20. Despise Not the Word

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Hymns: RHC 253 Standing on the Promises 254 Break Down the Bread of Life 255 Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

Isaiah 5:24-30

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: 27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: 28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. 30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. (Isa. 5:24-30 KJV)

Despise Not the Word

OUTLINE

(1) The Rottenness (v24)

INTRODUCTION

This is the movement of the passage in our text in chapter 5 culminating in the final judgment, the judgment of abandonment. [1] Israel abandoned the LORD and she herself will therefore be abandoned to the most severe judgments, and these will culminate in the coming of an enemy from afar (v24-30), the announcement of the punishment to be meted out for the sins mentioned. These sins, we will learn, are equivalent to a rejection of the LORD of hosts. [Edward J. Young] 

The sins exposed:

(1) Materialism (v8-10)

(2) Merry Making and Intoxication (v11-17)

(3) Daring or Defying God (v18-19)

(4) Deceiving Blatantly (v20)

(5) Self-Conceit – Pride (v21)

(6) Dereliction of Duty – Drunkenness (v22)

Even the description of the punishment, instead of being added directly to that of the sin, as in v9 and v14, is postponed until the end of the catalogue of sins is closed, and then subjoined in a general form in v24.

(1) The Rottenness (v24)

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

When Israel despised the LORD and His Word, they were as rottenness, like a consuming flame, and a thoroughly rotten tree where even the stump is rotten, doomed for destruction!

“Therefore” is a reference to what has immediately preceded, and also an introduction to a general conclusion. Because of the sins which Isaiah has so clearly delineated, an announcement of doom is made. [Edward J. Young]

To the series of sins enumerated in the six preceding verses there is now added a general description of their punishment. 

  • as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff

In the first clause, the Prophet represents the divine visitation, with its sudden, rapid, irresistible effect, by the familiar figure of chaff and dry grass sinking in the flames. 

  • so their root shall be as rottenness

In the second clause he passes from simile to metaphor, and speaks of the people as a true whose root is rotten and its growth above ground pulverised. 

  • and their blossom shall go up as dust

In the third, he drops both figures, and in literal expressions summarily states the cause of their destruction. 

“As the tongue,” he says, and we might expect him to continue with a conclusion such as, “so will the judgment devour the people.” This, however, he does not do. He begins with a simile, “as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble,” and from this silmle he passes to a metaphor, “so their root shall be as rottenness,” and from this metaphor he goes on to give a general reason for the punishment of the people. 

His style is abrupt, but it is forceful; his sharp, staccato utterances are in keeping with the rapidity of the coming judgment. In broken expressions his urgency finds its utterance. The darting tongue licks up and consumes what is left of the grass that had already been cut, and the flaming grass falls down, sinking into ashes. 

In the root of the tree lay its strength, but the root has decayed and hence the entire tree is done for. The flower also will be lifted up and carried away by the wind. Hence, both the root and flower – the entire tree will be destroyed.

[Edward J. Young]

Therefore (because of the abounding of their sins) as a tongue of fire (that is, a flame, so called from its shape and motion devours chaff (or stubble), and as ignited grass falls away, their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom as fine dust shall go up (that is be taken up and scattered by the wind). 

For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Hosts, and the word (the revealed will) of the Holy One of Isarel they have treated with contempt.

For they have despised the law of the Lord. Here is the sinful action of the nation set forth in a general statement. It is by means of these sins already described, these and others also, that the nation has forsaken God. Hence, the general ground of condemnation, one which in no way excludes the individual grounds which had been previously mentioned. It is a despising of God’s law.

And condemned His word. Now Isaiah reverts to the thought of 1:4, with which he had begun his prophecy.

Isaiah 1:4 (KJV) Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

The word of which he here speaks is that which has come to the nation both through the written law and the words of the prophets; it is therefore a synonym for His revealed will.

As Calvin says, the nation was in open rebellion against God. And here the doctrine of retaliation or reprisal meets us; as the nation has rejected the LORD and His goodness, so now He gives them over to the consequences and punishment of their sins. 

Hosea 4:6 (KJV) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Recall what Moses said to Israel before the entered the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 6:4-17 (KJV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (1) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (2) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (3) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

Love the LORD Thy God 

(1) The Motive for Love (v4)

(2) The Power to Love (v5)

Whereas we were enemies of God, violators of His laws, incapable of loving God, in the new birth, we are given the strength to love God immensely. This consecration involves the giving, surrendering of our whole being ascribed by the whole-hearted devotion of our heart, soul and strength toward the LORD our God.

