ISAIAH LESSON 6


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 5:8  "Woe unto them that join
house to house, [that] lay field to field, till [there be] no place,
that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!"

     This is speaking of someone who has no regard for his neighbors.
He tries to buy up all the acreage around him and just builds a bigger
house for his own use. This land owner has moved all of his neighbors
out to build himself a bigger estate. Pretty soon, the whole town will
belong to him alone.

     Isaiah 5:9 "In mine ears [said] the LORD of hosts, Of a truth
many houses shall be desolate, [even] great and fair, without
inhabitant."

     This is speaking of a time when the houses will be empty. This is
speaking of beautiful buildings without inhabitants. It appears, to
me, that the Lord of Host has said this in the ears of Isaiah.

     Isaiah 5:10 "Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and
the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah."

     A bath is approx. 7 and 1\2 gallons. That would be a very small
amount for ten acres to produce. The homer was the same as ten ephahs.
The homer was thought to be the amount an ass could carry. We see from
this, that they planted more seed than they yielded. We can see the
futility of farming or raising a vineyard with these results. It seems
that God had cursed these crops.

     Isaiah 5:11  "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning,
[that] they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till]
wine inflame them!"

     In our day, we would call this person an alcoholic. Someone, who
drinks in the morning, is addicted to alcohol. It would be especially
so of someone who drank all day. The Lord speaks a woe on people
addicted to alcohol. We know from our society today, the destruction
of lives that this type of drinking brings.

     Isaiah 5:12 "And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe,
and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the
LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands."

     The instruments, mentioned above, had been used in worship
services in the past. It seems, in this case, they were used in
drunken parties. It seems this message is saying, they have turned
away from the tried and true methods of worship of the past, and have
gone to new methods. This has become a place to meet and socialize,
instead of a place of worship.

     Isaiah 5:13  "Therefore my people are gone into captivity,
because [they have] no knowledge: and their honourable men [are]
famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst."

     We find in this the punishment for such behavior is swift and
exacting. Isaiah speaks of it as if it had already happened. The
outcome of drinking in excess and revelry has been slavery. This
slavery can be literal, as in this case, or it could be the slavery of
alcoholism. Again, the thirst could be literal, or it could be thirst
for the truth in God; either way, it is terrible.

     Isaiah 5:14 "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her
mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their
pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it."

     A sinful way of life leads to total destruction and to hell. I
personally believe to be a Christian in name only brings about the
same thing. God does not want luke-warm followers, He wants 100% of
you, or none of you at all. Notice, the word "multitude" in the verse
above. Christianity is not a religion of the masses. It is a walk
through life in personal relationship with Him. He does not save the
masses, but individuals in those masses. "Pomp" indicates someone who
is conceited. Some-one not humble, but pompous, finds it very
difficult to be humble before God. The accepting of the Lord with our
head is not what He wants. He wants our heart.  "Hell enlarging
herself" indicates that it must be enlarged to hold, not only the
professing non-believer, but also those who are Christians in name
only.

     Isaiah 5:15 "And the mean man shall be brought down, and the
mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be
humbled:"

     There will come a time when all the proud, lofty, arrogant, and
all unbelievers will be brought down, and will know Him for who He is.
In some cases, it will be too late. The Bible says every eye shall see
Him. This will be the time when many, who did not believe, will
believe, because they see Him in all His majesty. {Faith in the Lord
Jesus purchases our salvation, not fact.} If we see Him with our eyes,
it takes no faith to believe. John 20:29 "Jesus saith unto him,
Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are]
they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed."

     Isaiah 5:16 "But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment,
and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness."

     Jesus Christ is Judge of all the earth. The very ones who denied
Him will exalt Him, when they realize He is the Judge of all the
earth. Only God has His own righteousness and holiness. Our
righteousness, as Christians, is a gift from Jesus. It is His
righteousness that makes us holy in the sight of the LORD.

     Isaiah 5:17 "Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and
the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat."

     Lambs are baby sheep. These "fat ones" could mean those who had
all of the food of life, and yet perished because of being alien to
God. This land and its food are left for those young Christians who
are willing to follow the Shepherd.

     Isaiah 5:18 "Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of
vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:"

     To me, this would be saying that they draw sin unto themselves
and embrace it. They have so many sins they cannot carry all of them,
so they must pull them along with them tied to them by this rope. The
sin is never very far away from them. It is within the distance of the
rope. They can embrace this sin, just by pulling the rope to them.

     Isaiah 5:19 "That say, Let him make speed, [and] hasten his work,
that we may see [it]: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel
draw nigh and come, that we may know [it]!"

     They are expressing a desire for the judgement to come, thinking
they will be spared. They think there will be no judgement. Speaking
literally, these Jews cannot and will not believe God will judge them
harshly. They have been spared so many times, because of His great
love for them. They believe this will be no different, and they will
be spared. They are arrogantly saying "come on and do what you will".
They have no idea what lies ahead for them. Christians, today, are
doing the same thing. Many are saying, I have been baptized. It does
not make any difference how I am living. God will save me. I am a
Christian. Those who are a Christian, in word only, will be surprised
when He says "Get away from me, I never knew you". Matthew 7:21 "Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven."  Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"  Matthew 7:23
" And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity."   Christians, do not play church. If you
profess Christianity, live the Christian life every day and bare fruit
fit for the kingdom.

















                          Isaiah 6 Questions


1.  Woe unto them that join _________ to _________.
2.  What is wrong with building that close?
3.  What time is verse 9 telling us of?
4.  How many gallons are in a "bath"?
5.  How many ephahs is a homer?
6.  What has apparently happened to these crops?
7.  What was the next woe, spoken of in verse 11?
8.  In our day, what would the person who did this be called?
9.  Verse 12 lists some things that had been used for worship services
    previously, what were they?
10. What were they used for, in this prophecy?
11. These people had fallen so far, that they did not regard the work
    of the _______.
12. The place of worship had become what?
13. Why had the people gone into captivity?
14. How had the punishment come?
15. What is the outcome of drinking in excess and revelry?
16. What two thirsts could be mentioned in verse 13?
17. What does a sinful way of life lead to?
18. What does the author believe, being a Christian in name only leads
    to?
19. God wants _____% of you.
20. God saves __________ in the masses.
21. What does the word, "pomp" tell us?
22. What is meant by "hell enlarged herself"?
23. What happens to the mean man in verse 15?
24. Who will see Jesus and know Him for who He is?
25. Quote John chapter 20 verse 29.
26. Verse 16 says "God that is holy shall be sanctified in
    ___________.
27. Who is the only one to have His own righteousness and holiness?
28. Who are the lambs?
29. Who leads the lambs?
30. The land and its food are left for whom?
31. Quote Isaiah chapter 5 verse 18.
32. What does the Scripture mean?
33. They are expressing a desire for what to come?
34. How are many Christians today like these prophesied in verse 19?
35. Quote Matthew chapter 7 verse 21.