Isaiah 5
Dear RTB’ers,
There has not been a lot of encouragement for Israel in these first five chapters. (Yes, we’ll get to some positives later.) Today we see a series of six “woes” spoken against various people and their activities. It’s easy for us to recall Jesus pronouncing woes against the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 and against any one of His contemporaries (and us) in Luke 6. I could also see chastisement against any of us in a few of today’s woes. Strong drink, in particular is mentioned twice and I was personally challenged by Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes… (v. 21a). Pride and excessive self-confidence have long been problems for me.
The ESV does not capitalize deific pronouns, so some of you may have been confused by verse 19: “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!” The “him” pronouns refer to God – this entire sentence is sarcasm directed against God, spoken (as if) by men who embrace falsehood and revel in their sin. If you want capitalized deific pronouns, read the NASB or the NKJV.
We close today’s chapter with God’s judgment against those who …have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. (v. 24b) With a whistle (v. 26) the Lord will bring devastation on Israel.
Blessings!
Fred