Isaiah 5
Good vineyard that produced wild fruit verse 1- 2
Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching
his vineyard
My well-beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
and he fenced it – and he gathered out the stones thereof
and planted it with the choicest vine
and built a tower in the midst of it
and made a winepress therein
and he looked that it should bring forth grapes
and it brought forth wild grapes
LORD expected good fruit verse 3- 4
And now – O inhabitants of Jerusalem – men of Judah
judge – I pray you between ME and MY vineyard
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?
LORD going to tear down the vineyard verse 5- 6
AND now go to – I will tell you what I will do to MY vineyard
I will take away the hedge – it shall be eaten up
and break down the wall thereof
it shall be trodden down
and I will lay it waste – it shall not be pruned
nor digged
BUT there shall come up briers and thorns
I will command the clouds that they rain
no rain on it
Israel is the LORD’S vineyard verse 7
FOR the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel
and the men of Judah HIS pleasant plant
and HE looked for judgment
BUT behold oppression
for righteousness
BUT behold a cry
LORD will deal with goal of wealth verse 8- 10
Woe to them that join house to house – that lay field to field
till there be no place
that they may be placed alone
in the midst of the earth
In mine ears said the LORD of hosts
Of a truth many houses shall be desolate
even great and fair without inhabitant
Yea – ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath
and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah
LORD will deal with a party lifestyle verse 11- 12
Woe to them that rise up early in the morning
that they may follow strong drink
that continue unto night – till wine inflame them
AND the harp – viol – tabret – pipe – WINE – are in their feasts
BUT they regard not the work of the LORD
neither consider the operation of HIS hands
LORD will send captivity and desolation verse 13- 17
THEREFORE, MY people are gone into captivity
BECAUSE they have no knowledge
and their honorable men are famished
and their multitude dries up with thirst
THEREFORE, hell hath enlarged herself
and opened her mouth without measure
and their glory
and their multitude – and their pomp
and he that rejoices shall descend into it
and the mean man shall be brought down
and the mighty men shall be humbled
and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled
BUT the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment
and God that is HOLY shall be sanctified in righteousness
THEN shall the lambs feed after their manner
and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat
Israelites will mock the LORD verse 18- 19
Woe to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity
and sin as it were with a cart rope
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
Warning to those who have mixed up priorities verse 20- 23
Woe to 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
Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes
and are prudent in their own sight
Woe to them that are mighty to drink wine
and men of strength to mingle strong drink
which justify the wicked for reward
and take away the righteousness of the
righteous from him
Reason for judgment is their rejection of LORD verse 24- 25
THEREFORE as the fire devours the stubble
and the flame consumes 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
THEREFORE is the anger of the LORD
kindled against HIS people
AND HE has stretched forth HIS hand against them
and hath smitten them – and the hills did tremble
and their carcasses were torn in the
midst of the streets
For all this HIS anger is not turned away
but HIS hand is stretched out still
LORD sends nations to conquer Israel verse 26- 30
AND HE will lift up an ensign to the nations from far
and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth
And – BEHOLD – they shall come with speed swiftly
none shall be weary nor stumble among them
none shall slumber not sleep
neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed
nor the latchet of their shoes be broken
whose arrows are sharp and all their bows bent
their horses hoofs shall be counted like flint
their wheels like a whirlwind
their roaring shall be like a lion
they shall roar like young lions
yea – they shall roar and lay hold of the prey
and shall carry it away safe
and none shall deliver it
IN THAT DAY they shall roar against them
like the roaring of the sea
and if one look unto the land
behold darkness and sorrow
and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. (4941 “judgment” [mishpat] means a verdict, a sentence, ordinance, act of deciding a case, right, or litigation.)
DEVOTION: This chapter is dealing with judgment given to the people of God. Why? They were planted and taken care of by the LORD but they turned out to be WILD grapes not cultured grapes.
They called good evil and evil good. They challenged the LORD to come and judge them. They enjoyed strong drink instead of the LORD. They enlarged hell with their actions. They enjoyed their houses rather than going to worship the LORD. They were a people without honor. They were wise in their own eyes. They rewarded the wicked while they told the righteous that they were not righteous.
