“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, 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!’ 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 shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! 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; for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 5:18-24
Devotional Thought For The Day
As we approach Lent I suppose that it is as good a time as any to begin rethinking and reevaluating our own hearts and minds. These words were written about the children of Israel in Isaiah’s day – people who were given the promises and covenants of God’s gracious love and mercy, people who were planted as His vineyard with every opportunity and advantage to bear good fruit of faith, lives of decency, mercy, love, and goodness. However, as God Himself observes with lamentation: “For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” [Is. 5:7] He then goes on to castigate and judge their greed and desire for wealth and a life of opulence – pride, privilege, pleasure, power, and prerogative. The description is so apt for so many people in America and the modern world that it is chilling – and we too have participated in the “American Dream,” the pursuit of the same things.
What effect has this had upon our inner life? The concept of “drawing iniquity with cords of falsehood” refers to the “context” of our thinking, that with the acceptance of a few general falsehoods all manner of sin and evil can be justified – and we then, in outrageous and insane “piety” call upon God to speak and act in approval of our doings and our thinking. It comes to calling “evil good and good evil,” asserting that darkness is light and that light [the light of God’s truth and love] is darkness, and perverting the truth in regard to the nature of things, bitterness and sweetness. And of course we consider ourselves “wise” and “shrewd” in plying our case and our self-justifications and our rationalizations – against the Word of God. We are “strong” in our iniquities – grabbing the gusto, regardless of the particular form of our pleasure – alcohol, promiscuity, greed, success, privilege, independence, pride, and even pietism and religiosity. Our shrewdness is also pressed to disregard justice and truth, and to twist things to our own advantage – and that of those who support our interests.
God is not impressed or fooled in the least. He sees the heart and He knows all things. The consequence of such impenitence and indulgence of our sinful nature is fire and decomposition, and destruction of all we have accomplished – for rejecting and despising the Word of God, “the Word of the Holy One of Israel.” This is not what He wills or takes any pleasure in: “As I live declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” [Ezek. 33:11] Even when His discipline and judgment is necessary His heart is still filled with love and hope for us: “For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men.” [Lam. 3:31-33] So, even to these dismal sinners and rebels God holds out repentance and renewal in His gracious mercy, forgiveness, love, and kindness.
It is no different for us today – we who are also afflicted by all manner of sin, falsehood, delusion, pride, greed, and self-indulgence, we who also set ourselves up hypocritically as the “good and righteous” ones who are morally and spiritually superior, who are “wise in our own eyes,” and who eagerly wait for God to speed His approval. He also calls us to repentance and to return to His mercy, to turn away from our clever devotion to evil, to humble ourselves, and to cling only to His gracious forgiveness and redemption in Christ Jesus. He calls us to once again return to His Word – to not despise and reject it, but to learn it, to continue in it, to honor it, to allow it to be a light to our path and a lamp for our feet, to not judge it but to submit to it, fully and completely. This is the proper fruit of His vineyard – genuine repentance and allowing the warmth of His love to reshape our hearts and minds, so that humbly, lovingly, and gently we bring forth justice and righteousness instead of bloodshed and outrageous outcry.
He cries out to those in His vineyard, those who know His promises, His love, and His salvation, to us, we who are members of His church, His people. May He grant each of us more of this grace and renewal as we prepare for Ash Wednesday next week, and throughout the season of Lent.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, our sinful flesh assumes that You desire pride and smugness in our accomplishments, and in how well we can paint ourselves as being good, righteous, and pious. So we adorn ourselves as ladies of the night, drawing iniquity with cords of falsehood, and expect Your approval. Instead, You present us with the reality of Your blood, and mournfully call us to repentance, humility, and to the real peace and joy of Your salvation. Press Your case upon us forcefully, that we rend our hearts, walk humbly and contritely before You, and allow You to teach us through Your Word. Amen.