19. Exposing the Sins of the Church (3)
Hymns: RHC 139 One Day! 134 Why Do I Sing About Jesus? 133 He Took My Sins Away
Isaiah 5:21-23
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Exposing the Sins of the Church (3)
OUTLINE
(1) Materialism (v8-10)
(2) Merry Making and Intoxication (v11-17)
(3) Daring or Defying God (v18-19)
(4) Deceiving Blatantly (v20)
(5) Self-Conceit – Pride (v21)
(6) Dereliction of Duty – Drunkenness (v22)
INTRODUCTION
The fall of man came as a great fall. The corruption of the depraved heart is heinous. This is well known. Pitiful in the sight of God! But, the fall of the supposed “redeemed” people of God is unthinkable. Yet, it is a sad truth in biblical history.
This was the situation in Israel during the Divided Kingdom. Israel was to reflect the glory of God by their obedience to God’s laws. But when they turned to be like the world, in the cloak of a righteous garment, that is most disgusting in the sight of God.
Israel would soon be spew out of the land. The sins of Israel were categorically listed by the prophet of God. Is the church of today in a better spiritual state than the Israel of yesterday? It seemed not!
That’s very sad! Yet the blood of Christ is not less powerful to wash away the sins of His people if they would just humble themselves and come to Him.
Like John the Baptizer, the forerunner of Christ, Isaiah boldly pointed out the sins of Judah. John was beheaded for his denunciation of sin in high places. Was God’s purpose thwarted because His enemies killed his servants? Far from being so!
The redemption plan of God will work out to His fruition as He demonstrates His glory by keeping in the midst of great falling away a remnant of faithful ones!
It takes courage for Isaiah to point out the sins of the people. He will issue 6 woes in chapter 5 upon Israel.
8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! …11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! … 18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: … 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! … 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! … 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
And the 7th woe, he will woe “himself” (Isaiah 6:5).
Isaiah 6:5 (KJV) Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
The world and the flesh are the two great enemies that we are in danger of being overpowered by; yet we are in no danger if we do not ourselves yield to them.[1] Eagerness of the world, and indulgence of the flesh, are the two sins against which the prophet, in God’s name, here denounces woes. These were sins which then abounded among the men of Judah, some of the wild grapes they brought forth (v4), and for which God threatens to bring ruin upon them. They are sins which we have all need to stand upon our guard against and dread the consequences of. [Matthew Henry]
This series of woes is now resumed and continued without any interruption, v18-23.
The message is to turn back and come back to the Lord. There is a way back for His people just like in the story of the prodigal son. He had to walk the breadth of his waywardness before he came to himself.
Luke 15:17-19 (KJV) And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Alas, there is a way of destruction that is called the broadway that many walked therein but there is a strait gate and a narrow way wherein is life. Let us choose life! For the alternative is unimaginable.
This is the movement of the passage in our text in chapter 5 culminating in the final judgment, the judgment of abandonment. Israel abandoned the LORD and she herself will therefore be abandoned to the most severe judgments, and these will culminate in the coming of an enemy from afar (v24-30), the announcement of the punishment to be meted out for the sins mentioned. These sins, we will learn, are equivalent to a rejection of the LORD of hosts. [Edward J. Young]
Even the description of the punishment, instead of being added directly to that of the sin, as in v9 and v14, is postponed until the end of the catalogue of sins is closed, and then subjoined in a general form in v24.
24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
(5) Self-Conceit – Pride (v21)
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
The prophet has cried woe, and has made no mention of punishment. The tones of the first woe have barely died away before we are face to face with another. The two woes are closely related, and herein probably is to be found the fact that no punishment has been inserted between the two. The breakdown in moral distinctions is probably to be found in the fact that the nation no longer relied upon the wisdom of God but upon its own wisdom.
This may very likely have been done under the guise of practicality. True wisdom derives from God and is to be found alone with Him. To neglect the source of true wisdom leaves open only one other source, namely, the unaided human mind, and that wisdom which comes from the human mind does not originate from God.
Proverbs 1:20-31 (KJV) Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:7). [Edward J. Young]
When men deviate from God’s Word, it is a slippery slope downhill. This was the sad case in the Garden of Eden of paradise lost. This is the sad case of Israel, their kingdom ruined!
Where does it all start? With mankind’s insistence on autonomy. Both the wisdom that provides ruling principles for life and the cleverness (better ‘discernment’) that decides specific issues are their own unaided work. [J. Alec Motyer]
By their self-conceit, they choose what they would like to obey from God’s Word and what they will not, if it suits them, they follow, if not they don’t!
Ponder this statement, “Pride is the ground in which all other sin grow, and the parent from which all the other sins come.” And also Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
It was the sin of pride, the haughty spirit that caused the most beautiful and perfect of God’s creature, the “anointed cherub” to fall.
