In the passage we looked at last time Isaiah sang the song of the vineyard. The master of the vineyard “had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.” (1, 2) However, “it yielded only bad fruit.” (2) “And he looked for justice, (mishpat) but saw bloodshed; (mispah) for righteousness, (sedaqah) but heard cries of distress. (seaqah). The grapes which symbolize the Israelites looked on the outside like a good grape, but the inside was completely different, just like these words sound the same, but are completely different things. In today’s　passage　Isaiah　is　describing　in　detail　what　the　fruit　of　the　bad　grapes　are　like.　　Isaiah　repeats six times the word “Woe” (8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22) as he talks.
”Woe”　is　a　translation　of　a　word　that　means　”something　that　is　detested”　or　a　”warning　that　there　will　be trouble if they do something”. In Matthew when Jesus talks to the Pharisees and scholars of the law, he says, “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” (Matt. 23:13) It is the same word. This word is used 50 times in the Old Testament of which 21 times are used by Isaiah. It is a warning of judgment and punishment. It often points to the groaning of the sadness of the heart. God looks at the sin of Israel and is lamenting sadly over them groaning “woe”, “woe”… Today I would like to talk about three things concerning what was hurting the Lord about Israel.

I. Seek the things in heaven (vs. 8-17)
First look at verses 8 to 17. Here two of the six “woes” appear. The first is in verses 8 to 10. This is a lament against Israel’s greediness.
Lev. 25:23
Land in Israel could only be leased, never sold, because land had been permanently assigned to individual families. That was because it was fundamentally God’s land and was given to them from God. However, feelings of greediness caused them to break the law, sell their homes and land, and treasure riches. About this God says, “Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants.” (9) No matter how much sweat and work the farmer puts in, the land will not be able give forth a harvest. “A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain.” (10) A large piece of land will only produce a small harvest and even though a lot of seeds are planted, it will produce only a small harvest. This is because of greediness.
Colossians 3:5
That is was God detests. It is sin. No matter how greedy man is, if God doesn’t grant it, it can never be obtained.
Here it says, “till no space is left”. (8) Japanese are good at this. Japan’s land is small so they try to use the small land as effectively as possible and in order not to waste it “no space is left”. Therefore, when a house is built, it is built as close to the legal size allowed, and there is hardly any distance between it and the neighbor’s house. Having no space left is a wonderful thing, but at times to do things roughly, not in detail, is necessary. When we look at the Bible, Israel is advised that when only a small amount of wheat is harvested, to harvest it roughly. That was so that the poor could eat too. Ruth could gather up the leftover grain so she and Naomi had enough to eat. If Boaz was stingy, and harvested till there was no space left, then such poor people would not have been able to eat. It is easy of have an image of doing things roughly as being irresponsible, but sometimes it is important to do things roughly, and be generous.
Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” There are times when it is necessary that we leave space, and with a generous giving heart do even what seems wasteful.
The second “woe” is verses 11 and 12
Vs. 11, 12
This is living for pleasure. They were drinking strong alcohol from morning on. Usually you drink at night. After a day of work, you rest leisurely. You drink to take away the tiredness of the day. However, they were drinking from the morning on. Not only that but, “they have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine.” (12) They are addicted to pleasure. They weren’t living a life of remembering the grace that God had poured out on them, but drank alcohol all day, and partied. By seeking such exciting things, they weren’t able to think about God’s grace and greatness.
Verses 13 and 14 tell us how God will deal with this type of people.
Vs. 13, 14
“Therefore, my people will go into exile…will be parched with thirst.” (13) Here the reason is given as “for lack of understanding” (13) This means that this will happen because they have no understanding of God. Even if you hear God’s Word, but amuse yourself by drinking, you can’t make spiritual decisions, and then you are spiritually “parched with thirst” (13) and are in the condition of being a slave. This just as it says happened when Israel was taken into exile by Babylon. However, these types of things happen because they do not believe in God. They don’t worship God as God. They don’t make God as God but make people as god.
However, they didn’t understand this. They couldn’t readily recognize this. It was because they were drinking and were addicted to pleasure. They only sought after sensational and exciting things so towards God they lacked understanding. We if anything have the tendency to seek after sensational things. Therefore, such things are over flowing around us. Things like television, advertisements, and publicity are such things. We don’t have to think about anything as they flow past us. However, to study the Word of God uses our head. Patience is needed. It’s work. These messages on the book of Isaiah too from chapter 1 to here have taken 2 months. At the prayer meetings our study of the book of Genesis will soon be over, but it has taken over a year. It really takes time. However, there is no way we can go around it. No matter how hard it is by facing it and studying a little at a time, we can begin to eat solid food. If not, we “will be parched with thirst”. (13) Spiritually we will fall into the condition of being spiritually thirsty. When the church also only searches after sensational things and neglects doing its real job, listening to the Word of God, then it becomes spiritually “parched with thirst.” (13) Not just messages that are easy to listen to, but by closely listening to the Word of God from the whole Bible, and applying it to our lives, we can be spiritually well fed.
The common factor in these two “woes” is that they were spiritually insensitive. They didn’t search after God, but after the things of this world. However, what is important is to fear God and follow his commandments.