The LORD did HIS part but the people were more concerned with parties and getting all they wanted. The LORD had a hedge about HIS people but HE removed it. The LORD sent a nation against Israel to take it into captivity.
The chastening of the LORD is not pleasant but it is necessary for those who chose to follow their own desires. The LORD wants HIS people to follow HIM.
Are we following HIS word today? Is chastening necessary today? Can we have revival in our land? Can the LORD put a hedge around our nation again?
We need revival. It starts and ends with those who KNOW the LORD in spirit and in truth. Are each of us those individuals???? Where do we start? We start with prayer and fasting. Then we move out to others and form a group of people that love the LORD. This group starts praying together and confessing their sins to each other. This brings about true repentance and then the Holy Spirit can work in the group. Once HE works in the group it grows because of faithfulness, not because of their work but because the LORD is working.
CHALLENGE: We need to be willing to pray and fast, otherwise there is verdict coming and it will be guilty as charged!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! (1814 “inflame” [dalaq] means burn, hotly pursue, or kindle.)
DEVOTION: The LORD sets down commands to help HIS followers live a life that is pleasing to HIM. The chosen people of the Old Testament were the Israelites. The capital of the nation of Israel was Jerusalem. The temple was there. The priests were there. The leaders of the nation were there. It should be a place that knows the consequences of disobedience to the LORD. They should be the ones who call the nation to revival.
The problem is that they are too busy to serve the LORD properly. They think as long as they offer their sacrifices to the LORD, HE will leave them alone to live as they please.
One of the habits that the LORD condemned was drunkenness. There are people in every city of this nation that start drinking early in the morning and don’t stop until they drop. The strong drink of choice causes them to lose all control over their senses. They are not serving the LORD because they are too consumed with drink.
We live in an age where those who are followers of the LORD don’t think that is bad to drink hard liquor socially. Most people don’t get addicted but some do. So we find churches that claim to be doctrinally sound encouraging their people to come to parties where they serve beer. They claim that the LORD doesn’t condemn one drink but drunkenness. So there are many church parties that have a beer and other drinks. Even some pastors don’t think it is wrong to drink on a regular basis as long as they don’t get drunk. That sounds good to some.
Would it be better to not encourage drinking things that could take control of your mind to the point that you don’t remember what happened the night before? It only takes one drink to start an alcoholic on his next out of control drinking spree.
Drunkenness is a sin. We should encourage people to keep control of their thinking. There are many other verses that warn us against drinking too much.
It is hard to witness to others when you are under that control of a drug. I had a deacon who before he grew in the LORD continued to do drugs with his friends. He tried to witness to them while at a party. His friends didn’t believe he was a believer if he continued to be under the influence of drugs. They had a higher standard than the young Christian. He stopped going to parties after that point. Learn the lesson.
CHALLENGE: Our habits should encourage others to grow in the LORD. Some habits have to change when the LORD is in control of our life.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 Therefore hell has enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoices, shall descend into it. (7585 “hell” [shaol] means grave, sheol, underworld, place of no return, wicked are sent there for punishment, righteous not abandon to it, or wasteland.)
DEVOTION: We all know that one day we will die. Once this happens there is no time to make more good choices. The only good choice that matters is whether we are in proper relationship with the LORD because of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and HIS death and resurrection.
It is not enough to believe that HE existed or that HE did die on the cross for the sins of the world but that we make a personal choice to submit to HIM with our whole heart, soul and body. We have to be totally submitted to obedience and acceptance of HIS correction and pruning.
The children of Israel had wandered away from the LORD and HE was sending judgement through the warning of Isaiah. One woe dealt with the fact that death is part of the judgment of God for sin in the lives of both believers and those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.
Most of the ones that are judged here are those who have rejected God’s laws and followed their own way of living for their lifetime. HE has given them many chances to repent but they have chosen not to do so. They liked their lifestyle and didn’t want to change it even if death is going to happen sooner than they think.
The majority who die are going to spend eternity in a literal hell for eternity. Isaiah is warning those without a proper relationship to the LORD. The prophecy deals with the fact that the grave is never full. Everyone is going to die. Those who are properly prepared will spend eternity in heaven. Those who go to the grave without a proper relationship with Jesus Christ will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
CHALLENGE: Are each of us prepared to meet our Maker today? If not, we need to be ready!!
