Isa 5:11-12 | KingComments | STEP | The second woe ( ) is about the hedonists, people addicted to pleasure, the “lovers of pleasure” ( ). They see life as a great feast and drink themselves full of intoxicating “strong drink”, which in those days was made from fermented dates, honey, and barley. Such a life is worthless, it can be compared to worthless grapes. There is nothing in their lives in which God can find joy. On the contrary, He is disgusted by it. People who live like that are addicted to that way of life. Someone who wakes up in the morning and as first of his action reach for the bottle is certainly addicted to alcohol (cf. ; ). If you are intoxicated, you at least forget the nasty things in life. It is like opium. Inside, inwardly, intoxicated and outside surrounded and stunned by noise is the ‘ideal’ situation to ensure that they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, that they have no interest in them ( ; cf. ). They do not “consider the work of His hands”. They are completely blind for what the LORD does. Today we see how people are completely absorbed in alcohol and drugs, in heavy metal and death metal music that makes them insensitive to any signal that warns them of the deadly consequences. As a result, they sink lower than animals that instinctively still make good choices ( ). It must be clear to us that these things can also be found among those who call themselves Christians. The use of strong drink and drugs is not just a practice of the world around us, but occurs extensively among Christian youth. This lack of understanding of the LORD’s deeds, this lack of knowledge of Him, becomes fatal to them ( ; ). As a result, they do not realize that they will go into exile. The high-income elite will “famish”. The “multitude”, the wicked ‘ordinary’ population, will die of thirst. They will meet the skinny reaper, who with his throat wide open and his mouth wide open like a greedy monster is ready to devour them ( ). Without them noticing it, the nobility and the average human being are hopping to that all and everyone devouring monster. In this way they descend dancing and swinging down into the endless black hole. Then it’s over and done with all that cheering and hopping. Of all the pride of both the common man and the man of prestige nothing remains. They both bend their knees under judgment. The common man, like the distinguished man, has lived only for himself and was not inferior to the distinguished man. Both have had their eyes open to everything in pride, except for the LORD. Their eyes will be abased forever ( ). God will enforce recognition of His attributes and rights ( ). The downfall of the arrogant man is the result of the judgment of “the LORD of hosts” ( ). He will be exalted by the exercise of judgment, which sharply contrasts with the humiliation of man. This sharp contrast also exists between the unholy behavior of man and the holiness of God, Who is emphasized here as “the holy God”. His holiness is expressed in the maintenance of His righteousness. Righteousness and holiness are the characteristics of the new man, who “has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” ( ). As a result, the believer who belongs to the church is able to do righteousness in the midst of evil. While he is surrounded by evil, he can live in holiness, which means separated to God. When the people are gone into exile, shepherds of foreign nations will let their sheep graze in the deserted land as if it were their own ( ). Foreigners will feast on what God intended for His own people, but which His people have feasted on themselves in unbridled greed. After judgment, they leave everything behind and strangers will eat it. This is literally fulfilled by the Arabs who lived there for centuries, while Jerusalem was in the hands of islamic peoples.

‏ Isaiah 5:11-12

The Second Woe

The second woe (Isa 5:11) is about the hedonists, people addicted to pleasure, the “lovers of pleasure” (2Tim 3:4). They see life as a great feast and drink themselves full of intoxicating “strong drink”, which in those days was made from fermented dates, honey, and barley. Such a life is worthless, it can be compared to worthless grapes. There is nothing in their lives in which God can find joy. On the contrary, He is disgusted by it. People who live like that are addicted to that way of life. Someone who wakes up in the morning and as first of his action reach for the bottle is certainly addicted to alcohol (cf. Ecc 10:16b; Acts 2:13-15). If you are intoxicated, you at least forget the nasty things in life. It is like opium.

Inside, inwardly, intoxicated and outside surrounded and stunned by noise is the ‘ideal’ situation to ensure that they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, that they have no interest in them (Isa 5:12; cf. Amos 6:4-5). They do not “consider the work of His hands”. They are completely blind for what the LORD does.

Today we see how people are completely absorbed in alcohol and drugs, in heavy metal and death metal music that makes them insensitive to any signal that warns them of the deadly consequences. As a result, they sink lower than animals that instinctively still make good choices (Isa 1:3). It must be clear to us that these things can also be found among those who call themselves Christians. The use of strong drink and drugs is not just a practice of the world around us, but occurs extensively among Christian youth.

This lack of understanding of the LORD’s deeds, this lack of knowledge of Him, becomes fatal to them (Isa 5:13; Hos 4:6a). As a result, they do not realize that they will go into exile. The high-income elite will “famish”. The “multitude”, the wicked ‘ordinary’ population, will die of thirst.

They will meet the skinny reaper, who with his throat wide open and his mouth wide open like a greedy monster is ready to devour them (Isa 5:14). Without them noticing it, the nobility and the average human being are hopping to that all and everyone devouring monster. In this way they descend dancing and swinging down into the endless black hole.

Then it’s over and done with all that cheering and hopping. Of all the pride of both the common man and the man of prestige nothing remains. They both bend their knees under judgment. The common man, like the distinguished man, has lived only for himself and was not inferior to the distinguished man. Both have had their eyes open to everything in pride, except for the LORD. Their eyes will be abased forever (Isa 5:15).

God will enforce recognition of His attributes and rights (Phil 2:9-11). The downfall of the arrogant man is the result of the judgment of “the LORD of hosts” (Isa 5:16). He will be exalted by the exercise of judgment, which sharply contrasts with the humiliation of man. This sharp contrast also exists between the unholy behavior of man and the holiness of God, Who is emphasized here as “the holy God”. His holiness is expressed in the maintenance of His righteousness.

Righteousness and holiness are the characteristics of the new man, who “has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:24). As a result, the believer who belongs to the church is able to do righteousness in the midst of evil. While he is surrounded by evil, he can live in holiness, which means separated to God.

When the people are gone into exile, shepherds of foreign nations will let their sheep graze in the deserted land as if it were their own (Isa 5:17). Foreigners will feast on what God intended for His own people, but which His people have feasted on themselves in unbridled greed. After judgment, they leave everything behind and strangers will eat it. This is literally fulfilled by the Arabs who lived there for centuries, while Jerusalem was in the hands of islamic peoples.