Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Scripture:  Isaiah 5:20 (NIV):  "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."

Thought:  To me, we are truly blind when we give up on God's Word and God's ways.

Question:  Have I ever called "the gospel" simplistic or foolish?

As we continue in studying the "woes" of God, this being the fourth, we see proples' perversions.  They literally turn God's ways totally upside down.  This is where they arrive if left to continual sinning.

Their woe will come automatically.  It will be natural consequence.  They will self-destruct.  In blindness they proceed down the wrong road, rebelling against God, until the road circles fully to oppose every aspect of God.  Their woe is that they lose God in the process.  Without God we have nothing.  And that is woeful!

When we sin, we choose to oppose God.  When we oppose God, we embrace Satan and his evil.  Mankind is clever at rationalizing this opposition to God and ambrace of evil.  He intellectualizes his choices, reasoning with his own sense of desire and timing, instead of yielding to God's methods.  This reasoning becomes very complex, but here in this verse, God very simply states what they have done:  they have replaced good with evil, light with darkness and sweet with bitter.  In putting away God and seeking to please self they have ended up destroying all that is good and pleasant.

Perhaps we can think of some instances this verse reflects:  1) calling good evil and evil good:  the abortionists of our land say abortion is good for women and society.  But God says it is evil to murder and destroy life.  2)  putting darkness for light and light for darkness:  public schools can no longer teach about prayer or Christ.  But God's Word teaches that the very roots of good education begin with fathers teaching their children the precepts of God and His Word at every opportunity.  3)  putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter:  religions of today demand rigorous legalism and put people under heavy, bitter bondage.  But God's free gift of Christ is, by contrast, such a sweet and simple solution to all our troubles--even a child can become a believer!

Prayer:  Lord God, free me from any deceptions of sin that may be seeking to enter my mind and/or heart.  Cause me to look to You alone in every decision.  Bring to me Your goodness, light and sweetness.  Amen.

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