Please begin this lesson by reading Isaiah 5:13-16. These verses are found in the opening section of Isaiah when the kingdom of Judah was intact. Their fall and captivity had not yet occurred. They were preoccupied with their physical existence, not with God.
God was extremely upset with them. He had endured all He could. It is not difficult to see just how upset God was with these Israelites. They had no awareness that their relationship with God was a dependent relationship (1:2,3). They were a sinful nation weighed down with iniquity (1:4). They were like a body so full of untreated sores, wounds, and raw places that there were no healthy places [God's opinion of them, not their opinion of themselves] (1:5,6). Soon their homes and farms would be abandoned and become desolate [unimaginable!] (1:7,8). Were it not for God's intervention, no one would survive (1:9). They were an impure, unjust, unconcerned people whose worship disgusted God (1:10-17).
Consider the general condition of Judah in this early section. God's people were oblivious to the fact that God was at work in the world. They thought life and the world was about their purposes and desires, not about God's purposes and desires. They were so concerned about "quality" physical existence that they concluded this should be their core concern. Did they worship? Yes. Did they do "the commanded things" in the "approved ways." Yes. Was this happening at the "right place"? Yes.
Then why was God so upset? They had ceased being God's unique people who existed in covenant relationship with God. [Read Exodus 19:5,6 again and remind yourself of the critical importance God placed on their being His unique, covenant people from their beginning.] They became like everyone else. In worship, traditions, and ceremonial behavior? No, they were quite different in numerous ways when compared to most other nations. Then how were they like everyone else? They were impure as were people who did not know God. They were evil as were people who did not know God. They were unjust as were people who did not know God. They took advantage of the helpless as did people who did not know God. To God, their religious distinctions were meaningless and insignificant when their wicked treatment of others was like that of people who did not know Him.
The verses you read at the beginning of the lesson appear as a part of six woes pronounced on those in Judah and Jerusalem (5:8,11,18,20,21,22). They specifically appear as a part of the second woe. The over-all context was a people living "the good life" in a prosperous time. Yet, it was also a time of great wickedness. The rich made the poor miserable by taking advantage of them (5:8, 23). Heavy drinking and banquets for pleasure are common (5:11,12). Evil was considered insignificant and God was considered a joke (5:18,19). Evil was considered to be good, and good was considered to be evil (5:20). Wisdom was found in the arrogance of human thinking, not in understanding God (5:21). A person gained renown and status through drinking and exploiting the helpless (5:22,23).
God said the unthinkable was about the occur. Why? A lack of knowledge would result in God's people being exiled (5:13). The point was much more significant, much deeper than a mere failure "to know enough scripture." These people lost their awareness of God. They were so devoted to the pursuit of their purposes in this world that they lost all consciousness of God working in the world. The world was not about God. The world was about them. Human existence was not about God's purposes. Human existence was about human purposes. Life's meaningful objectives were not about God. Life's meaningful objectives were about "us."
"God? Who is God? What does He have to do with any decision (or pursuit)? If things change, it is up to us. If progress is to be made, it is up to us. The 'good life' we enjoy was produced by us, not by God! If God is going to do anything, let Him hurry up and get on with it! If He is going to show us something, let Him get on with it." [This is the attitude of 5:19.]
Judah could not comprehend the consequences that were coming! Soon society's upper level would not have enough to eat (5:13). Soon the masses would not be able to find enough drinking water (5:13). There would be an enormous amount of death, though not enough [it never is!] to satisfy the grave's insatiable appetite (5:14). The citizens of the magnificent, reveling, "good life and good times" Jerusalem would certainly be a part of the "death march to the grave" (5:14). Conditions surrounding the common people would decline, and conditions surrounding the significant people would plummet.
What would be the end result of this approaching catastrophe that would befall the citizens of Judah and Jerusalem? (1) God would be exalted in judgment. (2) The holy God would demonstrate His holiness in righteousness. In all that occurred, God would be vindicated. God's holiness and righteousness would be evident. Because Judah misrepresented God, God would use their coming captivity to represent Himself.
How had Judah misrepresented God? In two ways: (1) by the wickedness of its people and (2) by its devotion to pleasure. The people who existed to represent God to the world had failed miserably. Because they did not worship? No! Because they did the wrong things in worship? No! Then how? People who did not know God could look at Judah and see a people devoted to (1) the abuse of helpless people and (2) pleasurable, indulgent existence. They could look at Judah and conclude those two considerations were the core purposes for human existence. And that is a total misrepresentation of God!
Therefore through Judah's catastrophic captivity, God would represent Himself. The holy God did not [and does not!] abuse or exploit helpless people. The righteous God knew [knows!] that physical pleasure and indulgence were [are] not the core purposes for human existence. Judah forgot that God was at work in the world. However, God would declare to the world that He was not at work in Judah's evil, pleasure-centered acts. Captivity would bring catastrophe to Judah, but vindication for the holy, righteous God.
Supreme arrogance takes root in God's people when they forget that God is at work in the world. When they become their purpose for existing instead of God being their purpose for existing, they misrepresent God. How? They have rejected God's sovereignty. God is not exalted by their judgments. God's holiness and righteous is not evident in the way they treat others. God's people must never forget existence is about God, not about us.
Discussion Question
Judah's situation seems too typical of America's situation. The wealthy indulge themselves. The poor are helpless in many contexts. People of strength and position take advantage of people who are helpless. Life is about "us." Pleasure and the exploitation of the helpless are the core purposes of existence for many. And God's people become so engrossed in their purposes and objectives that they lose all consciousness of God being at work in our world. Why do we "buy into" that view of existence? How are these circumstances produced?
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 5