Isaiah 5:20-21

Isaiah 5:20-21 (ESV):  “20  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! 21  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!”

Wisdom comes from God. When we operate according to our own wisdom, we attempt to redefine creation. God alone holds the right to define good and evil, what is righteous and what is wicked, what is light and what is darkness. Our job is not to reinvent His definitions but to humbly submit to them.

Isaiah issues a sobering warning here: “Woe” to the one who flips the script and exchanges God’s truth for their own version of it. It’s a dangerous thing when a culture, a church, or an individual decides they know better than God. When we become “wise in our own eyes,” we are not progressing; we are regressing into foolishness and rebellion. Woe to such a one as this!

Isn’t it easy to see how the world is walking in its own wisdom? They celebrate what God calls evil and abhor what He calls good. What is more difficult is for Christians to recognize how we might be walking in our own wisdom. That is where the Word of God helps us. It guides us into His wisdom. It is our true north. Always seek the Word — it will keep you out of the “Woe” category.

Father, we thank You for providing us with wisdom to walk in Your ways. We also thank You for Your Word that keeps us safe and in Your will. Direct our steps daily, and convict us by Your Spirit when we begin to walk in our own wisdom. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.