#957 Isaiah 1 Part 2 Dross Foes

 

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: 21-31

21 - 23. How the faithful city has become a whore - Oh the lament, a heart breaking comparison. It is like the church that breaks away from the pure gospel, that leaves the sanctity of it's bond to Christ, and runs to embrace the world. They could conceive a picture of the charge based upon their knowledge of the law and adultery. You have been unfaithful.

…8 She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. 9 Indifferent to her immorality, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.… Jeremiah 3: 8-10

She, who was full of justice - More lament, she is not as she once was, a beacon of justice, a city set high on a hill, a light in the dark. Where can the poor go to be represented against the unjust mighty?

Righteousness lodged in her - No longer the epicenter of true religion, of worship that flows from humble and repentant hearts. She has lost her moral integrity, and is no longer a worthy guide. 

But now murderers - The rulers are rebels, thieves, friends of thieves; this is a corrupt city. There is no justice for the widow or the orphan. It is quid pro quo and bribes are required to get things done. Those that have such means can buy the politicians; justice is no longer blind, and the poor are without representation. 

…46“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 47They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.” Luke 20: 46-47

Silver and wine - Dross is the scum that forms at the surface of metal when it is being refined. There was nothing of value left in her. What she called silver was not pure; it was the contaminants that are to be removed and thrown away. Wine was often watered down by shady business men. It had the color, the smell, but you didn't get what you paid for; it was diluted. 

12 Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. 13 And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.… Matthew 21: 12-14

…10 A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice. 11 Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern. 12 Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.… Proverbs 16: 10-12

24-31. Therefore the Lord declares - He has prior to this extended the offer to reason together, has stated the case against them, but there is still another flaw; they will not repent. Their hearts are hard, and whatever outward reform they may hold high in their minds, He is not impressed with their gifts. He cannot be bought like their priest and politicians. He loathes their sacrifices for they are not sincere. If He is holy and just then He must judge.

And avenge myself of my foes - His children have become like Absalom was to his father, only this Father is eternal and so is His righteousness. When we define ourselves by our sins, cling to what God hates, we become foes of Him, Whose power and holiness we cannot fathom. 

I will turn my hand against you - God is sovereign, and however judgment comes, by what nation, famine, disease, it is yet and still His hand. 

"I will purely purge away thy dross. I will amend what is amiss. Vice and profaneness shall be suppressed and put out of countenance, oppressors displaced, and deprived of their power to do mischief.’’ When things are ever so bad God can set them to rights, and bring about a complete reformation; when he begins he will make an end, will take away all the tin. Observe, [1.] The reformation of a people is God’s own work, and, if ever it be done, it is he that brings it about: "I will turn my hand upon thee; I will do that for the reviving of religion which I did at first for the planting of it.’’ He can do it easily, with the turn of his hand; but he does it effectually, for what opposition can stand before the arm of the Lord revealed? [2.] He does it by blessing them with good magistrates and good ministers of state (v. 26): "I will restore thy judges as at the first, to put the laws in execution against evil-doers, and thy counsellors, to transact public affairs, as at the beginning,’’ either the same persons that had been turned out or others of the same character. [3.] He does it by restoring judgment and righteousness among them (v. 27), by planting in men’s minds principles of justice and governing their lives by those principles. Men may do much by external restraints; but God does it effectually by the influences of his Spirit, as a Spirit of judgment, ch. 4:4; ch. 28:6. - Matthew Henry

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27 And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”… Romans 11: 25-27

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired - The idols, the high places where they spent so much time in dedication and apostasy, will be of no benefit to them. An idol is the invention of man, anything that a man replaces God with; it can not save him. 

And the strong shall become tinder - Their armies, their safe places, their resources, economy, all will be laid waste. Everything they hoped and trusted in will be removed.