Woe To Sinners
Opening Prayer
Merciful Father, please forgive any sin of mine now and make me ready to come and be with You.
Read Isaiah 5:8-21
[8] Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. [9] The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: “Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. [10] A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.” [11] Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. [12] They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. [13] Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst. [14] Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. [15] So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. [16] But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts. [17] Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. [18] Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, [19] to those who say, “Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel- let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it.” [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. [21] Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What behavior does the Lord pronounce "woe" on here?“Woe, woe and thrice woe.” That’s one of many quotations attributed to William Shakespeare that he never actually said! That and more, however, is our picture here: widespread doom and gloom. Isaiah certainly isn’t frightened to tell it as God reveals it to him. The people of Judah have flagrantly disregarded God’s law and, so, will be brought down and punished (15). The list of sins is long and includes greed (8-10), self-indulgence (11,12), cynicism (18,19), and moral perversion (20,21). These people actually scoff at God (19). They seem to be challenging him to deal with their behavior, but show no fear of him. Isaiah calls the people to face up to the far-reaching consequences of their crimes, which will see a complete turning of the tables: their greed will be punished by hunger and thirst (13); their acquisitions will prove empty and fruitless (9,10); the hedonistic “life” that they run after will lead only to death (14); and their arrogance will result in a humiliating end (15). But note the vivid picture of hope in vs. 16 and 17. God is always a God of hope!
Apply
Which sins might you need to confess? Pray for any aspects of your life or attitudes which need to be changed.
Closing prayer
God of mercy and hope, always keep me aware of my sin and always ready to turn away from it.
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