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: 24 Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes 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. (5006 “despised” [na’ats] means provoke, abhor, blaspheme, contemn, spurn, to look down on with contempt, to treat disrespectfully, or discard.)
DEVOTION: There is a group of people in Israel that were deliberately disobeying God’s Word. HE had given them the Ten Commandments to obey but they thought they could not obey and still prosper but that was a lie they told themselves.
The problem is that today there are many people who think they can disobey the LORD and HE will still bless them and then when judgment comes from the LORD, they wonder what is going on.
The Children of Israel were obedient for short periods of time but then they forgot to honor the LORD because they thought it was them that was causing their own blessings and they forgot God.
God allows it to happen even in those who claim to be HIS people but HE will warn them that disobedience will be judged. If they don’t listen, HE sends other warnings. If they still don’t listen to HIM, HE sends a great judgment.
Once the great judgment arrives, they wonder what happened. This even happens today when believers think that they can disobey the LORD and still be blessed. When the blessings stop and judgment arrives, they wonder what happened.
Disobedience brings judgment. Confession brings blessing. The choice is something an individual or a nation has to consider.
CHALLENGE: Where are we today regarding our obedience to the Word of the LORD? Are we as the church being obedient or disobedient in obeying the commands of the LORD? We each have to answer that question.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law of the LORD of hosts verse 24
Word of the Holy One verse 24
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Well beloved verse 1 Beloved verse 1
Vineyard of the LORD verse 1- 3
very fruitful hill
fenced in
stones gathered out of it
planted choicest vine
built a tower
winepress
take away the hedge – it shall be eaten up
break down the wall
trodden down
lay waste – not be pruned or digged
command clouds – no rain
vineyard = house of Israel
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 7, 9 16, 24, 25
Vineyard of the LORD = men of Judah verse 7
LORD of hosts verse 7, 9, 16, 24
Looked for judgment verse 7- 10
many houses desolate
without inhabitant
ten acres of vineyard shall yield an ephah
Work of the LORD verse 12
HIS hands verse 12, 25
MY people verse 12
Exalted in judgment verse 16
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 16
Judge verse 16
HOLY verse 16
Sanctified in righteousness verse 16
Counsel verse 19
Holy One of Israel verse 19, 24
Law of the LORD of hosts verse 24
Anger of the LORD verse 25
Stretched forth HIS hand against Israel verse 25
Smitten them
Hills did tremble
Carcasses were torn
Hand stretched out still
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Mean man verse 15
Mighty man verse 15
Strangers verse 17
Nations verse 26- 30
From far
Hiss at Israel
Speed swiftly
None shall be weary nor stumble
None shall slumber nor sleep
Girdle of loins shall not loosen
Latchet of shoes not be broken
Arrows are sharp
Bows bent
Roaring shall be like a lion
Roaring of the sea
Darkness and sorrow
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Bring forth wild grapes verse 2, 4
Oppression verse 7
Join house to house verse 8
Lay field to field verse 8
Strong drink verse 11, 22
Wine verse 11, 12, 22
Regard not the work of the LORD verse 12
neither consider the operation of
HIS hands
Captivity verse 13
No knowledge verse 13
Pomp verse 14
Mean verse 15
Lofty verse 15
Iniquity with cords of vanity verse 18
Vanity verse 18
Sin verse 18
Call evil good verse 20
Call good evil verse 20
Put darkness for light and light for darkness verse 20
Put bitter for sweet or sweet for bitter verse 20
Wise in their own eyes verse 21
Prudent in their own sight verse 21
Mingle strong drink verse 22
Justify the wicked verse 23
Take away the righteousness of righteous verse 23
Cast away the Law of the LORD verse 24
Despised the Word of the Holy One verse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Well beloved verse 1
Hedge verse 5
Provision of the LORD: rain verse 6
Judgment verse 7
Righteousness verse 7, 16, 23
Humbled verse 15
Sanctified verse 16
Know counsel of the Holy One of Israel verse 19
Good verse 20
Righteous verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Inhabitants of Jerusalem verse 3
Men of Judah = HIS pleasant plant verse 3, 7
Judge verse 3
Vineyard = House of Israel verse 7
Captivity verse 13
Honorable men famished verse 13
Lambs feed verse 17
HIS people (anger of LORD kindled against verse 25
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Hell is enlarged verse 14