Knowing Him, understanding His nature and attributes, His Word and His Works gives us the impetus to love and worship Him.

Keep Faith

(1) Write Them Down (v8-9)

(2) Temptation is Greatest in Time of Prosperity (v10-12)

(3) Remedy 

      (a) Godly Fear (v13)

      (b) Going to His Word Always (v17)

(4) Reminder 

      (a) Flee Idolatry (v14-15)

      (b) Tempting God (v16)

Irreverence and disrespect to God and His Word are in our land today. There is a certain kind of fear that is only for a criminal; but there is another fear that is for the Christian. The former is a result of guilty; the latter is the proof of humility before God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” [OT Spence]

17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. 

God dwells with His people in the space-time reality in which He created them, and communes with them in language with which He endowed them. He is not aloof and He is not silent. He is present and communicates verbally. His words are an extension of Himself and reflect His nature. They are altogether pure and without blemish. They belong in the Holy of Holies. They are fully authoritative. They are promulgated by the sovereign Lord whom the cherubim worship. At the same time His words reach out to man and accompany Him. They are rooted in love. They are issued from the mercy seat. They are a ever-present light. They are carefully preserved for the generations to come. In a word, they are fundamental because they are His and remain His. He produces them. He speaks them Himself or has them spoken by His authority. He preserves them. He writes them or has them written under His superintendence. God is the ultimate Author of His own Word. This word is and remain His living and abiding Voice. [The Devotion Daily Bible]

Israel is exhorted to diligently study it!

Israel is exhorted to flee idolatry lest they face the wrath of the Lord.

What is idolatry? An idol is anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone. Anything that holds my life and my devotion, anything that is central in my life, anything that seems to be vital, anything that is essential to me; an idol is anything I live and on which I depend. Anything that moves and rouses and attracts and stimulates is an idol. An idol is anything that I worship, anything to which I give much of my time and attention, my energy and my money; anything that holds a controlling position in my life is an idol.[2]

The sin at Massah was questioning God’s presence among the children of Israel. You will notice how it is written. “And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not? (Ex. 17:7). The word “tempted” is used in both places of Exodus and Deuteronomy. It is a matter of questioning the Lord about His presence that was tempting the Lord. We hear much today about those who tempt the Lord in ignoring the already-given full revelation in the Bible, and seeking some other sign, vision, voice, or manifestation. [OT Spence]

If we are truly seeking God’s presence, we will find it in His Word and through His Holy Spirit. We tempt the Lord when we seek other avenues instead of taking His Word as our guide. It is really an insult to feel that the Bible is insufficient or obsolete, and that insult is to God and we are really tempting His position as the Revelator. We preserve the Lord and our belief in God as a witness to others by accepting the Bible as the full revelation of God to man.” [OT Spence]

Moses warned the people not to tempt (test) the Lord as the older generation had done at Massah (Ex. 17:1-7). We tempt the Lord when we openly and unbelievingly question His ability or defy His authority by what we say or do. After He delivered Israel from Egypt, the Lord deliberately led them through difficulties so that He could teach them to trust Him. First they came to bitter water at Marah and complained about it instead of asking God to help them (15:22-26).

The Lord tests our faith, not just in the greatest crisis of life, but even more in the small unexpected events, such as a travel delay, and irritating interruption, a sudden sickness, or a lost wallet. The way we respond in these situations will indicate what’s in our hearts, because what life does to us depends on what life finds in us. 

If we love and trust the Lord, we’ll leave the matter with Him and do what He tells us; but if we question the Lord and rebel because we’re not getting our own way, then we’re in danger of tempting Him. One of the best protections against tempting the Lord is a grateful heart. If we’re in the habit of thanking the Lord in everything, including the painful experiences of life, then the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with love and praise instead of Satan filling us with bitter venom. How many “Massahs” and “Meribahs” are marked on the map of our journey of faith?

