8 Woe to you who add house to house
and join field to field
till no space is left
and you live alone in the land.
9 The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing:
“Surely the great houses will become desolate,
the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine;
a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning
to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
till they are inflamed with wine.
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
pipes and timbrels and wine,
but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD,
no respect for the work of his hands.
13 Therefore my people will go into exile
for lack of understanding;
those of high rank will die of hunger
and the common people will be parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Death expands its jaws,
opening wide its mouth;
into it will descend their nobles and masses
with all their brawlers and revelers.
15 So people will be brought low
and everyone humbled,
the eyes of the arrogant humbled.
16 But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice,
and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.
17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;
lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
and wickedness as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, “Let God hurry;
let him hasten his work
so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One of Israel—
let it approach, let it come into view,
so we may know it.”
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.
Click through to hear a few thoughts on this scripture!
In these passages Isaiah, speaking from the godly perspective, laments the state of his nation and its society. He begins each lament with a declaration of woe...sadness and misgiving and warning all wrapped into one.
In verses 8-10 Isaiah laments those who "add house to house and join field to field". He's talking about people who expand economically at the cost of others, driving out their friends and neighbors instead of helping them prosper. He says that even though these people get more and more, their efforts will produce less and less. Houses will stand empty, fields will not yield. Those who grab prosperity for themselves will be left alone with their possessions.
One can't help but reflect on our current economic climate. The gap between wealthy and poor is wider than its ever been. Many of us are starting to worry about affording even basic necessities while others seem to lie in the lap of luxury. We work longer hours and receive more pay but our dollar doesn't go nearly as far. We stand amid massive fields of cash compared to our grandparents when they were young but everything costs more as well. Somehow we never come out ahead.
In verses 11-17 Isaiah decries those who live only for the next party, the next sensual experience. You don't have to flip the TV dial far to see people whose lives revolve around the right dress, the best brand of Vodka, loud music, and forgetting everything. "Reality" shows are full of people for whom the smallest mishap creates great drama...people who can't stand to have anything but their own way, people whose own way seems so superficial and shallow. The emptiness that the scripture promises is coming only reflects the emptiness of the exercise of living like this. Then again, how many of us reduce complex political choices to "Who has the best tie?" or "Who showed the best 15-second clip on the news?" Are the things we chase, the decisions we make, that much deeper or more meaningful?
In verses 18-19 Isaiah talks about those who deceive others into following false paths and then dare God to show up and correct them. "If God's that great, let him show up and prove it! If they way is that obvious, why don't we see flashy neon signs pointing it out?" Until they get their proof they're going to continue along whatever path seems best to them. It seems silly, but then again how many of us secretly think exactly this? "I know I should love my neighbor, do more for the poor, study the Word of God more, all of that stuff but I'll wait until it seems really important, until it really affects my life. In the meantime I have things to do!"
In a way verse 20 could describe all of these things. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil." How many of us think we'd be happier with more money, a life of leisure, being able to set our own agenda through life without question? Isn't this the main allure of success in our society? Things that lead us astray we call good. That which diverts us from our misplaced desires we call evil. We are a mixed up bunch!
I don't have a grand solution for all of this, save awareness, repentance, and prayer. It's fascinating, though, to see how words from dozens of centuries ago can pin us down so accurately and thoroughly. History changes, human nature doesn't. Yet another reason why scripture reading is so fascinating and critical.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
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