22-23 WOE AGAINST PERVERSION OF JUSTICE: Selfishness is the first step into degradation. Selfishness means dethronement of God. As a result of such dethronement men turn to false securitiesfalse gods. Wine, sex, money all are sought as replacements for God. The leaders of Judah become sotsalcoholics. Drunkards administered the government! In America we have drunken legislators, drunken government executives, and drunken military leaders administering our government! Drunkenness, graft, bribery, injustice, corruption of all kinds were rampant in Judah at this time. The justification for such action was cynical unbelief. One important issue of such living is moral anarchy. The inevitable consequence of such a society is arrogant rulers and an oppressed populace. The leaders of the country boasted and prided themselves, not in how well they ruled, but in how well they mixed drinks and how drunken they were able to become.
QUIZ
Name the sins for which the rulers are judged guilty in this section.
Show how unbelief leads to social, political and intellectual enslavement.
When have such sins been prevalent in men other than in Isaiah’s day?
Isaiah 5:24-30
THE WRATH OF JUDGMENT
TEXT: Isaiah 5:24-30
24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25
Therefore is the anger of Jehovah kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them; and the mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
26
And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss for them from the end of the earth; and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly;
27
none shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
28
whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent: their horses-’ hoofs shall be accounted as flint, and their wheels as a whirlwind;
29
their roaring shall be like a lioness, they shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and carry it away safe, and there shall be none to deliver.
30
And they shall roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened in the clouds thereof.
QUERIES
a.
Why is God’s anger so fierce?
b.
What is the ensign to the nations in Isaiah 5:26?
c.
How successful will be God’s punishment?
PARAPHRASE
Therefore God will deal with them and burn them. They will disappear like straw on fire. Their roots will rot and their flowers wither, for they have thrown away the laws of God and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel. That is why the anger of the Lord is hot against His people; that is why He has reached out His hand to smash them. The hills will tremble, and the rotting bodies of His people will be thrown as refuse in the streets. But even so, His anger is not ended; His hand is heavy on them still. He will send a signal to the nations far away, whistling to those at the ends of the earth, and they will come racing toward Jerusalem, They never weary, never stumble, never stop; their belts are tight, their bootstraps strong; they run without stopping for rest or for sleep. Their arrows are sharp; their bows are bent; sparks fly from their horses-’ hoofs, and the wheels of their chariots spin like the wind. They roar like lions and pounce upon the prey. They seize My people and carry them off into captivity with none to rescue them. They growl over the victims like the roaring of the sea. Over all Israel lies a pall of darkness and sorrow and the heavens are black.
COMMENTS
Isaiah 5:24-25 THE ANGER OF GOD: The people are to be smitten. What happens to them will be in proportions of earthquake shaking mightily the earth. Great numbers to be slain. His anger still unappeased. This judgment does not end in a single day or week or even a month. The fundamental cause for all their sin is the rejection of God’s law (Cf. Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 8:9; Isaiah 30:9; Isaiah 30:12). They not only reject His law, they despise it. (Hosea 4:6).
Isaiah 5:26-28 THE ANGER STRIKES: The scourge comes. God is perfectly equipped. This scourging instrument is the invading armies of Assyria, composed of a conglomeration of peoples. God gives the signal - Lift up an ensign (a signal of some sort) He will hiss (whistle). These armies did not come except through His will and purpose. Strong - trained - efficiently accoutered. God sends His signal (stirs up the spirit of nations and rulers) and they serve Him (Cf. Obadiah 1:1; 2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 10:5 ff).
Isaiah 5:29 GOD IS TERRIBLY FIERCE: Unwearied - courageous - powerful - ferocious - cruel - bloodthirsty and terrifying - swift.
Isaiah 5:30 GOD IS COMPLETELY OR OVERWHELMINGLY SUCCESSFUL: As a lioness overwhelms her prey and carries it away. The land is utterly desolated. And if Israel from Assyrian captivity looks toward the home land they will see only the darkness of a cloudy and obscure future. A future and a land darkened by divine judgment.