Isaiah 5:18-30 - Sin on a Leash ... and Taking it for a Walk - 310

Judah isn’t pictured as “making mistakes” in Isaiah 5. They’re hauling sin behind them on thick ropes, rewriting the definition of right and wrong, and even taunting God to prove he will judge. That’s a haunting setup for the final section of Isaiah 5:18–30, and it’s exactly where we finish chapter five in our verse-by-verse Bible study this week.

We slow down through each woe and trace the logic: self-deception hardens into open defiance, moral relativism replaces moral clarity, and pride turns into policy. We also connect Isaiah’s scoffers to 2 Peter 3, where false teachers use the “delay” of judgment to justify their desires. If you’ve ever wondered how a culture shifts from blessing to breakdown, this passage gives a brutally honest diagnosis: truth gets inverted, leaders get corrupted, and justice becomes something you can buy.

Then Isaiah shows the consequence with vivid detail. God summons a foreign nation as an instrument of judgment, describing an army that is disciplined, swift, and unstoppable, leaving darkness and distress in its wake. We wrap up with clear applications for life today: accountability for blessings, resisting the temptation to rename evil, refusing self-reliance without God, and taking the responsibility of leadership seriously in homes, churches, and communities.

If this study helps you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a five-star review so more people can find our Isaiah Bible study series.

Transcript

Cold Open On Dragging Sin

Daniel Moore 0:06

So just so I can understand this, Judah's dragging their sin around like it's an emotional support pet and they're confused why judgment is coming? And when they start calling evil good and good evil, is that a moral problem, or did someone just flip the right and wrong labels on their spiritual filing cabinet? Well this week we're taking scripture and connecting it to the world we're living in today. Because believe it or not, the Bible isn't just an old book collecting dust on the shelf, it's more like a mirror that occasionally makes us uncomfortable. This week we're diving into Isaiah chapter 5 verses 18 to 30. And I'm gonna warn you ahead of time, Isaiah's not handing out participation trophies in this passage. He's dropping a series of woes on Israel like a prophet with a spiritual megaphone and absolutely zero concern for hurting anyone's feelings. In this section of scripture, Isaiah calls out people who are basically towing their sin around like it's a parade float, redefining morality like they're editing God's rule book, and even mocking God by daring him to act. It's one of those passages where you start out reading about ancient Israel and then slowly realize, oh no, this sounds suspiciously like us. So this week we're gonna unpack what Isaiah was saying, why God was so serious about it, and how a 2700-year-old warning still lands uncomfortably close to home. Let's get to it. Welcome to Connecting the Gap. This is a podcast about marriage, Bible, and book studies, and we interview people that have a story. I'm Daniel Moore, your host. Thank you guys for joining us this week. If you're not familiar with our show, check out our website, connectingthegap.net, for our platforms. Our YouTube and Rumble links are there. We're also on the Christian Podcasting app at Edify, and we're on your Alexa and Google Smart Devices. You can also visit us on social, on Facebook, Instagram, and X at CTGAF Online. If you're a fan of our show, please subscribe and feel free to leave a comment on our platforms. Give us a thumbs up or five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we'd be thankful to you for doing that. Well, this week, as we continue our verse-by-verse study in Isaiah, we're going to finish chapter five. I'm going to do my best to try to get through it in 30 minutes. It might take a little longer, but we're so close to the end of this chapter. I think we can actually crawl through all of these verses in this amount of time. So we're going to attempt it. So go ahead and get your Bible, get your coffee, whatever you need, and go ahead and sit down and let's get ready. As we're going to go ahead and start on Isaiah chapter 5, verse 18, verse by verse this week here on the podcast. And we're going to go ahead and start off, as usual, reading our passage from the ESV version of the Bible. Verse 18: Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, who say, Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it. Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come that we may know it. