This post was last updated on May 9, 2026

Day 37 (Year 2)

Woe to Those Who Distort Right and Wrong

“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 NKJV)

Those who depart from God sometimes fall into inner confusion and darkness. Among them, some use darkness and confusion to distort the Christian faith and build a system that inverts right and wrong. This verse rebukes one such type of person. When people call evil good, they perceive wickedness as something beautiful. Those who promote evil in this way will certainly encounter disaster. At that time, Isaiah believed that Israel’s inversion of right and wrong would bring great catastrophe upon them (Isaiah 5:24).

The light and darkness in today’s scripture, whether referring to physical light or spiritual radiance, seem to relate to people’s way of life. Living in light brings clear vision. Contrarily, living in darkness means relying on feelings and groping. When feelings become the primary guide, people easily fall into the devil’s temptations and traps. Did not our first ancestors eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil partly because they thought it would feel good? Further, in a dark life, it may be difficult to distinguish between clean and unclean, and people may become accustomed to filth or even foul odors. Those who are materially wealthy may try to wash away moral or psychological impurity through habits such as constantly cleaning their homes. This behavior reveals an attempt at some form of compensation. In reality, however, such practices do little to cleanse the soul.

The sweet and bitter in this passage relate to how feelings are evaluated and adjusted. We who believe in Jesus need to adjust our feelings so as to accept healing medicine sometimes with no good taste. I believe the passage indirectly points to the key to turning from darkness to light: correcting our values and feelings. For those living in darkness, whether they enjoy inflicting suffering or do not mind being mistreated, these wrong preferences and habits must change. Similarly, we often need to modify our preferences and interests, including distancing ourselves from anything that harms us. And some habits that benefit us, such as studying the Bible, may feel difficult at first. But when we insist the right way, we will eventually sense divine motivation from God, finding ourselves more energized the more we read, growing in light, and being continually renewed. Believers’ evaluations and judgments of what is right or wrong, good or evil, along with the goals and direction we pursue, need to be adjusted to align with God’s perspective. Anyway, we will naturally pursue what we consider good and even share with others.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you believe that the goodness you pursue is truly what God considers good? If so, what methods do you have to verify this?

2) Do you feel that your preferences and aversions are going to be corrected one by one according to God’s will? If you haven’t started yet, where should you begin?