Monday, October 6, 2014

"WOE TO THOSE!"

Isaiah 5:18-21                    (ESV)
"18 "WOE TO THOSE" who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, 
19 who say: "Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that 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! 
21 "WOE TO THOSE" who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!"



The words we use can be misheard for something that is completely different than what we actually said.   The words we say can also be misunderstood to mean something we never intended for them to say.  While I was a child if someone said to me "WOE TO THOSE", I can would have taken it to mean to STOP what I was doing.   However, it seems that recent trends have evolved our thinking that instead of a STOP sign, these words words has been replaced with a YEILD sign.  But GOD has not changed!  Malachi 3:6-7 tells us "For I the LORD 'do not change'; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.  From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. RETURN TO ME, and I WILL RETURN TO YOU, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, 'How shall we return?"

"WOE TO THOSE" should not be mistaken for a YEILD sign.  "WOE TO THOSE" more than likely means there is pain or torment ahead and our course needs to change.  There are MANY who are more studied in scripture than I, but I have not been able to locate a verse in the Bible instructing us to HURRY UP and perform our tasks for the LORD at a quicker pace!   

Instead, scripture is filled with instructions for us to "BE STILL", and "WAIT ON THE LORD", and "THEREFORE BE PATIENT" and on and on!  "WOE TO THOSE" is reserved for those who say "Let him be quick, let him speed his work" and want to see everything happen now!  It seems we build everything for speed and profit.  After all, there is no line item on a balance sheet for improving someone's spiritual well-being!  We lean toward judging success based solely on material possessions.  1 Corinthians 3 says that earthly possessions are "wood, hay, and stubble" and will be burned up in the end!  

GOD is in the business of changing hearts, and some hearts HE has to work on a little longer than others.  Don't rush GOD to complete a masterpiece, just because you desire to see completion of the project.  "WOE TO THOSE" should be an alarm clock to believers that we need to heed.  Our fast-paced society needs to focus more on the things of GOD!  "WOE TO THOSE" who refuse to listen!!

No comments:

Post a Comment