opened her mouth without measure
descend into it
In that day verse 30
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QUOTES regarding passage
14. The grave should be ‘Sheol’ (niv mg.), the ‘place name’ of the abode of the dead (cf. 14:9–15) pictured here as an insatiable monster into which all descend. The additional description brawlers and revellers is neither an irrelevance nor a mere poetic elaboration. This was the character of those Isaiah saw around him (11–12). They go down into death unchanged; they enter Sheol in the character they forged on earth, still spiritually insensitive and all-unready to meet God. (Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 72). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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14. hell—the grave; Hebrew, sheol; Greek, hades; “the unseen world of spirits.” Not here, “the place of torment.” Poetically, it is represented as enlarging itself immensely, in order to receive the countless hosts of Jews, which should perish (Nu 16:30). (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 434). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
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Drunkenness (Isa. 5:11–17). The Old Testament Law did not require total abstinence, but it did warn against drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 23:29–31; Hab. 2:15). This warning is repeated in the New Testament for believers today (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Eph. 5:18). Isaiah describes people so addicted to alcohol that they begin their revelries as soon as they wake up in the morning, and they continue their drinking till late at night. They enjoy banquets and music and get involved in drunken brawls (Isa. 5:14, NIV). But when judgment comes, these people will hunger and thirst and become “food” for the grave (v. 14). The “eaters” will themselves be eaten, and the proud drinkers will be brought low. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (p. 25). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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5:14 Sheol. This term in this context pictures death as a great monster with wide-open jaws, ready to receive its victims. Such was to be the fate of those who perish in the captivity God will send to punish the people’s sinfulness. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Is 5:14). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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14 Therefore Sheól …] To understand this passage, we must remember that there was a twofold conception of Sheól or Hades. First, it was localised underground. Hence one of the synonyms for Hades both in Hebrew and Assyrian is ‘the pit.’ Hence too the very name of the Hebrew Hades, Sheól meaning etymologically ‘depth’ (see Fleischer, in Delitzsch’s Jesaia, 2nd ed., p. 104 note). Comp. note on 28:10. Next, it was conceived of as a person; comp. 14:9 (note), 28:15, Hos. 13:14, Jon. 2:2, Cant. 8:6, Prov. 1:12, 30:16, Rev. 6:8, 20:13, 14. The two conceptions are very closely connected; thus the Greek Hades and the Teutonic Hel were variously applied to the infernal ruler and to his, or her, kingdom; comp. too the notion of the stars as both material and spiritual, Job 38:7. The Jews also, like the Greeks, spoke of a ‘king of terrors’ (Job 18:14), and the Apocalypse gives us this king’s name—Abaddon (Rev. 9:11), which is a synonym for Sheól in Prov. 15:11.—Sheól is here treated as a feminine (like the names of countries); in 14:9b (see note) it becomes a masculine.—Down goeth her splendour] ‘Splendour’ = nobility. The phrases chosen form a striking contrast with the still, dim, and mournful life of Hades.—It has been inferred from the Biblical descriptions that the shades (Rephāīm) in Sheól share a common lot, but against this may be urged (1) that the Hades in the N.T. comprehended two large divisions for the good and the bad respectively (‘Abraham’s bosom’ and Geenna), though of course the distinction may not have been known to Isaiah; and (2) that the Babylonians and Assyrians seem to have recognised a difference among the shades corresponding to their conduct upon earth (comp. on 14:9).—The parallel Assyrian view of Hades may be best gathered from the Legend of Ishtar in the sixth tablet of the Izdubar Series (see Schrader, Die Höllenfahrt Istars, Giessen, 1874). It is, however, only Assyrian by adoption; its origin is Accadian. This accounts, as Schrader remarks, for its non-occurrence among those Semitic nations which, like the Arabs, preserved the freshness of their individuality. (Cheyne, T. K. (1880). The Prophecies of Isaiah: A New Translation with Commentary and Appendices (Vol. 1, p. 31). London: C. Kegan Paul & Co.)