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and shrewd in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and valiant men and mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of his right. Therefore, as the tongues of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked, and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth, and behold, quickly, speedily they come. None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. The roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar, they growl and seize their prey, they carry it off, and none can rescue. They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea, and if one looks to the land, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkened by its clouds. So as we start off here with verse eighteen and chapter five, we have reached our third of six woes that are presented here in this chapter by Isaiah. Verse eighteen says, Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with the cart ropes. This woe condemns the sin of Judah's people more specifically. Here Isaiah condemns those who deliberately sin using metaphorical language. Draw iniquity with cords of falsehood suggests that the people are dragging sin behind them willingly, as if harnessing it to themselves. The cords of falsehood imply self deception or manipulation, drawing sin along while lying to themselves or others about it. They deceive themselves into thinking that they are not under judgment. The image intensifies with as with cart ropes, which is a stronger, thicker binding that implies deep bondage to sin. The picture is of someone not just committing one sin, but living a life defined by sin, pulling their transgressions along openly and shamelessly. Alec Mulcher explains that the picture is intentional. People are actively hauling their sins behind them, expecting no consequence. This is not passive sinfulness, it's brazen behavior and calls for divine intervention. Killin DeLeach notes that this image could reflect how sin accumulates like a burden, and the sinner is tied to it with stronger and stronger chords, from deception to entrapment. Isaiah 5 19 says, Who say, Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it, let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come that we may know it. These are words of the scoffers, mocking Isaiah's warnings about divine judgment. They challenge the prophet to prove that God's judgment is real by asking God to speed up his work. In essence they are saying, If this judgment is coming, let's see it. This type of cynical challenge demonstrates their disbelief and contempt for God's word. They refer to God sarcastically as the Holy One of Israel, a title Isaiah often uses reverently, suggesting that they don't really take him seriously. By demanding signs, they show that they do not believe the prophetic message or the reality of God's justice. This attitude is echoed in other places in Scripture, such as 2 Peter 3 4, where scoffers say, Where is the promise of his coming? Let's take a look at that real quick. Let's move over to 2 Peter 3, verse 4. The context of these scriptures arises within the Apostles Peter's final epistle, a pastoral warning against false teachers infiltrating the church, as outlined in chapter 2 and 3 of that book. In 2 Peter chapter 3, verses 1 to 13, Peter addresses scoffers who arise in the last days, urging believers to remember the prophetic word and anticipate new heavens and earth. Specifically, verse 4 states, they will say, Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. This denial of Christ's parocia or the second coming is rooted in a uniformitarian worldview that dismisses divine interventions, ignoring the cataclysmic events of creation and the Noakan flood, which Peter reaffirms in verses five through seven as precedents for future judgment by fire. Peter here is addressing scoffers, heretical influencers within the Christian community, described as those following their own sinful desires in verse three. They propagate doubt about eschatological promises to justify moral license. These are not mere skeptics, but insiduous false teachers akin to those in chapter two who exploit believers through sensuality and deny the master's return. They mock the delay of Christ's advent because it aligns with their hedonism, prolonged deferral allows and restrained sin, as Peter counters by explaining God's patience as salvific. In verses eight to nine it says the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish. Their argument stems from willful ignorance, where it says in verse five they deliberately overlook, of Scripture's testimony to God's sovereign disruptions of natural order evidenced by exnihilio creation and global deluge. These scenarios shadows Isaiah five hundred nineteen. The scripture we're in right now where rebellious Judah taunts God amid woes pronounced by vineyard, Israel for unfaithfulness, who say let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it. Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come that we may know it. Both passages here depict arrogant unbelief toward divine judgment. Isaiah's mockers demand immediate action to disprove God's word, while Peter's scoffers cite apparent inaction as evidence against it. The parallel underscores covenantal continuity. Isaiah's vineyard imagery, in verses one through seven of chapter five here in Isaiah, evokes Deuteronomy blessings, curses, fulfilled in exile. Peter's anticipates apostolic consummation. As commentators like Richard Buckham note, Peter's illusion reinforces Scripture's self-interpretation, portraying eschatological deniers as heirs to old covenant infidelity, urging steadfastness in God's impeccable timing. John Oswald observes that this is a direct challenge to the nature of God. The people are treating God like He is on trial and must prove Himself to them, which is a complete reversal of the covenant relationship. Alec Mulcher emphasizes that this verse reflects a bold and dangerous arrogance in rejecting divine warning. The next woe here happens in the next verse, verse 20. It says, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah now condemns the moral confusion and inversion that characterizes Judah's rebellion. This woe focuses on ethical relativism and the corruption of truth. Calling evil good and good evil denotes a willful distortion of God's standards. This is not mere confusion, it is the deliberate redefinition of morality to fit human desires. Light and darkness often symbolize truth and righteousness versus error and sin in Scripture. Swapping them shows a complete subversion of truth. Likewise, bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter implies that people are so morally desensitized that they no longer know what is right or wrong. Their conscience is broken. This is one of Isaiah's most famous condemnations, and Christian theologians have often applied it to any society that embraces relativism or denies God's order. According to the Kill and Dilech commentary, this corruption was part of the cultural collapse in Judah. Leaders, judges, and prophets all failed in their moral duty. John Oswalt points out that this is the climax of moral breakdown. The clear distinction between good and evil has been reversed, and now society operates under a false moral construct. And Alec Mulcher rightly observes that this verse is a powerful judgment against cultural relativism and the loss of moral confidence. Verse 21 of chapter 5 in Isaiah is the next woe. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and shrewd in their own sight. This verse delivers a strong rebuke against human pride, particularly intellectual and moral self-confidence. The fifth woe here in Isaiah five condemns those who have elevated their own judgment above God's truth. The expression wise in their own eyes refers not just to arrogance, but to a deeper rejection of divine wisdom. It echoes Proverbs 3 7, which warns, Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Historically, the self-reliance was a major issue in preexilic Judah. Instead of seeking God's counsel through his prophets, the nation relied on political alliances, wealth and corrupt leadership, and human reasoning. Religious leaders, judges, and nobles relied on their own understanding and dismissed the prophetic messages of warning and repentance. John Oswald notes in his commentary that this woe deals with not merely just pride, but with a hardened heart, unwilling to be taught or corrected. Alec Mother adds that this kind of wisdom was man-centered rather than God-centered, and it served to justify sin rather than confront it. Isaiah is calling out a society that has declared itself morally and intellectually competent without reference to God. That's a sure sign of spiritual decay. On to verse 22 of chapter 5 is the next woe. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and valiant men and mixing strong drink. The sixth woe builds on the earlier condemnation of drunkenness that we went through in verses eleven and twelve of this chapter, but it adds the ironic language of calling them heroes and valiant men. In a society where military strength and bravery should be celebrated, the people are exalting those who consume the most alcohol. There's biting sarcasm here in Isaiah's tone. These people boast about their prowess and drinking instead of showing honor and justice, righteousness or true valor, indicating a distortion of societal values. The leadership classes, instead of leading justly, engage in hedonism and revelry. Historically, drunkenness among leaders and judges likely led to injustice and poor decision making. This vice was present not just individually, but institutionally. Drunkenness among kings, priests, and nobility often paralleled the downfall of ancient kingdoms including Judah. Gary V. Smith suggests this verse points to a society more interested in self-indulgence than national or spiritual responsibility. Kill and Delitch emphasized the moral impotence of Judah's leaders who confuse excess for excellence, revelry for responsibility. Verse 23 of chapter 5 continues, verse 22, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of his right. This verse here reveals the consequences of the corruption that we just described in verse 22. The same men who are proud of their ability to drink are the ones in positions of authority, judges, nobles, officials, but their character leads them to pervert justice. The condemnation is specific. They acquit the guilty due to bribery and deny justice to the innocent. These actions invert the core principles of the Mosaic Law, as seen in Exodus 23, 6 through 8 in Deuteronomy 16 19. Justice was commanded as a central tenet of Israel's life, yet here it's been sold for wealth or influence. This verse reflects the systematic nature of Judah's sin. It wasn't just individuals committing acts of injustice, whole institutions were corrupted. This parallels the accusations in Isaiah 123 where the rulers are described as loving bribes and not defending the fatherless. Alec Mother sees in this verse the political and legal collapse of Judah, where those entrusted to uphold right have become the primary agents of wrong. John Oswald summarizes it as a harsh judgment against a society whose values are inverted and whose officials are corrupted by greed. As we move on to verse 24 in chapter 5, therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust, for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. This