This is the second part to the repost from last week (Original post is from 11-3-21).
Last week I talked about managing life’s difficulties in a world seemingly turned upside down through seeking the God of the Universe, the creator and sustainer of all things, who knows us more intimately than we even know ourselves, and He ultimately has the answers for our troubles. This week I would like to continue the discussion by exploring what the Bible has to say about the upside-down world. I will conclude with some thoughts as to what we do have control over to provide stability amid chaos. The text for this discussion is found in Isaiah 5:20-24: “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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel” (NIV).
The words spoken by God through the prophet Isaiah to the people of ancient Judah were both meant as an admonishment to the people at that time, but the words were also designed as a warning of God’s judgment for people at any time who do evil (Henry). And what was the evil that the people were committing? The people were confounding what was known to be good by calling it evil, and they were taking things that were evil and calling it good. Matthew Henry elaborated on these behaviors by stating that the people were arguing against and condemning what was good because they would not do good themselves, and the people not only were doing evil things, they justified and applauded evil as if it was good and right to do. Ultimately, the people of Isaiah’s time rejected God and followed their own sinful desires (see Romans 1:21-25 NIV, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen”). And to justify their sinful behavior the people condemned those who were righteous, and they applauded their sinfulness as good.
It is not a coincidence that the focus of the arguments related to the issues of today, from Critical Race theory to abortion, is whether they are good or whether they are evil? Additionally, those who follow God’s word related to these issues are condemned, and those who sin applaud their behavior as good. Pastor Martyn Iles states that the issues of today are not about personal freedoms, but they are about cancelling the truth (Iles). He continues by noting that we want to believe our own perceptions as truth rather than seeking the truth through the words of the Creator outlined in the Bible. So, in both Isaiah’s time and in the world of today, everything seems upside down. But the chaos of today can be understood through reading the Bible, and the answers to all the issues of today can still be found through putting faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.
Conclusion:
The reality is that we do not have control over the chaos in the world today. However, we do have control over whether we choose to believe that truth is subjective and therefore we decide what is good for ourselves, or we can acknowledge that there is an objective truth that is outside of ourselves and that comes from the Creator God. And we do have control over whether we seek objective truth, or we reject objective truth and ultimately reject God. Accepting the objective truth that comes from God provides insight and answers to the chaos of today. However, also know that Isaiah addressed what would happen to those who reject God by stating “Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel” Isaiah 5:24, NIV). Matthew Henry articulated the meaning of this verse – “Sinners make themselves as stubble and chaff, combustible matter, proper fuel to the fire of God’s wrath, which then of course devours and consumes them, as the fire devours the stubble”. For further information, I would encourage you to listen to the presentation by Martyn Iles noted in the resources.
Isaiah 1:16 (NIV) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile”.
Resources:
Iles, Martyn – The Truth of It | Doctrines and Beliefs Driving Our Culture | Episode 80 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8J4hEDDErQ
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Isa.5.18-Isa.5.30
The Holy Bible. (NIV).