MATERIALISM AND SELFISHNESS. "Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, till there is no place Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!" (Isa. 5:8). It is not wrong to want a decent place to live, but what we see in this verse is an attitude that is never content, that never has enough, and who thinks one more house or one more thing is what will make life happy. Jesus said "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).

DRUNKENNESS. "Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink; who continue until night, till wine inflames them! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink" (Isa. 5:11,22). There will be tragic consequences for people who live for little more than to inflame their minds with alcohol and drugs. A second woe is pronounced when it is thought that being a "real man" or a "sophisticated lady" means taking a drink.

Proverbs 23:29-32 states, "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper."

PLEASURE MADNESS. "The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute, and wine are in their feasts." The picture is one of those wanting to party all the time. They are truly "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II Timothy 3:4) for "they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands" (Isa. 5:12).

The religious people of our land, even some of our greatest leaders, in days gone by would spend a significant amount of time reading the Bible each day. Nowadays people are so "pleasure mad" and "money mad"   that they have little time for God. Even churches have turned from exhortation to entertainment, from the gospel to gimmicks in order to keep their members happy. God says the end result of all this is that "my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst" (Isa. 5:12-13).

DRAGGING SIN ABOUT. "Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with a cart rope" (Isa. 5:18). The picture Isaiah draws is of a person who is dragging about a cart with a cargo of sin and iniquity. First we see how sin ladders people down. In the beginning we may think sin pleases us, but as time passes along we become the slaves of sin (Romans 6:16). We also can see that these people are so hooked to their sins, that they parade them about before the eyes of others. It is bad enough when people sin, but are ashamed and seek to hide their shameful actions. But it is disgusting when people bring their disgraceful lifestyles out of the closet and literally want to parade their evil ways down the city streets.

MORAL UPHEAVAL. "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!" (Isa. 5:20). Strange isn't it, how mixed up morality has become in today's world: The Bible says homosexuality is wrong, but our liberal society says its good and proper. The Bible says marriage is honorable, but radical feminists say it is tyrannical bondage. The Bible claims those in the womb are children and should be respected as such, but abortionists tell us they are "tissue" to be dispensed with at a woman's convenience. Nations that permit moral upheaval will face tragic consequences.