verse is a solemn declaration of divine judgment. It begins with therefore signaling that the judgments in verses twenty one through twenty three will produce devastating consequences. Isaiah uses two powerful similes, fire consuming stubble and dry grass burning quickly and completely. These natural images reveal the speed and totality of God's judgment. Stubble and dry grass stand no chance against fire. The judgment is not only external but internal. Their root will be as rottenness, indicating foundational decay. Their blossom will go up like dust, their outward success or beauty will vanish. There is death and destruction from the root to the flower, suggesting total judgment upon both the person and their works. The reason for this destruction is explicit. They have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. And these are strong charges. To reject God's law is to overturn his revealed will. To despise his word is to show contempt for his person and authority. John Oswald notes that the law or the Torah and the Word or Dabar stand for God's instruction, direction, and revelation. These are not mere ideas but divine commands. Rejecting them is rejecting God. Alec Mulcher states that at the heart of Judah's downfall is not ignorance, but defiance. They know God's word, but choose to reject it. So, verse 24 here stands as a theological climax to the series of woes. Sinful behaviors may be diverse, such as pride, drunkenness, and injustice, but the root problem is rebellion against the authority and the word of God. As we move on to verse 25 in Isaiah 5, it says, Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked, and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. This verse reveals the divine response to the sins described earlier in Isaiah five. The phrase therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people marks a turning point. Because of Judah's sin, pride and injustice, and the rejection of God's word, judgment must follow. This is not arbitrary wrath, but righteous anger born of covenant betrayal. The imagery of God stretching out his hand indicates decisive and sovereign action. Throughout the Old Testament, God outstretched his hand is often associated with acts of deliverance or judgment. Here it's judgment. The mountain's quaking signifies the magnitude of the judgment. It affects the very structure of creation. Dead bodies lying like refuse in the streets paints a vivid picture of devastation, widespread death, humiliation, and desecration. The final phrase in this verse, for all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still, means that the punishment thus far is not the end. It indicates that God is far from finished dealing with Judah's rebellion. This refrain becomes a literary refrain used multiple times in Isaiah, underlining repeated warnings and ongoing judgment. This refrain here is used in chapter 9, verse 12, chapter 9, verse 17, chapter 9, verse 21, and we're also going to see it in chapter 10, verse 4, as we get to those points. According to John Oswalt, this verse speaks to the terrifying justice of God who cannot overlook sin. Alec Mother emphasizes that God's patience is not infinite when his people continually reject him. The corpses represent the real historical consequences of divine judgment, likely foreshadowing the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions. As we move on here to verse 26, he will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth, and behold quickly. Speedily they come. This verse introduces the tool of God's judgment, a foreign nation. By raising a signal and whistling, God is pictured as summoning foreign armies as easily as a master calls a servant. This symbolic language implies God's control even over pagan nations. He uses them to accomplish his purposes. The nations far away likely refer to powerful empires such as Assyria or later Babylon, historically known for the military strength and conquest. God does not need to raise Judah's army to execute judgment, instead, he calls on distant nations as his instruments. The rapid response of the summoned army, such as quickly, speedily they come, underscores the urgency and inevitability of divine judgment. The people cannot prevent it or defend against it. The judgment is coming swiftly. Killin Delitch remarks that the signal refers to the standard lifted on a hill to rally soldiers, so God is summoning a disciplined prepared force. John Oswald argues this shows God's sovereignty over history, including over those who do not acknowledge him. And Alec Mother stresses that these invaders are not acting independently, but moved by God's sovereign directive. Verse 27 continues None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken. So here Isaiah describes the invading army with striking precision. The soldiers God summons are perfectly prepared. They do not tire, falter, or pause. This tells us they are both relentless and disciplined. The phrases not a waistband is loose and not a sandal strap broken may seem minor, but they reinforce the idea that this army is well secured, competent, and ready for battle. The focus is on military precision and efficiency. This highlights the futility of any resistance. Judah's sins have brought about a highly organized and unstoppable force. No escape