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Ver 14. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, &c.] That is, the grave, to receive the dead which die with famine and thirst; signifying that the number of the dead would be so great, that the common burying-places would not be sufficient to hold them; but additions must be made to them; or some vast prodigious pit must be dug, capable of receiving them; like Tophet, deep and large: or hath enlarged her soul; her desire after the dead, see Hab. 2:5 being insatiable, and one of those things which are never satisfied, or have enough, Prov. 30:15, 16 wherefore it follows: and opened her mouth without measure; immensely wide; there being no boundary to its desires, nor any end of its cravings, or of filling it. And so the Targum renders it, without end. Moreover, by hell may be meant the miserable estate and condition of the Jews upon the destruction of Jerusalem, when they were in the utmost distress and misery, see Luke 16:23 and the note there. And their glory; their glorious ones, their nobles, as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and the Targum, their princes, rulers, civil and ecclesiastical; which were the glory of the nation: and their multitude; meaning the common people; or rather their great and honourable ones, as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions render the word; and in which sense it may be used in the preceding verse; since not of the poor, but of the rich, the context speaks; even of such who indulged themselves in luxury and pleasure: and their pomp; the Septuagint version, their rich ones; such who live in pomp and splendour: but the word signifies noise and tumult; and so the Targum renders it; and it designs noisy and tumultuous ones, who sing and roar, halloo and make a noise at feasts; and who may be called בני שאון, sons of tumult, or tumultuous ones; Jer. 48:45 see Isa. 24:6–9 wherefore it follows: and he that rejoiceth, that is, at their feasts, shall descend into it; into hell, or the grave: or, he that rejoiceth in it, that is, in the land or city; so the Targum, “he that is strong among them;” so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 30). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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There are a number of prophetic passages in which drunkenness is condemned (v.22; 22:13; 28:18; Hos 7:5; Joel 3:3; Amos 6:6). Most societies consider early morning drinking a mark of moral degeneracy; for the man who thinks first of drink when he awakes is in its grip, and he cannot pull his weight in the work of the day (cf. Eccl 10:16; Acts 2:13–15). (Grogan, G. W. (1986). Isaiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (51). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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Here we have the six woes to which reference has been made already. In verse 8 He pronounces a woe upon them “that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.” In other words, the judgment is pronounced on those who selfishly seek to accumulate houses and lands for themselves, showing no consideration for the poor and the needy. Such shall eventually be desolate and their holdings destroyed; their fields will fail to bear, and their hope of gain will be disappointed.
Then in verse 11 He pronounces a woe upon those who give themselves over to voluptuousness and sensual pleasure, who “rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!” They seek to delight themselves with beautiful music and other worldly pleasures, but regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of His hands. Because of this they shall go into captivity. They have acted as those who are without knowledge; and the leaders among them, who should have been honorable men, have proven themselves but fools. So “hell hath enlarged herself.” That is, the unseen world has opened her mouth without measure, and they and all they have delighted in, go down into the pit. The mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled also. But the Lord of hosts whom they have despised, shall be exalted in judgment, and God, the infinitely Holy One, shall be sanctified in righteousness when He visits with judgment those who have grievously offended.
The third woe, in verse 18, is upon those who “draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.” They openly defy the God of Israel and brazenly insist on taking their own way in opposition to His Holy Word, ridiculing the message of His prophet and spurning His commands.
The fourth woe, verse 20, is upon those who fail to distinguish between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness. They put darkness for light and light for darkness; they put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. In other words, they make no distinction between that which honors God and that which dishonors Him. Like Laodicea in a later day, they are neither cold nor hot but utterly indifferent to divine truth.
The fifth woe, verse 21, is upon those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight; and “pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride, so natural to the human heart, is hateful to God, and if persisted in it will eventually bring destruction.
