Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!

            Isaiah 5:22-23

Observable truth…things that we read in scripture and then see played out in everyday life. And it matters not whether we are reading in the Old Testament or in the New. The depravity of man is displayed in the lives of every man, woman, and child. But there is a solution and His name is Jesus. God has done everything necessary for us to be made right again, be in right relationship with Him, and be on the redemptive side of pronouncements of condemnation or “Woe!” But we have to enter into this new life in Christ. We have to take hold of that which is offered through the cross and Jesus’ obedience to take our place (2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Hebrews 4:1-2). 

In today’s passage, we see yet another pronouncement of “woe” on the people of Isaiah’s day and, by extension, we see God’s view of sin in our world today, something that has not changed. “Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink.” We’ve seen this description before. We’re back to the substituting of a relationship with Christ to that of existing for the purpose of partying and pursuing alcohol. “Heroes in drinking wine” is how the Bible references these people. They are heroes but for what? They drink wine…this is for what they are known. And coming on the heels of that description is this; “valiant men in mixing strong drink.” So they are said to be “heroes” and “valiant men,” but the cause of their hero status and determination is for the purposes of pursuing alcohol and the lifestyle which accompanies that. Tragic indeed. But unlike the party goers trading away a relationship with Christ for drinking, in the earlier passage, these party goers have a corruption about them. Consider this: “who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!” Woe to these, God says, because, in addition to their lifestyle of drinking wine and mixing strong drink, they are corrupt. They are described as those “who justify the wicked.” No matter however ones political stripes may look, one thing that we can all agree on is that there are those who hold positions of power in our world who exploit those positions for their own gain. This is not a unique situation, anything new, or limited to one specific political party. Power and money have the power to corrupt an individual…even one who may have started out with a pure heart and an honest desire to serve. But as these pure hearted individuals are thrust into the corruption that so often surrounds the arenas of politics, sports, and the entertainment business (just to name a few), rather than bring virtue to these sectors of society, many fall victim to the lust, greed, and corruption that is available to them. This is what is being described in Isaiah and it is completely observable in our world today. These corrupt people have been deceived and often live in a self-made “bubble” where deception and bribery are commonplace. But the deception really lies in their own hearts and minds. Thinking that they have it made and forgetting that they will stand before God at the end of their lives, they continue to exercise the most vile, dishonest, and corrupt tactics, all for the promise of continued power and increase in their personal, material wealth. They are willing to “justify the wicked” because, as scripture says, they are willing to accept a bribe in return.

In addition, they “take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!” Remember the confusing of good and evil? Remember the trading of light for darkness? That is exactly what is being played out whenever these kinds of corrupt decisions are made. Elevating those that should be punished and punishing those who have done nothing wrong…this is the “wake” created by corruption. But we need to remember the “why” behind corruption. It is a self-serving practice, placing the needs of the corrupt person above those of the masses. It completely self-serving and putrid, yet many will walk down this road, and unless there is repentance and a spiritual awakening, they will fall under God’s declaration of “woe.”  

The depravity of man is behind all of these pronouncements of “woe.” Because God is perfect, righteousness, and altogether just, He alone is able to make these pronouncements on mankind. That is why it is so important for born again believers in Jesus Christ to keep ourselves free from these kinds of lifestyles. Those who continue to live consistently, boldly, and unapologetically in lifestyles consistent with the descriptions in Isaiah will face the ultimate judgment from God. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus would often say, “Let him who has ears to hear, let him hear.” He is referring to the one who will read this, who will see these warnings in scripture, and heed those warnings. They will recognize that they are the ones being described, repent, and surrender their lives to Christ. At that point, the Spirit of God will come into their lives and give them, not only “ears to hear” but also “eyes to see,” spiritually speaking. Consider the following:

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God…“Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.

      2 Corinthians 6:14-16a,17a

This is what our lives should look like as born again believers in Jesus Christ. Are we perfect? Hardly. Will we make mistakes? Surely. But our hearts and minds have been changed and we now desire to live for eternity and the things of God. We are not to enter into any alliances with those who are corrupt and are living out of fellowship with Christ. We have nothing in common with the unbelieving world and its ways. We are now set apart, the very definition of sanctification, for the purposes of God and for things that come along with the salvation of our souls. We are to be separate from the world, not physically but spiritually. We live in this world but it certainly is not our home. Eternity is where we will reside, which always brings up the question as to why more people don’t consider that reality. Everyone will be in eternity, which never ends, either in the presence of Christ or tragically, apart from Him forever. That is why it is vital for all of us to consider these pronouncements of “woe,” especially since we can see them played out on the world stage everyday. 

The truth regarding the two spiritual, eternal destinations available to us are observable today in the lifestyles of people, in what they pursue, and in what the prioritize. Some are totally invested in this world, pursuing “wine, women, and song.” Some forfeit spiritual health for corrupt practices carrying with them the promise of advancement and gain yet failing to deliver in the end. Some have gone so far away from the Light of Christ that they cannot even disseminate between what is wholesome and good and what is perverted and evil. But in whatever situation people may find themselves, Jesus stands ready to receive any broken, sinful, and rebellious person, willing to lay it all down at the cross. And in exchange…forgiveness, acceptance, purpose, and the salvation of our souls!

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

          Matthew 11:28-30

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

        John 7:37-38