>Whoa! Woe Could be Headed Your Way!

Whoa! Woe Could be Headed Your Way!

Bill Brinkworth

If you are involved in sin, stop now, because you are headed for great sorrow, grief and misery. Payday for iniquity is someday; either immediately or in an eternal future.

Over 98 times the King James Bible warns that woe will be had by sinners. Twenty-six of those times the warning was given to nations given over to sin. The rest of the references were to sinning individuals.

There will be woe to nations when:

they are not bothered by their committing of sin. Some nations even flaunt or boast of their wickedness. There will be woe to them as some biblical nations were warned.
“The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves.” Isaiah 3:9
“I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! Wilt thou not be made clean …” Jeremiah 13:27
They legalize sin.
“ Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;” Isaiah 10:1

There will also be woe to many individuals. Some of God’s warnings are to:

the unsaved.
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15
those that sin.
“Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?” Isaiah 29:15
“Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isaiah 3:11
“Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;” Jeremiah 22:13
Christians that want to be like the world and seek the world’s approval.
“ Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:26
drunkards.
“Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!” Isaiah 5:11
those that help others drink!
“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” Habakkuk 2:15
those that approve of sin.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
those that think they are so smart and have all the answers and excuses for their ungodly behavior.
“ Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:21
to pastors that preach philosophies and ideas that are contrary to the Word of God.
“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:1
those with filthy, ungodly speech.
“… Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5
trouble-makers.
“Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.” Micah 2:1
a man that turned against Christ: Judas.
“The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” Matthew 26:24. I wonder if the principle taught here is applied to the many that oppose and attempt to discredit Christ today.
Those that will go through the great, future tribulation warned about in Revelation.
“One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” Revelation 9:12

Since God is the same today as when he had men of God record these warnings, it would be correct to assume that many of them apply even today. God left these warnings to remind the readers that, unless they cease from their sin: afflictions, unhappiness, or disaster will be upon them for their sin. Stop! Heed God’s warning, and turn from sin in your life!

“Foolish men imagine that because judgment for an evil thing is delayed, there is no justice, but only accident here below. Judment for an evil thing is many times delayed some day or two, some century or two, but it is sure as life. It is sure as death!” – Thomas Carlyle

This article was featured in The Bible View #225.