Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; but they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord, nor do they consider the work of His hands.

      Isaiah 5:11-12

There’s a lot to observe in this life. We can see the activity of God in the lives of those surrendered to Christ, but we can also see the depravity of man that affects all of us and consumes those apart from Christ. The Bible has much to say about the depravity of man, what to look for, and how to prevent it from completely destroying our lives. And the evidence is there, in everyday life, all around this world. This is what we can refer to as “observable truth.” Far from just words on a page, the Word of God is “living and active” and able to search the hearts of man (Hebrews 4:12). It reveals what thoughts, words, and actions are considered righteous in the eyes of God and it also reveals what a depraved life, rooted in self, looks like. One such description of human depravity, engaged in idolatry, perhaps founded on false precepts, and void of any understanding of how a redeemed life should be lived, is found in our passage today. 

In Isaiah, we see a series of pronouncements on the lives of the people. Each of these declarations begins with “woe.” Such a small word yet one that carries great consequences. “Woe,” when coming from the mouth of God, is nothing short of a pronouncement of condemnation. It reflects not just what God finds unacceptable but brings with it a judgment against such activity. We certainly do not want to be on the wrong side of “woe.” Yet, with each description of what God finds offensive, we can learn what to avoid in our lives. Yes, our salvation is secured completely by what Christ has done for us on the cross, yet, we should continue to hold our lives up next to the truth of God’s Word to see if we are truly exemplifying what it means to have received new life in Christ. This is not an attempt to earn our way to heaven (something we could never accomplish) rather it is simply checking to see if we are exuding real evidence of true salvation, a life consistent with being ambassadors for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20). So what is God seeing in the people that would lead Him to declare “woe”?

“Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink.” It begins with their morning focus. Notice that God is not the first person on their minds as they wake to meet a new day. So if God is not their focus, what is? These people rise in the morning so they may pursue “strong drink.” Alcohol…this is their morning pursuit. And what did the previous night look like? These people “stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!” Wow! They stay up late in order to party then rise up early the next day to do it all over again. And the centerpiece of their pursuits? It’s alcohol. It’s a life of always making sure that they maintain a certain level of alcohol in their bodies. Surely this is also accompanied by a desire to numb the brain and enter into a world of escapism through “strong drink.” And God’s view of this lifestyle brings about the pronouncement of “Woe!” 

“Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine.” We get the picture. Lots of music, wine, and other strong drink. This was the pursuit of the people in Isaiah’s day that brought about God’s declaration of “Woe!” But what about today? Can we still this kind of behavior in our world? Of course we can…that’s why we are calling this series “observable truth.” These are realities in the lives of many. But let’s make clear a valid point when discussing such topics. The unbelieving world, apart from Christ, will run headlong into such behaviors and practices. This lifestyle comes as natural as breathing for unbelievers, those void of the Holy Spirit. But for the Christian, this kind of lifestyle has no place. That’s why we should always examine our lives and see if we are living in such a way that is pleasing to God or if we are drifting into the same practices as those who do not know the Lord (Colossians 1:10, 1 Peter 4:3-4). 

A quick glance at social media and we can verify this lifestyle. Have you ever seen people post pictures on social media and the theme always seems to be alcohol? No matter what they are doing, who they are with, or where they find themselves, alcohol is clearly the theme. And it’s not just that the pursuit of this lifestyle is so dominant, the real tragedy is what, rather who, is being overlooked. “But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord, nor do they consider the work of His hands.” Instead of sharing with the world what Christ is doing in their lives, these, who wake to pursue worldly things, demonstrate a lack of spiritual understanding. Perhaps they are believers who have greatly stayed from the Lord or maybe they have never been saved at all, still spiritually dead, and void of the Spirit of God. But whatever the case, they are being deceived as they run into pursuits contrary to a life that has been redeemed. They do not “pay attention” and they do not “consider” the things of God. This is the very opposite of what it means to be alive in Christ and is the real tragedy. 

So, as we examine to see if our lives are consistent with that of a born again believer in Jesus, let’s consider the reality of idolatry that comes from a life being lived like that described in Isaiah. Imagine substituting alcohol in place of Christ. Jesus should be on the throne of our lives. Everyday we wake, He should be the One in whom we are seeking (Psalm 118:24). Everything that we share with the world should be Christ-centered. Even our social media posts should have some redemptive substance to them. But alcohol, as the centerpiece of one’s life, hardly exemplifies that of a follower of Jesus Christ. Idolatry is when we put something or someone in Christ’s rightful place. People do this all of the time, even some who would claim to be followers of Jesus. Money, career, pleasure, self, sports, and a whole host of other things, even family, are all available substitutes for us to swap out for a born again relationship with the Creator of the universe. But in today’s passage, none of these things is what is being pursued and substituted in place of Jesus. For the people described in today’s passage, their focus, their lifestyle, revolves around that of pursuing partying and alcohol. Maybe they have been deceived into thinking that this is God’s will for them or that God doesn’t care if they do this or not. But nothing could be further from the truth and the passage from Isaiah reminds us of this. 

We should make sure that we are not spiritually on the wrong side of “woe.” This is a pronouncement, by God, of condemnation on the lives of people that have rejected Him and have substituted something in His place. Alcoholic beverages superseding life in Christ is perhaps the best example of how we, as depraved people, pursue all of the wrong things in this life and how this decision causes us to forfeit everything that Christ went to the cross to provide for us. Are you on the wrong side of “woe”? Why not make  a decision today to pursue that which is of most value, a relationship and life with Jesus Christ!   

…and He (Christ) died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

        2 Corinthians 5:15