September 23, 2019

Isaiah 5:13-17


Rachel Workman: So my people will go into exile far away
    because they do not know me.
Those who are great and honored will starve,
    and the common people will die of thirst.
14 The grave[d] is licking its lips in anticipation,

    opening its mouth wide.
The great and the lowly
    and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up.
15 Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down;
    even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation.
16 But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by his justice.
    The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness.
17 In that day lambs will find good pastures,
    and fattened sheep and young goats[e] will feed among the ruins.

This is pretty reassuring for Christians but not for those that don't know Christ. It's not a very pretty picture.

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John Burnett:  13 Therefore my people go into exile
    for lack of knowledge;[a]
their honored men go hungry,[b]
    and their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite
    and opened its mouth beyond measure, 
These verses are describing the judgement of men who are honored and loved by the world.  Those who have a lack of knowledge and seek wealth and material things are enlarging Sheol’s (Hell) belly as it opens its mouth and swallows them up.  This is especially prevalent in the church today as well.  Study of the Word and Doctrine is not as important as how God will bless you, and what kind of experience you will have when you go to church.  Getting goose bumps is more important than Worship and understanding God’s word is not near as important as how important we feel about ourselves when we walk out the church door.
and the nobility of Jerusalem[c] and her multitude will go down,
    her revelers and he who exults in her.
15 Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,
    and the eyes of the haughty[d] are brought low. 
16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted[e] in justice,
    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. 
True born-again Christians are humbled and brought low by God opening their eyes, showing them how sinful they really are, and giving them knowledge of what Christ really did for them on the cross.  Those who don’t have this knowledge and understanding will receive God’s wrath because He is just and righteous.     
17 Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,
    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Isaiah 5:18-23

What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them
    with ropes made of lies,
    who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!
19 They even mock God and say,

    “Hurry up and do something!
    We want to see what you can do.
Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan,
    for we want to know what it is.”
20 What sorrow for those who say
    that evil is good and good is evil,
that dark is light and light is dark,
    that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.
21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes

    and think themselves so clever.
22 What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine
    and boast about all the alcohol they can hold.
23 They take bribes to let the wicked go free,
    and they punish the innocent.

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