THE MOST SOBERING WORDS

Have you ever wondered about the “woe’s” in the bible?

“Woe to you, Bethsaida!” says Jesus.

“Woe is me!” says Isaiah.

“Woe! Woe! Woe!” say the angels in the book of Revelation.

Woe!  Always with an exclamation mark.

It sounds so ominous. Sheesh! 

My curiosity about this little word made me dig a little deeper. Is it a threat? Is it dangerous? Should I snap my bible closed and pretend it’s not there or rather turn to the part where God so loved the world?

The word, it turns out, is both sorrowful and forewarning.  It’s like when our children learn to drive. We have to remind them that the little orange fuel light flashing away is not to decorate the dashboard, but because they are about to have a bad day if it isn’t attended to. (The things us parents do for our children. Double woe!)

When we read in Isaiah, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, and who trust in the multitude of their chariots, and in the strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord...”  it is a deeply sorrowful lament. The all-knowing God sees the path that this leads to. 

When we put our trust in the riches of the day, or the power symbols of our era or the wisdoms of our current culture, but neglect to look to the Holy One for guidance, we have chosen the wrong path. It will lead us to places like anxiety, stress, worry, pride, self-importance, avarice, or worse.

How tragic is our situation, when this happens. We are on the path of destruction and God cries out, “Woe to you!” It is a sorrowful warning to turn back before it is too late.

The woe’s are not words of a wrathful God enjoying punishment. They are grief filled warnings of a loving Father. It is a call to turn around before it is too late.

In Isaiah, chapter 5, the prophet pronounces six woes against Judah’s sin:

Greed, drunkenness, moral confusion, pride, injustice, and corruption.

Then, in Isaiah 6, after seeing God’s holiness, the prophet doesn’t begin with someone else’s failures. He cries out  “Woe is me! For I am undone...” 

Before Isaiah could faithfully speak God’s judgment to others, he first recognized his own need for God’s mercy. 

As we all do.

Depending on the bible translation, the word “woe” appears around 120 times.  It may do us good to read each account because they are of the most sobering and compassionate words in the bible.

May we think on these things!