Bible Soap

Scripture

Isaiah 5:8 – Woe to you who add house to house 
       and join field to field 
       till no space is left 
       and you live alone in the land.

Observation

If I’m honest, I don’t find it easy to apply context to Scripture when reading prophecy – it’s the hardest type of Biblical writing, in my opinion, to understand where and when it is referring to. For instance, in chapter 2 of Isaiah there is a section entitled ‘The Mountain of the Lord’, which as far as I can tell is a prophecy about Jerusalem at the end of time, a picture of how all nations will turn to God. But it is stuck between two sections condemning the people of Jerusalem and Judah for the way they have turned away from God, and what will happen to them when he strikes them with his anger. Without the sub-headings (which aren’t there in the original Hebrew), this would be very hard to make sense of. For this reason it’s worth reading as carefully as possible any information you get around the actual prophetic writings, and doing background research too!

Anyway, the reason this verse stood out to me is that it really reminded me of how building developers operate in the UK at the moment, or around here at any rate. One major development in our town has all the houses amazingly squashed together, with tiny gardens and lots of floors, so that those building can make absolutely as much money as they can from the land. Isaiah’s prophecy clearly indicates that the same kind of thing was happening in Judah at that time, that greed was the primary focus for those who worked the land, and that God didn’t like it. The passage goes on to describe how Judah’s enemies were poised to come and wipe them out, and that God was going to let them. Greed, along with the other sins exhibited by His people at that time, was going to be punished.

Application

So greed is a sin that God can’t stand. What a revelation I have had from this verse, eh? Well, greed takes many forms, and we need to be on the watch for it rearing its head in our lives. What Isaiah was prophesying against was people who were slowly adding to their own land so no-one else could have it, and ending up alone as a result. We can be greedy like this in all sorts of ways – in our careers, taking on extra jobs so we get more responsibility and kudos; with our money of course – finding ways to keep hold of more, instead of using it wisely and giving it to those in need when we can; with our material possessions – do we really need the next electronic gadget that basically does the same as the last, just so we have more? And do any of these things make us more fulfilled? No, life lived close to God does that, and He knows it. Do we know it?

Prayer

Lord, be on guard in my heart with regard to greed, and help me to aim for a doing more for you rather than more for myself. Holy Spirit, urge me to be generous and wise with my possessions and the money I have been given to steward.