Isaías 5

Isaías 5

Wiersbe comments that Israel's God ordained… Moral standards were destroyed by new definitions of sin (see Amos 5:7), people using God’s vocabulary but not His dictionary. Like today’s “doublespeak,” this kind of language made it easy to deceive people and avoid a guilty conscience. In today’s world, increased taxes are “revenue enhancements,” and poor people are “fiscal underachievers.”… The Jerusalem Bible translation of Psalm 12:2 says it perfectly: “All they do is lie to one another, flattering lips, talk from a double heart.” (Be Comforted - Isaiah- Feeling Secure in the Arms of God) Related Resource: Joe Guglielmo - Isaiah 5:20 Moral Relativism Misnomers - A newspaper columnist expressed astonishment at the way truth is often stretched in advertising. She recalled ordering "fresh fruit salad" from the menu in a Boston restaurant. But when the item was served, it was anything but "fresh." The peaches, pineapples, grapes, and maraschino cherries had spent months wallowing in their own juice in a tin can. When the waitress was asked what happened to the "fresh" fruit salad, she responded cheerily, "Oh, honey, that's just what they call it." Such deception occurs not only in advertising; it happens whenever people move away from God's principles of truth and goodness. Deception, misnomers (the use of a wrong name), and outright lies are the tools of an immoral person's trade. Selfish and evil people call themselves generous and good. The slaves of sin call themselves liberated. The foolish call themselves enlightened. And the lustful describe their acts as love affairs. Deceptions, twists, and outright lies Define the words of fools; But those who know God's Word will have A life where wisdom rules. —Sper We would not delight in sin if we were not deceived by sin. Calling Evil Good - Dennis Fisher - The Wizard of Oz has remained popular for years. People of all ages have learned moral lessons from Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion as they traveled down the yellow brick road. Of course, in the plot line the great enemy to be overcome is the Wicked Witch of the West. Evil is clearly depicted and overcome by good. A new Broadway musical, however, turns the moral sense of the original story on its head. In this rewriting of the story, the wicked witch is presented as a sympathetic character. Born with green skin, she feels like an outsider. Major characters, plot lines, roles, and other details are altered so that the wicked witch is really just a misunderstood person. The audience might come away with the idea that evil is good and good is evil. In our day-to-day existence, Evil sometimes wears a mask; Trust the Lord for true discernment— He gives wisdom when we ask. —Hess If we know the truth, we can discern what’s false. Rearranging the Price Tags - The Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard tells a parable of a man who broke into a department store one night. Rather than stealing merchandise, he rearranged the price tags on many items. The next morning the clerks and customers found one surprise after another: diamond necklaces for a dollar and cheap costume jewelry costing thousands. In Isaiah’s day, Israel had rejected and despised God’s instructions (Is. 5:24). The people grossly underestimated faith in Him and the value of His laws. They cheapened the worth of patiently waiting on the Lord to work out His purposes (Is 5:18-19). They devalued virtue and inflated evil (Is 5:20). They overpriced their own wisdom and cleverness (Is 5:21) and made heroes of heavy drinkers (Is 5:22). Bribery routinely subverted justice (Is 5:23). God had created a climate where goodness could flourish (Is 5:1-2), but His people had cultivated weeds and produced moral confusion. This strife-torn world, so wracked by sin, So deep in desperate need, Must see firsthand the love of Christ From Christians who will lead. —DJD The best way to fight evil is to live for Christ. When Evil Is Good - In the early 1970s, political cartoonist Wayne Stayskal illustrated an age-old problem. In the first of three pictures, a father and his son are watching a violent television show together. From the tube blares the words: "Bang! Bang! Kill! Stab! Boom! Zap! Rat-a-tat-tat! Murder!" In the second picture a news bulletin interrupts the program: "And now news from Vietnam." The TV shows scenes of mutilated bodies of Vietnamese children, some in their mothers' arms. The father is aghast as he shields the boy's eyes with his hands. "What are they showing that stuff on TV for!" he yells. Stayskal raises a vital issue. How can we entertain ourselves with fictional scenes that glorify violence but be horrified when watching the real thing? Hollywood began asking the same question after the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 200l. They postponed the release of some films with terrorist themes. But how long will such restraint last? O Lord, correct my vision, So dim and warped by sin, That through Your Spirit's blessing Your truth may shine within. —Bosch Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight : Job 11:12 Pr 3:7 26:12,16 Jn 9:41 Ro 1:22 11:25 12:16 1Co 3:18-20 Isaiah 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Woe - Number five is directed at the the conceited man and at his insistence for "his rights" rather than God's rights! Wise in their own eyes - But not in God's eyes! Self-flattering fools! Exaggerated egos! Excessive personal pride! They have a lofty appreciation of their own wisdom and cleverness. They think they are wise enough to handle any situation. They reject a humble dependence on the wisdom of God. They want to be in control of their behavior. Listen to one modern thinker's foolish pronouncement regarding conceit… As for conceit, what man will do any good who is not conceited? Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself! (Anthony Trollope - Orley Farm) The opposite characteristic is seen in Mt 5:3 (note), "poor in spirit", about which J C