The Christian writer Andrew Murray also observes that pride is ‘the root of every sin and evil.”
This is a true description of the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ’s time; who said, “dost thou teach us? are we blind also?” (John 9:34). [Gill]
It refers to those who are inflated with a false opinion of their own knowledge, and who are, therefore, self-confident and vain. This is expressly forbidden (Prov. 3:7): ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes’.
Proverbs 26:12 (KJV) Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
In their own eyes – In their own opinion, or estimation.
And prudent – Knowing; self-conceited. This was, doubtless, one characteristic of the times of Isaiah. It is known to have been strikingly the characteristic of the Jews – particularly the Pharisees – in the time of our Saviour. The evil of this was,
(1) That it evinced and fostered “pride.”
(2) That it rendered them unwilling to be instructed, and especially by the prophets.
As they supposed that they were already wise enough, they refused to listen to others. This is always the effect of such self-confidence: and hence, the Saviour required His disciples to be meek, and humble, and teachable as children. [Albert Barnes]
Here, as in the foregoing verse, one sin follows another without any intervening description of punishment. This arrangement may imply a very intimate connection between the sins thus ‘brought into juxtaposition. As presumptuous sin, such as v18, 19 describe, implies a perversion of the moral sense, such as v20 describes, so the latter may be said to presuppose an undue reliance upon human reason, which is elsewhere contrasted with the fear of God (Prov. 3:7) and is indeed incompatible with it.
Woe unto the wise in their own eyes (i.e. their own eyes, which is otherwise expressed in the Hebrew) and before their own faces (in their own sight and estimation) prudent, intelligent, a synonyme of wise. The sin reproved, as Calvin well observes, is not mere frivolous self-conceit, but that delusive estimate of human wisdom which may coexist with modesty of manners and a high degree of real intellectual merit, but which must be adjured, not only on account of its effects, but also as involving the worst form of pride. [Joseph A. Alexander]
Who though they are guilty of such gross mistakes as these have a great opinion of their own judgments, and value themselves mightily upon their understanding (v21): They are wise in their own eyes; they think themselves able to disprove and baffle the reproofs and convictions of God’s word, and to evade and elude both the searches and the reaches of His judgments; they think they can outwit Infinite Wisdom and countermine Providence itself. Or it may be taken more generally: God resists the proud, those particularly who are conceited of their own wisdom and lean to their own understanding; such must become fools, that they may be truly wise, or else, at their end they shall appear to be fools before all the world. [Matthew Henry]
(6) Derediction of Duty – Drunkenness (v22-23)
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
The sixth woe, like the second, is directed at drunkards, but with a special reference to drunken judges (v22-23).
So, what is life like on the basis of unaided human wisdom? First, success is measured by the degree of self-satisfaction achieved and indulgence enjoyed. Heroes and champions are sarcastic use of terms military honour, as if to say, ‘See, they have medals for it.’ Secondly, the safeguards of society, here the legal system, succumb to corruption.
Here is an ironical tone. In Judah there were mighty men, heroes, men of valour. This valour was not directed to battle or war, wherein they might have brought profit to their country, but to the drinking and mixing of wine. In defending their country, they were not heroes, but only of mixing drinks. They were, it would seem, drunken, unjust judges. Here, if anywhere, mighty men were needed; these mighty men were at hand, it is true, but their might lay in the direction not of goodness, but of wickedness. Against such, a woe is certainly deserved, and a severe woe at that!
In the field of drinking wine, the might of the judges manifested itself. At the same time the sin which they committed was not that of drinking wine; it was the sin of dereliction from duty. It was not that they drank wine, but that in drinking they were mighty men; they drank to excess. Wine drinking became with them a habit and took from the time which should have been devoted to duty. They were engulfed by the sin of drunkenness. To make the drink more stimulating they mixed it, probably with roots and spices.
Here is no introductory woe, but one is not necessary. The thought preceding verse is continued and at the same time those over whom the woe had just been pronounced are identified. By means of a participle the prophet continues the description of the men upon whom he had pronounced his woe.
Here is a further example of calling light dark and day night. The judges justify the wicked; they declare that the wicked person stands in a right relation to the law; they pronounce upon him a sentence of justification. This they have no right to do. There is only One who can tell the wicked that he stands in right relation to the law, and that is God Himself, and God can only so declare when it is the truth.
Only when the claims of the law have been
satisfied, and the wicked man actually possesses righteousness, may God temm him that all is well. This He can do on the grounds of the perfect righteousness of Christ. For a man to declar a wicked person righteous, however, when such a wicked person possesses no righteousness, is to do a heinous thing.
The wicked one is the man who has broken the law and consequently stands condemned. He is the one who in fact is actually guilty and so in a wrong relation to the law. The judges, however, tell such a one that he stands in a right relation to the law, and hence are declaring what is contrary to fact. Their sentence of justification consequently is false. When God pronounces a sentence upon the wicked, He pronounces a sentence that accords with the facts; for the wicked whom God justifies possesses the imputed righteousness of Christ.
