Isaiah 1:10-31
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Isaiah 1 continued...
Isaiah 1 continued...
Isaiah is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament. Remember that major or minor prophets status was simply the size of the book ascribed to them. Isaiah has 66 chapters, so it is indeed a major work.
So what do we know of Isaiah? Well Isaiah 1:1 tells us
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
So we know that he is the son of a man named Amoz and we know nothing more about his father.
Now Jewish tradition claims that Amoz is the brother of Amaziah, who was king of Judah. If that is true then that places Isaiah in the royal family.
That would seem to fit as we walk through some other texts in this book.
His name, Isaiah carries a rich meaning, it means “Yahweh is Salvation.”
We also know that Isaiah has a wife and children, chapters 7 and 8 give us reference to that for people to see...
It also seems that because of his family line, that he and his family lived in Jerusalem itself.
Concerning his ministry, we know that Isaiah 6 is where we find Isaiah’s call and confession to ministry. And we also know that as he prophecies and ministers in this life, he is persecuted by Manasseh , the King of Judah.
Now toward the end of his life, this persecution leads to death, Hebrews 11:37, describes Isaiah’s death.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—
Tradition has it that he was sawn in two. Why did this happen, the King didn’t like the message he was preaching, that he was sending out. Manasseh had no love for God or for those how he carried the message of God.
Now thinking about the message Isaiah carried, he received visions from God, and these visions through which he shared symbols and reasoned thought, tell of a God centered way of thinking. God is calling people to walk with Him and live for Him.
The time of his ministry is hard to know the exact years. We know he prophesied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. so the exact time isn’t know but it could have been anywhere from, 740 to what we guess is about 700 BC or so…
When you consider the theme of the book, it is God himself, the one who does all things according to His purposes.
Finally here, as you think about the purpose of the book, we know the people ( children of Israel ) have been rebellious and wicked. God has a plan, their actions are no surprise to him.
God will keep his covenant relationship with his people and He will work to continue to bless the world through Abraham.
Now we know that Isaiah is ministering to Judah, the Southern Kingdom of Benjamin and Judah together.
Verse 10
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
Now remember verse 9, they were almost compared to Sodom and Gomorrah, the reason is there is a group left, not wiped out completely.
So with verse 10, Isaiah says for them, those rulers to hear, ( now I know they are gone) but they are to give witness.
Now some might say, how is Jerusalem similar to Sodom and Gomorrah. Two types of sins are addressed in this chapter, oppression of the weak and unacceptable worship, or false worship.
Ezekiel 16 says that Sodom did not help the poor and needy and 2 Kings 21 tells us that Manasseh followed the detestable practice of the Canaanites and built pagan altars in the temple courts. He shed innocent blood and did more evil than all the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
So God is calling them to witness their sin, and the punishment they will face
Verse 11-15 really fit together but we are gonna go verses by verse.
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
Now one might say a major difference between Sodom and Gom, and Judah was that the people worshipped God, they offered sacrifices to God.. But God’s evaluation of their offerings were negative.
Does God delight in sacrifices, in burnt offerings and such. No, he truly delighted in obedience and a right heart. here the prophet and judge Samuel.
22 And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
Verse 12
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
In God’s mind, there was a big difference between coming before Him in worship and adoration and the trampling, the disrespect and destruction
But it also tells us their heart was not right before God.
Verse 13
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
God does not want meaningless worship, false deceptive sacrifices. God hated their ritualistic religion, they were to come before him with a whole heart. With a heart full of love and adoration for the Lord
I cannot stand sin and sinful people in the solemn assembly, they come with a open mouth but a unwilling heart.
But notice his phras ethe “new moon” pagan worship was being added and practiced in His presence, He hates false worship.
Verse 14
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
God says He is weary of this false worship, those offerings, sacrifices that have no meaning
Verse 15
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Here you see the conclusion that God has come to before them, I will hide my eyes and will not listen. The full reason, there is blood on your hands. They had been guilty of acts of violence, some if it murder. The people must repent or God will refuse to listen to any of their prayers.
Here is key: The people, everyone who wishes to worship God should ask the question: Is my worship acceptable to God, or has sin kept God from accepting my praise and prayers.
Now verses 16-17
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
Verses 16 and 17
This brings us to the end of a section here, and the section ends with a series of nine imperative exhortations that show what pleases God. Isaiah is forcefully calling on his listeners to change the way they live.
7 of these are positive, things one should do, and two of them are negative, calling for the people to stop.
Some of them are duplicated but God is driving the point home...
1. Wash yourselves, make your self clean. this is calling on them to clean yourself, not jus the body but the heart, the intent of man,
2. Make yourselves clean… calling for purify their lives.
3. remove the evil of your deeds from my sight… remove the pagan temples in the city and yes from the temple area before God. Get rid of this false worship
4. Cease to do evil… Stop it. stop this false worship and the practices associated with it. The natural flow of a changed heart is changed actions.
