Message summary: As God's children let us hear the words of the apostle Paul and "hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9).

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"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 5:20).

Today the annual March For Life will be held in Washington as it has been for over 50 years. I (Stephen) have been to this march many times. Back in the eighties I would drive a bus down with marchers from Elk County PA where we lived at the time. Brooksyne went to the march one time with me but it's usually just a bit too cold for her.

This morning she is attending a pro-life event at a local church and will hear a testimony from a former worker in a Philadelphia abortion business. (see note below)

For over 50 years abortion, the killing of innocent life , has been among the most contested cultural and moral issues here in America. The issue has long resulted in emotionally strong positions from both sides of our political spectrum reinforcing the reality that there is a deep, deep division on this subject matter (and many others!). But here's one that takes the cake.

Several years ago a prominent senator used a word from the Bible that describes what God strongly hates and abhors when he asserted that the decision to overturn Roe V. Wade (thus limiting abortion) would be "an abomination".  *

That caught my attention since one of the abominations mentioned in the Bible is child sacrifice. "They built the high places of Baal that are in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and their daughters pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them, nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to mislead Judah to sin" (Jeremiah 32:35). Essentially this senator was calling an abomination the opposite of what God calls an abomination!  He was literally calling something good (attempts at less abortions), evil.

Here's a simple definition of abomination from the gotquestions.org teaching site is "An abomination is something that causes hate or disgust. In biblical usage, an abomination is something that God loathes or hates because it is offensive to Him and His character."

What a powerful message in our daily text. "Woe" is a literal transliteration of the Hebrew. In other words it's an expression that sounds the same in Hebrew, English or any language (similar to the word, "hallelujah"). Woe is also an onomatopoeia, which is when the formation of a word imitates the natural sound associated with the object or action involved. Consider the sounds of deep, painful wailing. Isaiah's "woe" is timeless.

"Woe" is an exclamation of pain and grief. As our culture drifts farther and farther from its Biblical moorings we see the truth of Isaiah's proclamation. But do we also feel his exclamation of woe as well?

What is the subject of this woe? Three are listed in the daily text.

Those:

    1) who call evil good and good evil,
    2) who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
    3) who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Biblical morality is being turned on its head, not only in Isaiah's cultural setting but also in our own lifetime. Sometimes I am stunned by that which is so contrary to the right and wrong I was taught as a child now being accepted by non-believers and sadly even some professed believers. Today much of what is evil is called good and what is good is called evil.

Several years ago a nationally known preacher made a statement concerning our present moral condition that is imminently Biblical and sensible regarding the obvious consequences to children being raised without a father's influence. He was excoriated by the national media with the typical charges of being intolerant, narrow-minded and of course hateful.

Among the signs of our culture's moral downfall is the failure to uphold the Creator's standards, which has led to great confusion as to what even constitutes evil.

Today let us remain faithful to the perspective that God gives us through the inspiration of Scripture. As unpopular, "intolerant", socially insensitive, and politically incorrect as it may be described, let us continue to call evil "evil" and to call good "good". For sure, let us not call a good decision an abomination!

As God's children let us hear the words of the apostle Paul and "hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9).

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13