Today’s Scripture comes from the prophet Isaiah, and is an important message that the Lord needed His servant to give to the people. Isaiah ministered to the people of Judah approximately 100 years or so before the Lord brought His punishment upon the nation for their sins, and sent the people into captivity in Babylon. Though there were still a number of people who followed the Lord, and worshiped only Him, the population and nation as a whole were rapidly falling headfirst into wickedness and ungodliness, and things were turning topsy-turvy. As I look out at the world in which we live in today, I see the same thing in a very astonishing and terrible way, perhaps just as bad or worse than the days of Isaiah. Let’s look at what God’s Word has to say. It was important back in the days of Isaiah for the prophet to speak His message, and it is vitally important for God’s people today to speak out, as well.
Isaiah had a strong message for the people from the Lord God, and he was not going to mince any words. God had something to say to these people, and he was going to bring the message! The prophet begins this passage with calling out woe or doom to those who are doing things that the Lord says is wrong. As he begins, there were many people who were going around and just parading their sins and wickedness right out in public (vs. 18). It was like they were out in public, pulling their sins in a cart right down the road. Today it would be like they were in a parade, on a float being pulled down the street, bragging and flaunting their sin and immorality, all out in the open to see.
Sin has been around since the days of Adam and Eve, so that is nothing new. But until not that long ago, most people, if they were practicing some sinful behavior, would try to do it out of sight. They didn’t want everyone to know what they were doing, as deep down they knew it was shameful. However, today it seems that people want to openly flaunt their sin. They literally parade it down the street in public, with crowds on the sideline cheering them on! People are openly mocking God’s Word, and defying the Most High, and society is cheering them on! However, God says “Woe!” to them. God is angry, with a great indignation at this.
Isaiah continues by calling woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who say something is right when it is wrong, and vice versa (vs. 20). This is exactly the picture of the world today! As I look out at society right now, it is like the world has been turned upside down! Everything that is wrong or sinful is now being called good and right, and what we know to be right is now said to be wrong, and people don’t dare to say otherwise as they may literally lose their job and be “canceled” by society. There is a standard by which to measure things, and that standard is Jesus and the Bible. What God says something is right in His Word, the Bible, then it’s right, and what He says is wrong is wrong.
God calls out woe to those who justify the wicked, who say that what wicked and sinful people do is right, and who defend their iniquity (vs. 23). The Lord calls woe to those who, in the same way, condemn and attack those who are doing right in His eyes, and who stand by His Word. How often do we see this today, with everyone trying to shut up those who speak righteousness, and having their justice taken away.
Unbelievers in Isaiah’s day, and the same today, taunt those who follow the Lord God by belligerently questioning where He is, and mocking the truth or validity of what the Bible says (vs. 19). They contemptuously challenge Jesus to act against their sins! There is a day coming, it may not be today or tomorrow, but that day is coming when He will act against the blatant sins going on today (vs. 24-25).
Jesus will judge those who defy Him, and who ridicule His messengers and followers. He will judge those who reverse His morality, saying and doing what He has said is wrong and evil, and who condemn what He says is right. God will judge those who arrogantly think they are right in opposition to His Word, the Bible.
This is not an easy lesson today. It was not an easy one for Isaiah to preach, and it was not well-received. Neither was it heeded, as the people went into captivity due to their continued sin. Few today are heeding God’s Word, either, and time is running short before the Lord Jesus returns. When He does, it will be too late for them. When God, in His Word, calls something evil, then we’d better believe that it is evil!
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