The sixth woe is for those who, inflamed by wine, lose all sense of righteousness in judgment, that “justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” Therefore the Lord declares that, “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.” Because of these things the anger of Jehovah was kindled against His people, and His hand stretched out against them. He had smitten them so that the very hills would tremble. But they, themselves, persisted in their iniquity, their hearts unmoved by all His dealings with them; therefore, greater judgments are yet to come, as we shall see as we go on in the study of this book. (Ironside, H. A. (1952). Expository notes on the prophet Isaiah. (pp. 32–34). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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1 Kings 1
God grants Solomon wisdom.
INSIGHT
Solomon’s heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.
Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real “us” hides-to make a better impression on people.
How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers. (Quiet Walk)
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REDISCOVERING THE CENTRAL TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure. 2 Timothy 2:19
Without a single exception it is the rediscovery of the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith that has led ultimately to revival. There is always a preliminary to revival. It appears to come suddenly, and in a sense it does. But if you look carefully into the history, you will always find that there was something going on quietly, there was a preliminary, a preparation unobserved by people. And the preparation, invariably, has been a rediscovery of these grand and glorious central truths.
Take, for instance, the history of the Protestant Reformation. It was only after Martin Luther had suddenly seen the grand truth of justification by faith alone that the Protestant revival came. It was getting back to that truth, in the epistles to the Galatians and the Romans, that prepared the way for the outpouring of the Spirit. It happened in this country and in every country where the Reformation spread.
That also happened in the eighteenth century. There you had that deadness. Bishop Butler wrote his book The Analogy of Religion, and the “Boyle lectures” were started in an attempt to counter this rationalism, but it availed nothing. Then suddenly the revival seemed to come. Whitefield, the Wesleys, and others like them appeared. Yes, but how did revival come through these men? Well, the story is well-known. What really made it possible for John Wesley to have the experience he had in Aldersgate Street, when his heart was “strangely warmed” by the Holy Spirit, was something that happened three months earlier. He had the experience in Aldersgate Street on May 24, 1738, but in March 1738 his eyes had been opened to the truth of justification by faith only. The famous conversation, on the journey between London and Oxford, between Peter Bülow and Wesley was all about justification by faith alone. It was only after he had seen that, and it had gripped him, that the Holy Spirit ca me upon him and began to use him.
A Thought to Ponder: There is always a preliminary to revival.
(From Revival, pp. 35-36, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Secret Faults vs. Presumptuous Sins
“Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” (Psalm 19:12-13)
David, the author of this majestic psalm of praise to God for His revelation of Himself and His nature, voices his own frustration at his inability to mold his life totally in accordance with God’s revealed plan. He recognizes and asks for God’s forgiveness for his failure to measure up, and asks for strength to avoid habitual sin patterns and willful rejection of God’s way.
God had already made a careful distinction between these types of sins. “The priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him….But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously…the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him” (Numbers 15:28, 30-31).
Paul also recognized such a difference. Keep in mind that all sin is abhorrent to God and must be repented of, resulting, of course, in His forgiveness. But Paul claimed that even his blasphemous, murderous persecution of the church was done “ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13). His plea of ignorance did not excuse his guilt, but through it he “obtained mercy” (v. 13) and “grace” (v. 14).
This is a “pattern to [us] which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (v. 16). Let us not be guilty of willful, presumptuous sin, but on these occasions when we do fall, we can be thankful that our “longsuffering” (v. 16) Savior still affords us such mercy.
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Spotting Rainbows of Hope
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him. Psalm 42:5
During an October vacation, another battle with chronic pain forced me to spend the first few days recovering in our room. My mood became as overcast as the sky. When I finally ventured out to enjoy sightseeing at a nearby lighthouse with my husband, gray clouds blocked much of our view. Still, I snapped a few photos of the shadowy mountains and dull horizon.
Later, disappointed because a downpour tucked us in for the night, I skimmed through our digital pictures. Gasping, I handed my husband the camera. “A rainbow!” Focused on the gloominess earlier, I’d missed out on God refreshing my weary spirit with the unexpected glimpse of hope (Genesis 9:13–16).
Physical or emotional suffering can often drag us down into the depths of despair. Desperate for refreshment, we thirst for reminders of God’s constant presence and infinite power (Psalm 42:1–3). As we recall the countless times God has come through for us and for others in the past, we can trust that our hope is secured in Him no matter how downcast we feel in the moment (vv. 4–6).
