When Grace is Received in Vain

In chapter five Isaiah really reiterates the cause of God's anger with Judah. In the previous sermon I opened up the words of the prophet as he described God's grievous disappointment with the vineyard He had planted and then watched over so tenderly (vv. 1-7). But now Isaiah takes it further, even to the point of pronouncing six devastating “woes” upon the nation (vv. 8-30). The point is that there can be no question that God has a legitimate case against His people. His judgment is coming; it will be harsh; but it is warranted. So, in these verses Isaiah expresses the indictment in terms of the woes, and then develops God's response in terms of divine judgment. This will bring to a close the first section of Isaiah, “The Sins of Treacherous Judah.” Although there have been rays of hope scattered throughout, the predominant theme has been that of judgment, resulting from the failure of Judah to hear the word of the Lord spoken through the prophets He sent. After expounding the text, I shall conclude with a word for our modern society in general, but especially for the church in particular. After all, God was addressing His covenant people!