Isaiah 5:20 – Bad Fruit: Reversing Reality – Part Two
In the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament, we frequently see good and evil compared to light and darkness. Just as light brings life, joy, sight, familiarity and safety, that which is good does the same thing. On the other hand, what does darkness bring? Well, since the fall anyway, darkness brings death. It brings blindness, it brings waywardness, it brings falling. Sadly, in Isaiah’s day, people had drifted away from the light of God’s Word, saying, ‘What God has said is boring. What God has said will not really take care of us. We need to worship Him in a way that we think is better.’ So they went to the golden calves. ‘We need the help of Baal for our crops, we need the help of Ashtaroth for our baby animals, and to have children ourselves. Who cares if God says it’s wrong?’
Frequently we see the images in Scripture of sweetness and bitterness. God’s Word tells us to come and taste and see that the Lord is good. But often evil things are described as being bitter for the godly. Sadly, in Isaiah’s time, and sadly, in our own time, to many people, what really is sweet, they say is bitter. God’s good Word, they say, is a terrible thing. And what truly is bitter and that leads to death, they say, is sweet.
Flee from that which God hates, run away from it, and run to be rescued by Jesus! He alone can make you understand things correctly. He alone can deliver you from an evil conscience, from blind eyes, and a perverted taste. Come to Him for all good things. If not, woe will be yours, and maybe more quickly than you can imagine right now. That was the word to the people in Isaiah’s time, and the word to a culture where the Gospel has been.
Questions
- How is light called dark and sweet called bitter today?
- How do we stand against this reversal of reality?
Prayer Points
- Pray that you would point people to the true light in Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.