II. Treasure the Lord’s Word (Vs. 18-24)
Next let’s look at the next four “woes”, the things that God detests. First look at verses 18 and 19.
This is insulting God. They say, “If you say God is going to judge us, please judge us. See nothing is happening. Ha ha ha!”
II Peter 3:3, 4
This is what they were doing. They dared to speak badly of God, and challenged God.
Verse 18 is a sight like we see at Japanese festivals. Crowds of people carry a cart (mikoshi) on their shoulders, and pull floats (dashi) is just like this. They like this “draw sin (and wickedness) along” (18) They say that this is the god that watches over them. It’s a festival! Festival time! Etc. This is nothing more than blaspheming God.
Then the fourth “Woe” is in verse 20.
Vs. 20
This is reversing one’s sense of values. They make the values of the Bible bad and the values of man good. For example, in America now they are deciding on the preliminary candidates for the presidential election. The issues that always comes up there are homosexuality and abortion. The reason that such issues come up at elections because some candidates have reversed their sense of values. American’s spirit was founded upon the Bible, so even now there are a lot of people who live by the values of the Bible. However, gradually liberal thinking arose and such values were shaken. For example, homosexuality is clearly sin according to Leviticus and Deuteronomy and also Romans. However, liberalists claimed that to not accept homosexuality too strict and prejudiced and unkind. Homosexuals have rights too and their rights should be recognized. Thus such reversing of values occurred. This is one of the causes of confusion in modern society. Values are reversed and evil is called good and good is called evil.
Next is the fifth “woe”. Please look at verse 21.
Vs. 21
This is the people who arm themselves with theories in order to change bad to good. For example, if we use the earlier example of homosexuality, from the medical point of view it is a sickness and or from heredity and makes it theoretically correct. What is behind this is pride. They “are wise in their own eyes.” (21) There is no way that these people can be saved.
Proverbs 26:12
If a person doesn’t understand, he can be taught to understand. However, a person that thinks that he is right, no matter what you say to him, he doesn’t understand. “There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12)
Next is the last “woe”. Please look at verses 22 and 23.
Vs. 22,23
In Japan there is a wrong trend of thought that appreciates being a good drinker as being masculine. They say that if you don’t drink, then you are not a man. There is a tendency to justify their drinking. It was the same in the age of Isaiah. Drinking was thought to be the cool thing to do. Moreover, those who were boasting were conceivably the judges who were supposed to be just. However, they “acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.” (23) Just like a really intoxicated drunk he has lost his ability to make proper judgments. Here this is being criticized. If he has no hesitation in taking a bribe and his conscious isn’t hurt by bending justice, then his heart must be completely drunk. There is no other explanation. Such people are in God’s eyes woeful people. The cause given in verse 24 as to why they are morally detestable, openly insult God, reverse their sense of values, and rather arm themselves with theories to make sin good, and their judgment is bended is a result of alcohol.
Vs. 24
That is because “they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (24) The reason that in Japan that things happen to spurn God is because “they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty” (24) They have spurned the teaching of the Lord. “They have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty” (24) so they depend upon material things, have pride, and make their own thinking the correct way. This is the problem. Think about it. In our society, how many people are seeking to know the teaching of the Lord? The other day some men from the Gideon society which passes out Bibles to schools and hospitals came and I listened to what they had to say. Even though they try to pass out the Bibles, the students are cold so they don’t take their hands out of their pockets to accept and take the Bibles. Therefore, they decided to stop passing them out during the cold season and after it becomes a little warmer to pass them out. However, it is not because they are cold. It is because their hearts are cold. It is because “they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (24) “Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw…so their roots will decay, and their flowers blow away like dust.” (24) If we want to make our society that we live in into a healthy order, this is where we have to begin. In other words, we have to stop boasting about our wisdom, and listen to the Lord’s teaching. We have to treasure “the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (24)