When bad attitudes or difficult circumstances dim our vision, God invites us to call on Him, read the Bible, and trust His faithfulness (vv. 7–11). As we seek God, we can rely on Him to help us spot rainbows of hope arched over the darkest days. (By Xochitl Dixon, Our Daily Bread)
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Prayer is the recognition of our own helplessness and our appropriation of divine energy, which works in and through the self-judged, obedient believer to the glory and praise of God. This too is true fasting – the denial of self and ceasing from all fleshly confidence. (July 4, The Continual Burnt Offering by H.A. Ironside
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Brethren, God never meant for us to be kicked around like a football. He wants us to be humble and let Him do the chastening when necessary. But when the devil starts tampering with you, dare to resist him! (p. 15, I Talk Back to the Devil by A. W. Tozer)
Even in the face of man’s sin and lost condition, there is still that basic potential in the soul and nature of man that through greace can become more like God than anything in the universe. (p. 19, I Talk Back to the Devil by A. W. Tozer)
Once the smart men told us that science and philosophy and psychiatry and sociology would soon make the world a better place in which to live. As time passes, however, men are at one another’s throats as never before and there is the greatest volume of hate, suspicion, anarchy, treachery, espionage, murder and criminal acts of all kinds in the history of the world. (p. 20, I Talk Back to the Devil by A. W. Tozer
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Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus’ birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne – behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God’s Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus’ majesty and grandeur.
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WHAT IS WRONG?
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2
Psalm 51 is a classic statement on the whole matter and doctrine of repentance. Because so many people do not realize the biblical teaching concerning sin, they fail to realize so many other things that are contained in the Christian gospel. So many people today say that they do not see the need of the incarnation, that they do not understand all this talk about the Son of God having come down to earth, that they do not understand this talk about the miracles and the supernatural, that they cannot follow this idea of the atonement and terms such as justification and sanctification and rebirth. They say that they do not understand why all this seems to be necessary.
They would argue like this: “Isn’t it the church that has evolved all these theoretical, purely abstract ideas? Aren’t they things that have been conjured up in the minds of theologians? What have they to do with us, and where is their practical relevance?” I would like to point out that people who talk like this do so because they have not realized the full meaning of the biblical teaching about sin. They have not realized that they themselves are sinful. But the Bible, in sharp contrast, constantly insists upon this from the beginning to the end.
Here we are in this modern and perplexing world; we are conscious that something is wrong, and the question is, “What is wrong?” Politicians do not seem to be able to solve our problems. Philosophers are asking questions, but they do not seem to be able to answer them. All our efforts do not seem to put the world right. The Bible says, “You are ignoring the one thing that is the key to the situation! It is sin. Here is the cause of the trouble in individuals, in intimate human relationships, in international relationships everywhere. This is the difficulty.”
A Thought to Ponder: People who talk like this do so because they have not realized the full meaning of the biblical teaching about sin. (From Out of the Depths, pp. 18-20, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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What We Celebrate at Christmas
“And [Joseph] knew her [Mary] not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:25)
The actual birthday of Jesus was sometime in the fall (September or October) rather than in December. The date is of lesser consequence, however, than the reason for the celebration (Isaiah 1:18). Heaven itself celebrated the birth (Luke 2:8-14). And after the shepherds got over their fear, they couldn’t stop telling the news.
Then there were the wise men from the east who came to worship the one “born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-2). They got there well after the birth, having put their lives on hold, and willingly gave of their time and treasures to honor this great King while they rejoiced with “exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10). Surely all Christians should worship and rejoice as well as open our treasuries when we celebrate Christ’s birth.
But if we just focus on the birth, we may miss the greatest reason for the commemoration. After all, there was nothing uncommon about the physical process. But the conception, now that was miraculous (Luke 1:35)! The eternal “Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The great Creator and Son of God, “foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20), submitted to the will of the Father and “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).That was why heaven celebrated.
Counting back nine months from around September puts us pretty close to the end of the previous December. Perhaps our sovereign God has orchestrated events so that we would celebrate the real miracle of the conception: “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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