5. Learn to do good… a changed heart is extended to all areas of life. The call is to move beyond practice in worship to every day life.
6. Seek justice… Everyone, but especially those in positions in authority should learn principles of justice from the laws of God. Learn and put them into practice.
7. Correct oppression… People are called to defend the helpless, the widows and orphans. Do not allow them to be oppressed, instead protect them.
8. Bring justice to the fatherless… orphans have no one, and are easily trampled on.
9. Please the widow’s cause.... Women really had no rights and with no man to help here to stand up with her, she could be taken advantage of
We must still do the same today, the vulnerable must be cared for and as the church, we must do it.
V 18...
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
Even though the situation may seem hopeless, Isaiah seeks to settle the conflict between God and Judah. The problem is they are separated, and what has separated them… sin.
Sin has consequences but it can also be forgiven and people restored.
The door is open if they return to God.
How wonderful to see the contrast of sin… red, blood, dirty, but forgiveness is white, wool, blessed...
When God says come, let us reason together, the phrase is calling and encouraging action on their behalf. God is always open to people to return to Him.
The phrase Come now let us reason together.... really is the idea of determining what is right… God has given us His law, the commandments tell them, so it is not hard for them know the truth.
God desire isn’t to punish, he will becasue of sin, but he wants poeple to walk in grace.
Now verses 19-20
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Listen, if you are willing to turn from sin and rebellion, and live in obedience… you will do well
The phrase eat the good of the land is the meaning of blessings and abundance.
But if not, chastisement and punishment is all you will know of...
Now we come to the last section… Verses 21-31
Verse 21
21 How the faithful city
has become a whore,
she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
So this section addresses the moral changes (negative ones) that characterized Jerusalem as that time and the discipline God has for their future.
So walking through verse 26, we will see these verses are divided by a series of accusations of sinfulness agasint the rulers of Jerusalem.
Th city that was once faithful, is now marked by unfaithfulness, they should have worshipped God but instead like Gomer they are unfaithful.
She was once full of justice, now are murders. from Hezekiah to Manasseh’s reign we know that innocent blood was shed ....
V 22
22 Your silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.
Isaiah is sharing that the Lord says they are mixed with impurity, sinfulness. silver mixed with dross, is the impurity that was once separate after heating is allowed to stay, not scoooped off
Wine is diluted, weakened, not pure any more. Sin is the issue, sin is the one thing that pollutes our lives.
V 23
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
God says it all. The princes are rebels and the companions of thieves meaning they are those who are no better than the wicked. They loved a bribe, gifts to do injustice. So instead of defending the widow, the poor. They sold it for their own benefit cause someone else wanted the widow’s good, or property or inheirtance.
How sad for God to see thise wickedness, no one cares for his rule and ways
Verse 24
24 Therefore the Lord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
the Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
and avenge myself on my foes.
So God’s declaration is sure, God is determined to purify the city, So God himself will act....
God’s purposes over verses 24-26 is 3 fold here, 1. satisfy holiness, 2. remove impurity and 3. restore the city of righteousness.
God will avenge the wickedness here.
Verse 25
25 I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
So God will put his hand of judgement against them to help purify them, like heat to precious metal. Heat is needed at times to bring out the best. He will go do to reveal the pure metal, and to them to reveal a faithful people.
And tie this with verse 26
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
So He desires to restore them. To bring them back to good rulers, ones who value righteousness and holiness before God.
afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, when they return to God’s ways and this also has a future day event, a time when the he will remove all sin, and his kingdom rule will be pure
Now we come to the last few verses 27-31
V 27
27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
God is calling them to make good choices, Their choice will make eternal consequences, they will either enjoy God’s redemption or suffer disgrace,
So with verse 27, God has a wonderful plan for Zion, Jerusalem. His city will be filled with repentant ,redeemed people. They will once again act right toward widows and orphans, they will not love a bribe and so one. These people will be different than the ones of who are guilty
V 28
28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
Punishment await the disobedient, truly hell awaits them. So unlike those of verse 27, those here will perish. The reason is given in verse 29
V 29
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.
The reason they will perish , , it’s their choice, the worship the idols of wood. The lush gardens and sacred groves that were tied to fertility worship of baal, . Their substitution of what was good and right have caught up to them and they stand judged and punished.
They have made the choice. remember choices have consequences.
V 30
30 For you shall be like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
Punishment, They chased after those gods who could not benefit them, bring life or sustain them. So like they death and disappointment they chased, they receive it. They will wither and dry up
Do you remember that generation that refused to enter the promised land . They wandered 40 years untill all from that time expcet Joshua and caleb had died.
now finally v 31
31 And the strong shall become tinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with none to quench them.
Wow, the even strong oak trees can be reduced to kindling, and God will set them on fire and they will burn with no help. Impossible to quench the fire
The sad thing is that many of the people heard the message of Isaiah and they felt they were ok. I wonder how often than happens today. How many people feel they are ok before God but are not ,
They hide a life of sin, selfishness, rebellion and unwillingness to trust God.