Drawing iniquity with cords of vanity

Isaiah 5:18
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity
and sin as if with a cart rope

This one struck me when you start to unwind "Vanity"...
See, we often use "Vanity" today as Narcissism.... but that's not really what the Hebrew word means... Vanity in this sense really conveys "Emptiness" in the sense of Chaos.. Empty of order... As in a big pile of junk that's undistinguishable as anything - but not necessarily nothingness... That's the sort of thing you run into in a "Waste land" - not NOTHING, but rather GOBS of stuff that's useless and strewn about in chaos...

Now, think about the phrase...
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of Chaos
and Sin as if with a cart rope.

What DRAWS wickedness out? What draws strife and trouble in a society? Intentional introduction of Chaos at the various levels.... If you want trouble to be caused - all you typically have to do is to introduce some Chaos.... The one introducing or ginning up the Chaos isn't typically the one who does the dirty work of The Iniquity and generally NEVER bears the blame for the consequences.... but that's WHY they are doing it! It's a power grab without getting your hands dirty so to speak....

What struck me about this is that this is frequently a tactic used when somebody wants POWER and doesn't have it ... Create "Chaos" - which breeds Iniquity (wickedness)..... and this is the "Horse" that draws the "Cart" of Sin (the "Missing the mark")

I won't start throwing rocks politically.... But.. It sure is easy to see...

Thanks
 
I dunno - I see your point(s) but when I see "vanity" I think pride and I think of this as the greater sin. Pride and it's cousin, self righteousness blinds.
 
Isaiah 5:18
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity
and sin as if with a cart rope

I think what you're saying about how people can sometimes use chaos to achieve power is true enough.

But I think the image we're meant to see is pretty simple: sin as a huge, useless burden being hauled along by a person. Seems pretty silly if you can just drop the ropes and walk away.
 
But I think the image we're meant to see is pretty simple: sin as a huge, useless burden being hauled along by a person. Seems pretty silly if you can just drop the ropes and walk away.

It sounds easy enough - but in reality, it's not... You can't just drop the ropes.... That's not how "Sold out to sin" works.... You pry one finger loose and while you are doing it - the other hand takes a deathgrip on the rope... You throw down the ropes in defiance - take one step away, and go sprinting right back to the beloved rope.....

True repentance ONLY comes as an unmerited gift granted by God - not from the strength and fortitude of our own self-will (which is what is typically preached from the pulpits.) Even then - the "Repentance" is that God breaks the right of sin to rule and gives you a way to fight.... That's not to say that the Sinful nature is particularly happy about the challenge to it's right to rule unimpeded.... There's still a significant fight - the difference is that NOW - you can start the process of overcoming....

Thanks
 
It sounds easy enough - but in reality, it's not... You can't just drop the ropes....

I think we both agree on what "drop the ropes" in this imagery means: Not "save yourself because of what a great guy you are," but "submit to the 'unmerited gift granted by God'".
 
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