The Effects of Persistent Sin (Part 2)

Pastor Bill Farrow

Isaiah 1:21-22

21  How the faithful city has become a harlot!
It was full of justice;
Righteousness lodged in it,
But now murderers.

22  Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water.

ISAIAH 1:22

Thy silver - The sentiment in this verse, as it is explained by the following, is, thy princes and people have become corrupt, and polluted. Silver is used here to denote what should have been more valuable - virtuous princes. This carries on the idea we have mentioned already – the “ought to” of the nations potential.  This is perhaps the most insidious and awful effect of persistent sin – it destroys the potential of the individual for service to and glorifying of God.  Here we see the fourth terrible effect of persistent sin – the turning of that which had great value into that which is fit only to be cast away.  Nothing is more devastating, more tragic, and more terrible than this!  Israel ought to have been to supreme and ultimate example of a people who served and brought glory to God in the world.  They had every benefit and every blessing.  Yet they failed to do so by their own action (inaction actually).  Can anything be more sad than this?  If it is grieving and sad to us, how much more said and grieving is it to the Father?

Dross - This word means the baser metal, which is separated from the purer in smelting. It is of little or no value; and the expression means, that the rulers had become debased and corrupt, as if pure silver had been converted wholly to dross. The implication is that whatever value and benefit Israel had been to God was now lost and forever wasted. 

Thy wine - Wine was regarded as the most pure and valuable drink among the ancients. It is used, therefore, to express that which should have been most valued and esteemed among them - to wit, their rulers.

Mixed with water - Diluted, made weak. According to Gesenius, the word rendered “mixed” means to circumcise; and hence, by a figure common with the Arabians, to adulterate, or dilute wine. The word does not occur in this sense elsewhere in the Scriptures, but the connection evidently requires it to be so understood. Wine mixed with water is that which is weakened, diluted, rendered comparatively useless. So it was with the rulers and judges. They had lest the strength and purity of their integrity, by intermingling those things which tended to weaken and destroy their virtue, pride, the love of gifts, and bribes, etc. Divested of the figure, the passage means, that the rulers had become wholly corrupt. They were hypocritical; they appeared to be one thing, when, really, they were something else entirely!  This is the fifth horrible effect of persistent sin – it leads the believer into hypocrisy.  There is one final effect that is mentioned here, that is that the individual is not only not what others perceive him to be, but he is not what he perceives himself to be!  Self-deception is perhaps the most bitter and dangerous pill of all at this point.  One who sees themselves as a Christian, as a solid believer, and yet is not, is assuredly in poor position to improve their lot before God.

Sin has an awful and a profound effect on the life of the child of God.  Now, it is true that we cannot, strictly speaking, identify all of Isaiah’s audience as believers.  That is assuredly not so.  However, we can recognize that sin does have similar effects as are here described in the lives of believers and learn from the example, which is the intent of the writer here.  We must see the terrible effects of persistent sin and abhor them, and see to it, as best we are able, that we maintain ourselves in such condition as to see to it that these effects never manifest themselves in our lives.