or diplomacy can avert it. This army is divinely appointed. Commentators agree on the supernatural element here. Killin Delitch suggests this portrays not merely a regular force, but one endowed with remarkable readiness, driven by divine purpose. Alec Mother notes this verse serves to intensify the terror, even basic logistical weaknesses like loose sandals are absent. The threat is flawless. Verse 28 continues, their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. The description here continues with vivid martial imagery. This army's arrows are already prepared, their bows are ready to strike. This implies imminent attack. They are not just en route, but they're ready for action. Horses' hoofs like flint emphasizes both speed and power. Flint was associated with fire and durability. This is a metaphor for invincibility. Wheels like the whirlwind implies that their chariots move with such speed and force that it's like a storm sweeping the land. Historically, Assyrian warfare fits this kind of imagery. Their cavalry and siege engines were feared throughout the ancient world, and Isaiah's description might have had contemporary associations for his audience. John Oswalt writes that this description is meant to evoke helplessness in the face of overwhelming destruction. Nothing in Judah's arsenal, strategy, or faithless leadership could prevent this force. Alec Mother states that every part of the invading machine speaks of absolute preparedness and merciless intensity. Verse 29 says the roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar, they growl and seize their prey, they carry it off and none can rescue. This verse continues Isaiah's vivid portrayal of the invading army God will summon as an instrument of judgment against Judah. The army is likened to roaring lions, fearsome, aggressive, and unstoppable. Lions in ancient Near Eastern literature symbolize power and terror, and this imagery would have resonated powerfully with Isaiah's audience. The reference to young lions emphasizes strength and vigor. These are not decrepit or wearied animals, they are in their prime, and they are ready to conquer. The verbs growl, seize, carry off, they all suggest domination with no resistance. The final line in that verse none can rescue underscores the helplessness of the victim, which is Judah, once the divine judgment begins. Once taken, there will be no deliverance. Historically this reflects the suddenness and cruelty of foreign invasions, especially the Assyrian conquest in Isaiah's time during eighth century BC, where nations were overrun and exiled. The image conveys the utter inability of Judah to save itself or be saved by others. John Oswald points out that the description is not merely poetic, but captures the terror induced by the real historical threat of Assyrian imperial power. Alec Mocher adds that the lion metaphor highlights God's sovereignty and the certainty of destruction when his anger is unleashed. And the final verse here in chapter five, verse thirty, they will growl over it on that day like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkened by its clouds. So this concluding verse of Isaiah chapter 5 provides a final haunting image of the judgment to come. The phrase they will growl over it continues to lie in imagery the previous verse, and then transitions into the simile like the growling of the sea. This links the invasion with the fury of nature, noisy, chaotic, and overwhelming. The sea in biblical imagery often represents chaos, danger, and forces outside human control. You can see Psalms 46 3 and Psalms 93 3 through 4 for a little more context. The next line, if one looks to the land, behold darkness and distress, communicates the psychological and physical impact of the invasion. The land once a symbol of God's blessing and Israel's inheritance, is now filled with gloom and fear. Darkness in prophetic literatures typically symbolizes judgment, confusion, and the absence of God's favor. You can see more on that on Amos 5.18 and Joel chapter 2 verse 2. The final clause in the scripture, the light is darkened by its clouds, offers a powerful image of divine judgment. Even the light, typically a symbol of hope or God's presence, is obscured. This intensifies the picture of judgment as total and inescapable. Kill and Delitch interpret this as a vision of utter desolation, symbolic of a society that has rejected God's law and now faces the consequences. John Oswald notes that the darkness described as moral and spiritual, as much as physical, a society that has turned from God cannot expect light in the future. Alec Mother emphasizes that this is the end result of rejecting the Word of the Holy One of Israel, a descent into total darkness and despair. So as we finish up chapter 5 here in Isaiah, let's do a wrap-up of the chapter. This chapter is masterfully written Oracle of Judgment. It begins with the song of the vineyard in verses 1 through 7, where Israel is portrayed as God's carefully cultivated vineyard. But despite all of God's efforts, provision, protection, and blessing, the vineyard yielded only wild grapes, a symbol of wickedness and injustice. In response, God declares that he will break down its walls, remove its care, and allow it to become desolate. Following the parable, Isaiah delivers a series of six woes, which is verses eight through twenty-three. Each