ESOCS Devotional 30 November 2023 – The Wages of Sin
MEMORY VERSE: “Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” Isaiah 5: 23 KJV
TEXT: ISAIAH 5:8-23 (KJV)
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!
9 In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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:
16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
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!
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
With respect to our memory verse, what were the things that the people did that justified them (the wicked) for reward? They exploited others (verse 8-10), drunkenness (verse 11, 12), taking pride in sin (verse 18, 19), confusing moral standards (verse 20), being conceited (verse 21), and perverting justice (verse 22-24). Because of these sins, God punished Israel with destruction by Assyria (25-30). A similar fate was awaiting Judah if they didn’t turn from these sins.
When we leave God out of our lives, sin creeps in. When we pursue our own pleasure while ignoring or exploiting the needs of others, its leaves us empty and brings God’s anger upon us. God wants us to enjoy life but to avoid those activities that could lead us away from Him.
The wages of sin is death [Romans 6:23]. Avoid sin.
FURTHER READING: Ecclesiastics 1:2; 2:1; 24-26; Galatians 5:19-21
ESOCS Devotional 30 November 2023
