#956 Isaiah 1 Part 1 Judah's Wickedness

 

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.

The Wickedness of Judah

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;

for the Lord has spoken:

“Children have I reared and brought up,

but they have rebelled against me.

3 The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master's crib,

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand.”

4 Ah, sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

offspring of evildoers,

children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the Lord,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel,

they are utterly estranged.

5 Why will you still be struck down?

Why will you continue to rebel?

The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,

there is no soundness in it,

but bruises and sores

and raw wounds;

they are not pressed out or bound up

or softened with oil.

7 Your country lies desolate;

your cities are burned with fire;

in your very presence

foreigners devour your land;

it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.

8 And the daughter of Zion is left

like a booth in a vineyard,

like a lodge in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

9 If the Lord of hosts

had not left us a few survivors,

we should have been like Sodom,

and become like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom!

Give ear to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

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.

12 “When you come to appear before me,

who has required of you

this trampling of my courts?

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.

14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

The Unfaithful City

21 How the faithful city

has become a whore,

she who was full of justice!

Righteousness lodged in her,

but now murderers.

22 Your silver has become dross,

your best wine mixed with water.

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.

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.

25 I will turn my hand against you

and will smelt away your dross as with lye

and remove all your alloy.

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.”

27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,

and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,

and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks

that you desired;

and you shall blush for the gardens

that you have chosen.

30 For you shall be like an oak

whose leaf withers,

and like a garden without water.

31 And the strong shall become tinder,

and his work a spark,

and both of them shall burn together,

with none to quench them. Isaiah 1 ESV

Isaiah 1: 1-20

The son of Amoz

Many modern scholars think that there was more than one author to the book of Isaiah. They throw about terms like “Deutero-Isaiah” and “Trito-Isaiah” or the “Isaianic School.” The New Testament quotes Isaiah by name more than all the other writing prophets combined. In John 12:37-41, John quotes from both the “first” part of Isaiah and the “second” part of Isaiah – the parts supposedly written by two or more different Isaiahs – and specifically says it is the same Isaiah. - Enduring Word

Most of all, Isaiah was a great man of God. Isaiah “has the courage of a Daniel, the sensitivity of a Jeremiah, the pathos of a Hosea, and the raging anger of an Amos; and moreover he leaves all of them far behind them in the unique art of holy mockery. His courage is of such a nature that he never, not even for a moment, shows himself to be weak or timid.” (Bultema)

2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth - The high court is in session, God calls the heavens and the earth as witness against His people. 

…39 But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” 40“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.” 41 As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it… Luke 19: 39-41

…21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.… Romans 8: 21-23

Children have I reared and brought up - He chose Abraham out of all the peoples in the world, made a nation from an old man and his barren wife. God sustained them through famine, brought them out of bondage from Egypt, gave them the law, and made Himself known to them, but most proved ungrateful and rebelled. If not for the unilateral nature of the covenant with Abraham, then there would be no hope of even a remnant here, all would seem lost, but He still refers to them as children.

…22 But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”  1 Samuel 15: 22-23

3. The ox knows it's owner - A beast has more sense to know and recognize the hands that feed it. This people was set apart, taught in the ways of God, yet He says, My people do not understand. Did you make yourself? This is not only the potter, but the maker of the very clay, Owner of all He has created. This is serious, beyond my ability to completely grasp or convey, yet their is hope still, He has called them children and My people. 

4. A people laden with iniquity - Regardless of what God has done on their behalf, and in response to what He has forgiven, they continue in the things which He hates. The wages of sin is death, yet they delight in it, ungrateful, unwilling to repent. 

5. Why will you be struck down - As long as they continued to rebel they would be chastised. During the reign of Ahaz they were invaded often, yet for the love of their sins and the pride associated with rebellion; they would not repent to salvation. 

…18 The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages. 19 For the LORD humbled Judah because Ahaz king of Israel had thrown off restraint in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. 20 Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.… 2 Chronicles 28: 18-20

6. They are not pressed out or bound up - They will not even acknowledge the disease, and it is festering, putrid, but they are resolved in their denial. There are no bandages covering their wounds; their sin is flagrant, as if God should bow to their fallen desires. 

The distemper threatens to be mortal. From the sole of the foot even to the head; from the meanest peasant to the greatest peer, there is no soundness, no good principle, no religion, for that is the health of the soul. Nothing but guilt and corruption; the sad effects of Adam's fall. This passage declares the total depravity of human nature. While sin remains unrepented, nothing is done toward healing these wounds, and preventing fatal effects. - Matthew Henry

7. Your cities are burned with fire - Look! Open your eyes; these aren't peaceful protest. In your very presence foreigners devour your land - this is what your godlessness has brought you; you have forfeited your inheritance to strangers, denied the God Who brought you here, wake up!