Of course, the greatest blessing for which Israel should have been thankful was their deliverance from Egypt (Deut. 6:20-26). In his farewell address, Moses frequently referred to this miracle, and in later years, so did the prophets. Had Israel remained in Egypt, there would have been no nation, no sanctuary, no priesthood, and no hope; but the Lord delivered them and brought them into their land and fulfilled His promises. Today, we have a Bible and a Saviour because Moses led His people out of Egypt, an event that was celebrated annually at Passover. Jewish fathers were commanded to teach their children the meaning of Passover, and of the laws of God had given Israel, so that the next generation would understand how to trust Jehovah, love Him and obey His laws. When our children are ignorant of the past, they will have no hope for the future.

An attitude of gratitude is a wonderful weapon against unbelief, disobedience and a bitter spirit. “Rejoice forevermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV) Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

Instead of complaining about what we do have, because God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. [Wiersbe]

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Cast away – reject, despise, refuse. The tense of the verb is that of a completed action in the Perfect Tense. In other words, their rejection of God was so thorough, their hard has turned from the LORD. 

As it is observed, Solomon strayed from the LORD one wife at a time! Each wife and concubine brought in their idols and their idolatrous practices.

Israel cast away the law or the instruction of the LORD. They would not listen anymore! So, the LORD gave them over.

When they cast away the laws of God, they are left with no wisdom except their own folly! 

Here is the described “the law of the LORD of Hosts”. It speaks of the LORD as an army fighting the battles with overcoming and overwhelming strength. Now this strength is turned against them because they went against God’s Word by rejecting or casting away the law or instruction of the LORD.

“Despised”, it means “to spurn”, that is “to scorn”. Other words, “contemn”, “abhor”. 

It is in the intensive Piel stem and in the Perfect Tense, describing a completed action. So determined and set are they in their rebellion!

25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

The thought is that despite all that has occurred, God’s anger is still not turned away. Stroke after stroke has fallen; Israel remains unrepentant, and God’s anger is still directed against His people.

This anger is like a fire which has kindled and so will burn towrd His people. 

To be continued…

[1] The parable sets forth the peculiar privileges, obligations, guilt, and doom of Israel, under the figure of a highly favoured vineyard, which, instead of good fruit, brings forth only wild grapes, and is therefore given up to desolation (v1-6). The application is expressly made by the Prophet himself (v7).

In the remaining of the chapter, he enumerates the sins which were included in the general expressions of v7, and describes their punishment. In do this, he first gives a catalog of sins with their appropriate punishments annexed (v8-24). He then describes the means used to inflict them, and the final issue (v25-30).

The catalogue of sins and judgments comprehends two series of woes or denunications. In the first, each sin is followed by its punishment (v8-17). In the second the sins follow one another in uninterrupted succession, and the punishment is reserved until the close (v18-24).

In the former series, the first woe is uttered against avaricious and ambitious grasping after lands and houses, to be punished by sterility and desolation (v8-10). The second woe is uttered against drunkenness, untimely mirth, and disregard of providential warnings, appropriately punished by captivity, hunger, thirst, and general mortality (v11-14). To these two woes are added a general declaration of their purpose and effect, to humble man and exalt God, and a repeated threatening of general desolation as a punishment of both the sins just mentioned (v15-17). 

The sin denounced in the second series of woes are presumptuous and incredulous defiance of God’s judgments, the deliberate confounding of moral distinctions, undue reliance upon human wisdom, and drunkenness (v18-23). To these he adds a general threatening of destruction as a necessary consequence of their forsaking God (v24).

In declaring the means used to effect the condign retribution, the Prophet sets before us two distinct stages or degrees of punishment. The first, which is briefly and figuratively represented as a violent and destructive stroke of God’s hand, is described in the shape of an invading enemy, before whom, after a brief fluctuation, Israel disappears in total darkness (v26-30). 

Every thing was carried by clamour and noise, and not by equity and according to the merits of the cause. It is sad with a people when wickedness has usurped the place of judgment (Ecc. 3:16). It is very sad with a soul when instead of the grapes of humility, meekness, patience, love, and contempt of the world, which God looks for, there are the wild grapes of pride, passion, discontent, malice, and contempt of God – instead of the grapes of praying and praising, the wild grapes of cursing and swearing, which are a great offence to God. Some of the ancients apply this to the Jews in Christ’s time, among whom God looked for righteousness (that is, that they should receive and embrace Christ), but behold a cry, that cry, Crucify him, crucify him. [Matthew Henry]

[2] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ, Crossway, 2002, 728.