Isaiah 5 - meant for USA?

Reading Isaiah 5, I don't think it's coincidental how many of these things would apply to our country today.

It's a picture of a choice planted vineyard - God has given His church every great advantage, especially in offering His son Jesus so that the church, God's people, may be redeemed and saved.

Yet...

"woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands." (5:11-12)

How often do we invest our time in personal entertainment and pleasure rather than focusing our attention on the deeds of the Lord?

"woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." (5:18-19)

How often do we mellow in casual sin, that we don't think is that bad, while on the other hand we are impatient at seeing God's kingdom worked out here on earth, and want to see it happen on our own terms?

"woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight" (5:21)

Why do we always know everything and so often lack the humbleness to listen?

I like verse 5:25 quite a bit:
"Therefore the Lord's anger burns against His people; His hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised."

I like it that God's perseverance and love for His people is greater than our stubborness and refusal to seek His way. No matter how much we are obstinate and fight to make life our way and our own terms, God stands strong throughout the test of time, drawing hearts to Him one way or another.

Being happy

I here often in America, the phrase "I just want you to be happy." Or "I just want so and so to be happy." My mom says that to me often, as if she is stating that as the end goal for my life.

Happiness is not a bad thing, but I think the Bible teaches us that happiness isn't the end goal. Just "being happy" is a near impossibility in my mind, as we live in a disastrously fallen and broken world. I don't think we'll truly be happy until we are redeemed in the New Heavenly City, experiencing our joy and life directly from Christ.

That is where happiness comes from, real happiness I think. But that doesn't mean happiness in this life like our culture imagines. Jesus was tortured, He sacrificed the ultimate...the things Jesus did, people in our culture would not deem them as happiness-inducing actions.

Psalm 68:1-6 states:
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.

As smoke is blown away by the wind,
may you blow them away;
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds —
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

and then Psalm 68:19 states:

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.

I think it's key to remember that our happiness comes as a result of our righteousness being found in Christ. Like Psalm 68:3 states.

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful."

Being found in Christ is not necessarily going to bring us the good and comfortable things of our culture that we may think might bring us happiness.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:30

May we find all our happiness locked up in the redemption we find in Christ. For it is through Him, by Him, and for Him that we live and have any of our being.