Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Sabbath SchoolLessonLesson Helps for the Week of May 23For May 23,1971When People Refuse God's LoveIsaiah 5Comments by lohn K. GaultIn the Scripture of this lesson, Isaiah5, the prophet used a vineyard as an objectlesson of the spiritual state of Israel andJudah. He said, "Now will I sing to my wellbeloveda song of my beloved touching hisvineyard. My well beloved hath a vineyardin a very fruitful hill: and he fenced it, andgathered out the stones thereof, andplanted it with the choicest vine, and builta tower in the midst of it, and also made awinepress therein: and he looked that itshould bring forth grapes, and it broughtforth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitantsof Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, Ipray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.What could have been done more to myvineyard, that I have not done in it?... Forthe vineyard of the Lord of hosts is thehouse of Israel, and the men of Judah hispleasant plant: and he looked forjudgment, but behold oppression; forrighteousness, but behold a cry." Thisdescription can be called a parable inwhich the nation of Israel was likened to avineyard which had been planted with the"choicest vine." The owner who was theLord of hosts did everything that couldhave been done to make the vineyardproductive of good grapes. Instead ofgood grapes the vineyard produced "wildgrapes" which represented the evilpractices of the people of the land. Inreturn for the great love which God hadshown to Israel the people had sunk low indebauchery and shame. This chapter is anindictment of Israel, especially of Judah,the southern kingdom, for the great sinswhich the people were committing.1: The Grasping Landowners WereDenounced for Extending their Estates atthe Expense of the Poor.This is the first of the six "woes"which the prophet described. He said,"Woe unto them that join house to house,that lay field to field, till there be no place,that they may be placed alone in the midstof the earth! In mine ears said the Lord ofAPRIL 28, 1971hosts, of a truth many houses shall bedesolate, even great and fair, withoutinhabitant. Yea, ten acres of vineyard shallyield one bath, and the seed of an homershall yield an ephah." The greedy landownerssought to establish a land trust bybuying up the inheritance of the poor.They sought to establish a land monopoly.But the time would inevitably come, saidIsaiah, when their extensive acres wouldyield a pitifully small return; even notgetting their seed back, which they hadsown and their great houses would bestanding "desolate, even great and fair,without inhabitant." This "woe" condemnsany system of monopoly or financialmanipulation which enables rich people tobecome richer at the expense of the poor.2: Isaiah Condemned AlcoholicAddiction.He said, "Woe unto them that rise upearly in the morning, that they may followstrong drink; that continue until night, tillwine inflame them! And the harp, and theviol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine are intheir feasts: but they regard not the workof the Lord, neither consider the operationof his hands. . . .Therefore hell hathenlarged herself, and opened her mouthwithout measure: and their glory, and theirmultitude, and their pomp, and he thatrejoiceth shall descend into it." It isevident that alcoholic addiction was asocial evil in the days of Isaiah as it is in themodern life of America. And along withthe wine they had their rock and roll musicwhich added to their intoxication.Beverage alcohol is very habit forming andmany people "continued until night."Covenanters can be glad that they belongto a church which believes in and practices"total abstinence." Beverage alcoholcannot be controlled in any other way.Even "social drinking" is "Woe unto himthat giveth his neighbor drink, that puttestthy bottle to him, and makest him drunkenalso, —3: Isaiah Condemned People WhoWere Firmly Attached to Sin and WhoDared the Holy God to Do Somethingabout It.He said, "Woe unto them that drawiniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as itwere with a cart rope: that say, let himmake speed, and hasten his work, that wemay see it: and let the counsel of the HolyOne of Israel draw nigh and come, that wemay know it!" As one who would use a"cart rope" in drawing a heavy load sothere were those who were firmly attachedto their sins, which would accomplish theirultimate destruction. To leave God out ofone's calculations of either work orpleasure, is to be in such a situation.4: Isaiah Pronounced a "Woe" onThose Who Sought to Overthrow theEstablished Moral Order.He said, "Woe unto them that callevil good, and good evil; that put darknessfor light, and light for darkness; that putbitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"There were those who sought to reversethe system of ethics which God hadrevealed to them through the prophets.Ever since the founding of our nation theBible had been read in the public schoolseach day, but Mrs. O'Hare brought suitwith the result that the devotional readingof the Bible has been banned in the publicschools throughout the United States.Even the courts of the land followed in thetrain of Mrs. O'Hare and reversed themoral customs of the land and called "evilgood and good evil." "Woe" to all such saidIsaiah.5: "Woe unto Them that Are Wise intheir Own Eyes."There were some who thought thatthey knew more than the prophets did;consequently, they could not be told aboutthe will of God. When people begin tothink that they are wiser than any othersthey are more ignorant than they think.When Isaiah was called to be the prophetunto Israel he had a lowly opinion ofhimself for he said, "Woe is me! for I amundone; because I am a man of uncleanlips, and I dwell in the midst of a people ofunclean lips: for mine eyes have seen theKing, the Lord of Hosts." It is a God-giventalent to be smart and to have a high IQ,but when one gets to be a "smart-aleck" heloses the friendship of both man and God.Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for theyshall inherit the earth."6: Unjust ludges Are in a State ofWoe.Isaiah said of them, "Woe unto themthat are mighty to drink wine, and men ofstrength to mingle strong drink: whichjustify the wicked for reward, and takeaway the righteousness of the righteousfrom him!" The judges, or politicianswould drink alcohol with their cronies andthen they would render pervertedjudgments. They could be "bought off."Corruption in office is the scandal whichhas been brought against many publicofficials. This was a great trouble in thetime of Isaiah, andit is by no means anunheard of occurrence in the modern lifeof America. It has been known to happen.7: The Inevitable Doom of a NationWhich Forgets God.After describing all of these woesIsaiah said. "Therefore as the firedevoureth the stubble, and the flame