For the sake of reward – These mighty men are bribed judges, and from such one cannot expect just judgment. The drunkenness was not necessarily the reason why the judges took bribes. Men who carouse and men who take bribes are likely to belong together. The whole picture is that of complete disregard for the serious work of the judge.
And the righteousness of the righteous – Those who, because they have not broken the law, are actually in a right relation with the law, have that condition taken away from them. From each one that comes with a complaint, his innocency is, as it were, taken away. Justice is completely perverted, and we have a picture of what the writer of Proverbs condemned.
Proverbs 17:15 (KJV) He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
Who glory in it as a great accomplishment that they are able to bear a great deal of strong liquor without being overcome by it (v22), who are mighty to drink wine, and use their strength and vigour, not in the service of their country, but in the service of their lusts. Let drunkards know from this scripture that, they ungratefully abuse their bodily strength, which God has given them for good purposes, and by degrees cannot but weaken it. It will not excuse them from the guilt of drunkenness that they can drink hard and yet keep their feet. Those who boast of their drinking down others glory in their shame. How light soever men make of their drunkenness, it is a sin which will certainly lay them open to the wrath and curse of God.
Who, as judges, pervert justice, and go counter to all rules of equity (v23). This follows upon the former; they drink and forget the law (Prov. 31:5), and err through wine (Isaiah 28:7), and take bribes, that they may have wherewithal to maintain their luxury.
Proverbs 31:4 (KJV) It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
Proverbs 31:5 (KJV) Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
Isaiah 28:7 (KJV) But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
They justify the wicked for reward, and find some pretence or other to clear him from his guilt and shelter him from punishment; and they condemn the innocent, and take away their righteousness from them, that is, overrule their pleas, deprive them of the means of clearing up their innocency, and give judgment against them. In causes between man and man, might and money would at any time prevail against right and justice; and he who was ever so plainly in the wrong would with a small bribe carry the cause and recover the costs. In criminal causes, though the prisoner ever so plainly appeared to be guilty, yet for a reward they would acquit him; if he were innocent, yet if he did not fee them well, nay, if they were feed by the malicious prosecutor, or if they themselves had spleen against him, they would condemn him. [Matthew Henry]
CONCLUSION
Our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Amen.
[1] The parable sets forth the peculiar privileges, obligations, guilt, and doom of Israel, under the figure of a highly favoured vineyard, which, instead of good fruit, brings forth only wild grapes, and is therefore given up to desolation (v1-6). The application is expressly made by the Prophet himself (v7).
In the remaining of the chapter, he enumerates the sins which were included in the general expressions of v7, and describes their punishment. In do this, he first gives a catalog of sins with their appropriate punishments annexed (v8-24). He then describes the means used to inflict them, and the final issue (v25-30).
The catalogue of sins and judgments comprehends two series of woes or denunications. In the first, each sin is followed by its punishment (v8-17). In the second the sins follow one another in uninterrupted succession, and the punishment is reserved until the close (v18-24).
In the former series, the first woe is uttered against avaricious and ambitious grasping after lands and houses, to be punished by sterility and desolation (v8-10). The second woe is uttered against drunkenness, untimely mirth, and disregard of providential warnings, appropriately punished by captivity, hunger, thirst, and general mortality (v11-14). To these two woes are added a general declaration of their purpose and effect, to humble man and exalt God, and a repeated threatening of general desolation as a punishment of both the sins just mentioned (v15-17).
The sin denounced in the second series of woes are presumptuous and incredulous defiance of God’s judgments, the deliberate confounding of moral distinctions, undue reliance upon human wisdom, and drunkenness (v18-23). To these he adds a general threatening of destruction as a necessary consequence of their forsaking God (v24).
In declaring the means used to effect the condign retribution, the Prophet sets before us two distinct stages or degrees of punishment. The first, which is briefly and figuratively represented as a violent and destructive stroke of God’s hand, is described in the shape of an invading enemy, before whom, after a brief fluctuation, Israel disappears in total darkness (v26-30).
Every thing was carried by clamour and noise, and not by equity and according to the merits of the cause. It is sad with a people when wickedness has usurped the place of judgment (Ecc. 3:16). It is very sad with a soul when instead of the grapes of humility, meekness, patience, love, and contempt of the world, which God looks for, there are the wild grapes of pride, passion, discontent, malice, and contempt of God – instead of the grapes of praying and praising, the wild grapes of cursing and swearing, which are a great offence to God. Some of the ancients apply this to the Jews in Christ’s time, among whom God looked for righteousness (that is, that they should receive and embrace Christ), but behold a cry, that cry, Crucify him, crucify him. [Matthew Henry]