Isaiah 5:20-23 (NKJV)

20 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!21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,And prudent in their own sight!

Isaiah 5:20-23 (NKJV)

22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,And take away justice from the righteous man!

Isaiah 5:20-23

6 Woes of Isaiah 5 (Pt. 2)

Last week we began a study in looking at the woes mentioned in Isaiah 5

Remember the term woe is an expression of grief or sorrow

It is a lamenting or expression of grief over something, usually connected with death

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

We began that study by looking at the first 3 woes mentioned in the chapter

They are:1. Woe to the covetous (vs. 8-10)2. Woe to pleasure seekers (vs. 11-

17)3. Woe to slaves of sin (vs. 18-19)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

There are still 3 more woes that are mentioned in this chapter

These were things that had caused Israel to move away from God

Our motivation in looking at them is so that we do not repeat history and fall into these traps (Rom. 15:4)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

4. Woe to the morally mixed-up (v. 20)We live in a morally backwards

societyAbortion is now called “pro-choice”Being gay is now called

“alternative lifestyle”Speaking out against these sins is

now considered wrong

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

4. Woe to the morally mixed-up (v. 20)People are believing the lies of sin

(Gen. 3:4)Just dress it up and put a nice

name on it and it passes off as goodSin becomes the accepted way of

life (desensitized)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

4. Woe to the morally mixed-up (v. 20)We see it at funerals where

everyone who dies is good and everyone is going to heaven

“Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them” (Mal. 2:17)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

4. Woe to the morally mixed-up (v. 20)Soren Kierkegaard, a mid 19th

century Christian philosopher, told a parable of two thieves in a jewelry store…

Today there is no value in doing good, only in doing evil

Ex. Jason Collins/Chris Broussard/ESPN

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

4. Woe to the morally mixed-up (v. 20)“He who justifies the wicked, and

he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 17:15)

What is the antidote for this?The only way to fix it is by having a

divine standard to go by (God’s word)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

5. Woe to the prideful (v. 21)Here is the reason why they were

so morally mixed-upIt’s the same reason why so many

are mixed-up today as wellThey were “wise in their own eyes,

and prudent in their own sight”

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

5. Woe to the prideful (v. 21)They had lost their dependence on

God and on His word as a guide and a standard

“I know what’s best” is a mindset that always leads to sin

There is a danger in going our own way (Prov. 14:12; 16:25; 21:2)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

5. Woe to the prideful (v. 21)Solomon, an inspired writer and

the wisest man to ever live, set forth some words of wisdom

Proverbs 3:5-8True wisdom comes down from

God (Js. 1:5; 3:17-18)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

5. Woe to the prideful (v. 21)Those who profess to be wise

usually end up as fools (Rom. 1:22)“Therefore let him who thinks he

stands take heed lest he fall” (I Cor. 10:12)

God hates those who are prideful (Prov. 6:16-17)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

6. Woe to the intoxicated (vs. 22-23)The last woe is held for those who

counted it a mark of manhood to drink strong drinks

These weren’t just any men, they were the mighty and valiant men of that day

The idea is having their minds and judgment clouded

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

6. Woe to the intoxicated (vs. 22-23)Many things besides just alcohol can

cloud our minds and our judgmentWe can be drunk with lust, love,

power, pride, etc.God calls us to be sober minded

(I Pet. 5:8; Titus 2:12; Rom. 12:3)

6 Woes of Isaiah 5

6. Woe to the intoxicated (vs. 22-23)Not being sober minded can cloud

our judgment between the wicked and the righteous (v. 23)

Those in important positions shouldn’t drink (Prov. 31:5; I Tim. 3:3)

Isaiah 28:7

6 Woes of Isaiah 5