of these are targeting a specific sin within Judah. The first one was greed and land grabbing, leading to the displacement of others, in verses eight through ten. Verses eleven through seventeen deals with drunkenness and reckless living. Verses eighteen and nineteen are about sinful arrogance and persistence in iniquity. The fourth woe, moral relativism, calling evil good and good evil, is in verse twenty. In verse twenty one, the fifth woe intellectual and moral pride. And the sixth woe in verses twenty two to twenty three, corruption among leaders, particularly injustice and government. These sins are not isolated incidents, but reflect systematic moral decay and a general rejection of God's law and word. Therefore, beginning in verse twenty four, Isaiah pronounces impending judgment, national upheaval, death, and invasion. God will summon foreign nations such as Assyria and Babylon as instruments of judgment. The descriptions of these invading forces in verses twenty six to thirty are terrifying, swift, relentless, well equipped, and divinely commissioned. And then as the chapter ends, it ends in darkness and distress, with no immediate hope offered, a reflection of Judah's severe spiritual condition and the certainty of judgment. So how can we apply this to our lives today? Well, this chapter has timeless relevance. It speaks to any society or generation that enjoys the blessings of God, but then takes him for granted, abuses justice, and rejects his standards. Number one, we can apply it to us for accountability for blessings. Just as the vineyard was given every advantage, many today live in societies with access to truth, provision, and spiritual heritage, such as us in the United States. Yet if a culture turns that privilege into an opportunity for self-indulgence and rebellion, God's going to hold it accountable. Secondly, there's a warning against moral confusion. The verse that condemns calling evil good and good evil, which is verse 20, is highly applicable in a time when moral absolutes are often blurred. Isaiah warns that redefining morality on human terms leads to downfall. I can say since 2020, roughly, especially, we have seen a huge flip in putting this verse into the reality of our society today. We see so many things that are wrong stated right, and we see so many evil things that are called good. So this verse here definitely applies to us today in the society that we live in. There's also the danger of pride. Whether intellectual pride, like wise in their own eyes, political arrogance or spiritual defiance, pride remains the central root of sin, regardless. Isaiah reminds us that self-reliance without God leads to decay. Another thing that we can apply to us is that God's justice is sure. Though the warning comes through human prophecy, the judgment is from God, and it is enacted through human means such as foreign armies, natural consequence, and societal collapse. God is sovereign over nations and history. And then the fifth thing, responsibility of leaders. Isaiah's woes target not just individuals but also governing and judicial systems. When leadership fails to uphold justice, corrupts laws, and favors the wicked, collapse is inevitable. So here while Isaiah five is a chapter of warning and judgment, it prepares the way for the rest of Isaiah's message, one that includes comfort, redemption, and the vision of a righteous king, as we get into chapters seven, nine, and eleven. The message for us today, though, is that God desires righteousness, justice, and faithfulness from his people. When these are neglected, consequences follow. Yet when we repent and return to him, there is always hope for restoration. Well, that's going to do it for this week's episode. We went just a few minutes over, but we stayed pretty close within our time frame. I didn't know if we had blast through all those verses or not, but we finished up chapter five. So as we come back next week, we're going to go ahead and crack open chapter six, and we'll start into that chapter in our verse-by-verse study here in Isaiah. You can visit our website at connectingthegap.net for everything about our ministry. You can also reach us there on a form there on the website, or you can email us at Daniel at connectingthegap.net. We'd love to hear from you, love to hear some feedback on the episodes. If there's anything you'd like to add to it, just to add a little bit more juicy details to all of this, I welcome that. I'm just trying to do a quick overview as we go verse by verse, digging in deep here when we have the opportunity. Hope you've been enjoying the series so far. You can also check out our books that we have. You can pretty much get those anywhere that you can get a book. Amazon, Books a Million, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, just all over the place. We have several marriage books available. So please go check that out. Anything that you purchase there does help our ministry to continue to grow. Please subscribe and share these episodes so that more people can join in on our Bible study. But for now, that's going to be all for this week. And we believe that God's word never fails us. God's word has stood the test of time, and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap. This is an extension of Connecting the Gap Ministries, and we pray that you have a blessed week.