Messages of Woes in Bible times…
We find messages of ‘woe’ in the Bible. Messages of woe are warnings to ones, the sogs, who cause others to stumble or who cause pain and suffering, or worse, death. They are given so that those committing the wrongs will, hopefully, repent and change. The change, again hopefully, will come sooner rather than later.
Woes Revealed…
God’s disciple messenger admits to not knowing about woes in the Bible. That all changed after taking concerns to God about how people were listening to and believing untruths, calling the untruthful truthful and the truth speakers liars, being unwilling to help children in need saying they refuse to help lazy parents take care of their children, committing injustices while bragging about how well they managed their own finances and lives by taking care of themselves. God did not give me help with my concerns during that prayer session. Instead, it was during Sunday School the very next Sunday that I heard about woes delivered by Isaiah, showing me once again that God answers us in unexpected ways at unexpected times. These words of warnings addressed my concerns.
It gave me a strange feeling to think that God saw it necessary to have Isaiah deliver woes to the people during Isaiah’s time for committing wrongs that were eerily close to what I had observed in the present. It seemed that in addition to messages of truth, hope, and love, the ‘woe to you’ messages would, also, be delivered to ones who are considering not to accept God’s truths. These are tough love messages wrapped in a blanket of God’s love.
Woes in the Bible: Old Testament…
In the Old Testament, Isaiah delivers woes and judgments in Chapter 5, verses 8 – 25. These are the 6 woes mentioned: *Exploiting others –adding house after house, field after field, building huge estates and not providing space for the poor. *Drunkenness –addictions, drinking, celebrating, making merry through the day and into the night. *Carelessness -sowing seeds of discord, deceit, and wickedness while waiting for and expecting God to make things right – daring him to punish them. *Calling evil good and good evil, putting darkness for light and light for darkness, putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. * Full of pride, bragging on self for being wise and clever.*Committing injustices –acquitting the guilty for a bribe while denying justice to the innocent.
These woes and judgments demonstrate a rejection of the law of the Lord Almighty and spurning of the Word. They are the result of God’s looking for good and finding only bad. He looked for justice, but saw instead bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. He declared what the judgments would be.
When evil is used to rule over good, division and devastation will result. Will we learn from the mistakes made by people of long-ago times? Will we see that we are making these same kinds of mistakes (re-read the above and write down the same kinds of things being done today) and know that the warning (division and devastation) is the same for us as it was for those in Isaiah’s time?
Woes in the Bible: New Testament…
Jesus issued woes and warnings to the Pharisees and scribes – experts in the Law who showed themselves to be enemies of Jesus — in the New Testament in Luke 11: 37 – 54: *Tithing while at the same time neglecting justice and love of God. *Seeking the most important seats in the synagogues and expecting and loving respectful greetings by others. *Being experts in the law while loading others with burdens that you will not help them carry. *Shedding of blood of the prophets then taking no responsibility even unto acting innocent by building tombs for the very ones killed. *Experts of the law taking advantage of others for whom they have taken away the key to knowledge.
We daily have examples of Pharisee-like and scribe-like people—including religious and government leaders thought to be experts in and faithful to the Law– who show greed, hypocrisy, reserving for self what is denied others, who use lies and promote violence. We have today religious leaders and government leaders who claim to be strict observers of the law. They dress in ways that draw attention to their importance to upholding the Law; however, they show by their words and actions that they are filled with greed, pride, self-first, deceit and are willing for others to be punished, even by extreme violence, to gain their way. Laws are being passed that cause great harm to the vulnerable and great advantage to the ones passing and the ones supporting these laws. Blood is shed yet the ones responsible take no responsibility. As a result of their actions and inactions, blood continues to be shed. Laws are being passed and enforced which take away knowledge of the truth. The innocents are proclaimed guilty by the guilty who then declare themselves the innocents. The harm done to others, the dirty work, is most often done by followers willing to honor the worthy ones who claim to be the moral ones. These Pharisee-like and Scribe-like ones show daily that they are enemies of the ways of Jesus. They are sogs, all desperately needing a change of heart. God is wanting to help heal those hearts. Remember: We have been given free will. God will not take over, we must do our part of recognizing and repenting of our sins, wanting his help, and inviting him into our hearts.
In Mark 12: 38, Jesus gives warnings to watch out for the teachers of the Law who walk around in flowing robes, expecting to receive respect from those considered beneath them, occupying the most important seats in the synagogues and at banquets, making a show of giving lengthy prayers all the while committing injustices.
In Matthew 23 Jesus again criticizes the religious leaders – teachers of the Law and the Pharisees who demand to be obeyed because of their positions, but who should not be followed, for they are not good examples. They tell others to do things that they do not do themselves, they make strict rules that cause harm to others – rules that are difficult to follow and rules that they do not follow. They dress in ways to call attention to their importance. They demand respect. Jesus says not to follow them, do not give them titles of honor nor bestow honor upon them, for all are equal as brothers and sisters. You have one Master, the Messiah. The Pharisees and teachers of the law are hypocrites, blind to what is right, to justice, and to truth. Their promises mean nothing, for they mean not to fulfill them. He tells them they will be guilty of the death of all the good and innocent people, guilty for killing honest, godly people. He also says that Prophets and teachers will be sent to help, yet some sent will be killed, some will be hung on crosses, some beaten, some run out of town, turned away from synagogues and declared unworthy. The ones who turned the true prophets away and called them false, who caused the deaths will reap what they sow.
These woes and warnings have meaning for us today when innocent people are dying because of inactions as well as actions of others, when laws are being made to shut out certain ones from having something the ones making the laws have for themselves, when laws are interpreted and judged in ways that cause great gains by some while others experience devastating losses, when there are those who demand the best for themselves and are not willing to provide even crumbs for others. We have religious and political leaders and judges today who are misunderstanding the Law just as ones did in the days of Jesus. They pay the tithe but neglect care of the people. They accept honors and gifts while proclaiming to follow the rules of ethics. The Pharisee-like leaders – ones who have gone too far right just as the Pharisees in the Bible went too far right, who showed excessive behaviors– who are called “blind guides” in Matthew 23: 16 – 17, are living among us today. In verse 33 of Matthew 23, Jesus warns these evil ones, whom he calls hypocrites and neglecters of showing justice, mercy, and faithfulness, that they might not escape being judged guilty and going to hell!
What the guilty ones are doing is spelled out in plain language. There should be no doubt to you if you are among the guilty. Let the guilty know: God is giving you a chance to change but change you must, and the change must come quickly. As the saying goes, if you snooze, you lose. Wake up from the snoozing and change!
Upcoming: Abominations to the Lord