When evil is called good
When evil is called good: When God says "Woe to you", you are in trouble
The book of Isaiah overall sketches a picture of Israel, its sins, and its punishment, but also its confession of sins and its future blessing. However, when we dig deeper, we find God’s warnings to the rest of the world, as well as to believers of all ages. Dotted all over the book is the word “woe”. The fifth chapter is filled with warnings of dire calamity to strike those who do not take heed of God’s warnings. Read this chapter first, before you continue reading here. Once read, let us have a look at the start of the chapter to get the background.
1Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. – Isaiah 5:1-2
This is a song about a vineyard that was planted to produce what it is supposed to – grapes that will produce wine. It was placed at the top of a hill where it would receive favourable winds and rain; it was protected against thieves; it was populated with the best vines; a guard tower to protect it was put up in the middle; and lastly a winepress was constructed. Thus, everything was done correctly. However, look at the results – after all the effort, the vineyard produced wild grapes instead of sweet grapes that can be harvested and used to make good quality wine. I am sure the owner was most disappointed with the outcome.
The metaphor paints a picture of Israel, who was nurtured and taken care of, but still did not produce the results God had hoped for. In the rest of the chapter, the “Woe unto them” warnings show God’s disapproval of what Israel is doing as a nation and paints a vivid picture of the results of their sin and unrepentance. By the time we get to verse 20, something stands out that does not only apply to Israel, but also applies to our time today:
20Woe 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! – Isaiah 5:20
Think about this for a minute. We see the clear signs of moral decline all around us, despite God’s best intentions for man. We see examples of the wild grapes. These wild grapes are worthless, and they lead to death. This is how it is described elsewhere in the Bible:
39And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. 40So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. – 2 Kings 4:39
The unbelieving world is the wild vine which produces wild grapes. These people and what they do may look attractive, but they are bitter, and what they promote ultimately leads to death. We live in a world where what was once seen as evil (wrong, unacceptable) is now called good, and promoted as the standard to be followed, and just watch what happens to those who dare to oppose it and point out the wrong. What was once practiced in the dark is now done openly. What was bitter (unacceptable) is now put in the place of what is sweet (good moral standards). God says: “Woe to them.”
Let us look at some examples that are now fast becoming the norm. Parades are held to flaunt the LBTG world and their ungodly ways. This is seen as their right to free expression and acceptance, whether others find it acceptable or not. When a Christian group wants to hold a peaceful march, it is seen as offensive towards those who do not share Christian values, and it is cancelled. BLM marches and the accompanying vandalism during COVID lockdowns are accepted to promote “equality” but when other races indicate that their lives also matter, they are labelled as racist. It is in order to have wild parties (Barack Obama’s 60th birthday bash and Boris Johnson’s 10 Downing Street parties in 2021) during a time when there were lockdowns, but churches are not allowed to gather, just in case they infect the rest of mankind.
The woe that God warns them about is the punishment they will receive for their sins. Just as Israel was punished, so the current unbelieving world is already being punished, and if this is not enough, the coming seven-year tribulation will shake them to the core. The book of Revelation mentions three woes that are to strike the unbelieving world during the tribulation, over and above all the other destruction as witnessed by John.
13And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! – Revelation 8:13
Woe One is the picture of the demonic locusts and how they torture mankind (Revelation 9:1-12). Woe Two is the plagues that kill one third of mankind at the time (Revelation 9:13-21). Woe Three is the judgement of the nations when God makes an end to human governments (Revelation 11:15-19).
What should we do to combat the rising tide of evil in the world? Our natural reaction is to seek revenge, but this belongs to God alone. Instead, we are called to be salt and light:
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. – Matthew 5:13-16
We are called not to be like the world and conform to its ways, but to be different:
2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – Romans 12:2
Conclusion
As we see the clock ticking towards the inevitable end of this dispensation and God’s coming woes, let us continue to do good (be the salt and light) while at the same time we should be careful not to become like the world and its ways. Transformed by changing our way of thinking, we must set the example, whether the rest of the world wants to follow it or not.