III. Being led by God (vs. 25-30)
Lastly, let’s look at what kind of judgment is going to come upon those who only search after the things of this world and reject God. Please look at verses 25 and 26.
Vs. 25,26
“The mountains shake” in verse 25 is a huge earthquake. Israel turned their backs on God, insulted God, and “are wise in their own eyes” (21) “Therefore, the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised…He whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! ” (25,26) They will be attacked. “Their roar is like that of a lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds.” (29,30)
This is the capture and exile of Babylon. The army of Babylon came roaring like a lion and like young lions they seized Israel, and they were in a tragic situation. Also in the end of the world during the Great Tribulation this will occur. God will come like a lion that seizes its prey and judge heavily those who opposed God and those who are god in their own eyes.
Therefore, we must live thinking not about things in this world that are just for the moment, but about the eternal things of heaven. We need to humble ourselves and listen and follow God’s teaching. If not, someday the judgment of God will come upon us.
Up until now all the way through Isaiah which we are studying, without fail there the hope of recovery is always spoken about. Along with the declaration about God’s judgment upon Israel’s sin always after that it talked about the recovery. Even so it is not so here. It ends with God’s judgment. This is what Isaiah wanted to say. He is angry towards Judah who wasn’t able to repent. He is saying that even though I have said this much don’t you still not understand. Since God says that he will bring recovery, why don’t repent? If you don’t repent then judgment will come. It will be like this. He is declaring God’s judgment upon them. He wanted to bring an end to things.
However, to prophesy is not that kind of thing. When you prophesy you don’t say what you want to say, but you say what the Lord is saying. He realizes this in chapter 6. There he received his commission as a prophet and his work as a full-dressed prophet. There one thing is shown to him. That is up until now, he who had preached “You are in trouble” was the one that was really unclean. Then he by having the experience of having his mouth touched by a live coal from the altar is consecrated, and he rises as a real prophet. Then he is used on a much larger scale as a prophet. Therefore, it can be said that from here on is his changing point as a prophet. From here on he doesn’t say what he wants to say, but is changed into being pulled by the Lord to speak.
In our live of faith it is the same. In our walk of faith we don’t say what we want to say or what we want to do, but say what the Lord is saying, and do what the Lord desires. Our life of faith is being led by the pull of the Lord’s hand. Such a change in value is what God desires of us. For Isaiah, this is the turning point here. This means that we with an obedient heart while listening and obeying the Word of God, let’s be a person of faith that pleases God by preparing ourselves fittingly.

Let’s apply it to our lives
 Do you desire the things of heaven? What do you have the most interest in now? What is blocking you from desiring the things of heaven?

 Is your faith sensational or emotional? Or is it one that listens to and follows the Lord’s teaching?

 Among the 6 things that God detests, is there any that can be seen inside you? If so, what is that?