8. Like a lodge in a cucumber field -

Jerusalem was exposed and unprotected, like the huts or sheds built up to guard ripening fruits. These are still to be seen in the East, where fruits form a large part of the summer food of the people. - Matthew Henry

9 - 10. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors - He makes the comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah, sister cities whose sin had reached the fullness of iniquity, which spilled over and upon it from the cup of God's Holy wrath. They received their wages, the wages of sin, justice, but in Judah He has kept a remnant. Isaiah not only makes the comparison, but he also calls the rulers and people by the name of those cities. 

…14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.… Matthew 10: 14-16

…5 In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,… Romans 11: 5-7

…3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.… Romans 4: 3-5

11 - 15. What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? - There was a form of religion here; they offered up sacrifices, and let us examine ourselves in this as well:

• I go to church.
• I tithe.
• I sing in the choir.
• I am a deacon, an elder, a pastor, a Sunday school teacher.
• I am a conservative.
• I do the rosary, buy indulgences, visit "holy" places on pilgrimages.
• I believe in God, I say I am a Christian, I say I love Jesus. I, I, I, I, I.

…21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’… Matthew 7: 21-23

I do not delight in the blood of bulls - How can this be? You gave us the laws about the sacrifice. Why can't we just offer a lamb or a goat, and then be on our way? Why can't I show up, throw my money in the plate, and then you leave me to the things I truly love? If you don't know, Isaiah will make this abundantly clear. There is still hope; it's coming. This is the indictment, they had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof. They worshiped with their lips, but their hearts were not in it. They didn't mind rituals, but they were appalled by reality. They knew what God called sin, but if they loved it, then they chose the sin, but they still wanted God's favor in it. 

Judea was desolate, and their cities burned. This awakened them to bring sacrifices and offerings, as if they would bribe God to remove the punishment, and give them leave to go on in their sin. Many who will readily part with their sacrifices, will not be persuaded to part with their sins. They relied on the mere form as a service deserving a reward. The most costly devotions of wicked people, without thorough reformation of heart and life, cannot be acceptable to God. He not only did not accept them, but he abhorred them. All this shows that sin is very hateful to God. If we allow ourselves in secret sin, or forbidden indulgences; if we reject the salvation of Christ, our very prayers will become abomination. - Matthew Henry

Your hands are full of blood - They were murderers. They looked upon the ways of the surrounding cultures, lusted after the things they indulged in, and sacrificed their own children to a false god, to Molech. Their hands were covered in guilt, but their hearts were unrepentant, always justifying their actions; it had all become quite necessary to them. 

16-20 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean - They did not love God, and therefore they could not love those made in His image. They were users of one another, leading each other further away from the holiness that God demands. This is the God Who is infinitely opposed to sin, so how can we say we love Him or others when He is demanding that we repent, yet we are teaching others that it does not matter? It showed in their phony religion, their vain prayers, their treatment of others. What god did you believe in? 

…29 Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”… Mark 12: 29-31

Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, plead the widow's cause - But what if that's not popular, what if that puts me in harms way, or out of my way?

…26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:26-27

Come now let us reason together - Let's look at this logically, let us reason this out. He gives very clear terms. He is holy, and you are born red in sin, but you don't stop there, you darken it to crimson with your deeds. We are all fallen in Adam, dead in our trespasses and sins, yet God has made Himself known and also our state. Look at the law, have you committed any of these things? Remember, if you look upon a woman to lust it is the same as adultery; if you hate someone it is murder to He Who looks upon the heart. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The proud cannot reason. They are stuck arguing their right, their autonomy, unforgiveness, self righteousness, and while they may brag about intellect, they are dead in delusion. 

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land - that's simple, like do this and you shall live.

But if you refuse and rebel you shall be eaten by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken - 

. “Come now, no season can be better. If ye tardy till you’re better, ye will never come at all. Come now; you may never have another warning; the heart may never be so tender as it is to-day. Come now; no other eyes may ever weep over you; no other heart may ever agonize for your salvation. Come now, now, now, for tomorrow you may never know in this world. Death may have sealed your fate, and the once filthy may remain filthy still. Come now; for to-morrow thy heart may become harder than stone, and God may give thee up. Come now; it is God’s time; to-morrow is the devil’s time. ‘To-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, when your fathers tempted me and proved me in the wilderness and saw my works.’ Come now. Why delay to be happy? Would you put off your wedding-day? Will you postpone the hour when you are pardoned and delivered? Come now: the bowels of Jehovah yearn for you. The eye of your father sees you afar off, and he runs to meet you. Come now; the church is praying for you; these are revival times; ministers are more in earnest.” (Spurgeon)