Isa 1:1-2:1 1:1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." This vision concerns Judah and Jerusalem which by no means says it has nothing to do with us today. First of all, Jerusalem is an earthly city as well as a heavenly one according to Galatians 4, therefore, all who come to believe upon Jesus are graphted into the natural olive tree. Though Isaiah’s primary audience was the tribe of Judah, his message still applied to all 12 tribes and us today. Isaiah, or Yeshayahu is said to be the son of Amoz which some translate Amos., however, these are two different people. The Jews believed Amoz to be the brother or son of King Amaziah from Judah. This would make Isaiah of royal birth. Verse 2 tells the heavens and the earth to hear and listen. This means that even the principalities, the created angels are told to hear this message. That makes me want to listen up even more. When God speaks we should give full attention and that sets the stage for our attitude as we begin this study. These aren’t words of Isaiah, but of the Lord Himself who created the heavens and the earth. Even the animals have a clear understanding of their master and realize his dominion over them. Israel, however, lost that understanding and put themselves as masters. The arrogance we people show in ignorance. Today we look for the origin of life, rejecting Life. We look for better ways of doing things never finding the Way. We say that we know the truth while all the time live in darkness because the Truth be not in us. Verse 2 also tells us God “reared” and “brought up” His children. They are two different words with slightly different meanings. Giddalti is used in Genesis 12:2 in reference to Abram, but romamti (brought up) is used to describe the exalted position Israel took upon this earth. 4 Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5 Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness — only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil. A small, but interesting word is “Ah.” It is used 21 times in Isaiah while only 28 times in all other prophets together. It is the particle hoi and expresses a deep, loving concern in a very forceful way. This shows the attitude that both God and Isaiah had for Israel. Indeed, any true evangelist ought to have the same concern for the lost. Israel is described as sinful, guilty, evil and corrupt. They have forsaken, spurned and turned away from God. I’m sure if you asked them, they would have considered themselves to be holy, godly and religious but God clearly saw differently. Because of this grave attitude consequences were inevitable. While some enjoy the pleasures for a season, the piper will eventually be paid. God asks the question why they should be beaten any more because He is about to punish them severly. From the outward body represented by the head to the inward soul shown by the heart, Israel was corrupt. If God would come to your church today, could he say the same thing? Many might think outwardly they look pretty good but Scripturally speaking, the church has ugly festering sores. We are not united into the body of Christ. Worship is often shallow and heartless, the Sabbath isn’t being kept, repentance isn’t preached and the poor are shunned. But hey, the pews are full. Is that outward beauty? Open sores that are not cleansed. The Hebrew says “pressed out.” They used to take the puss from wounds and push or scrape it out of the wound. A disgusting symbol of the utter sinfulness of sin. If only the church would “press out” the sin from within them. But instead we welcome sinners into the church (as we should) hoping that the Gospel and social fellowship will change them without scraping away the puss. Truth is, only the law will drive one to the Gospel to be changed. How do we expect a homosexual to be changed if we never preach against homosexuality from the pulpit? Our wounds ooze with disgusting cheap grace, as we trample on the blood of Jesus. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege. 9 Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. Note it is “your” country. God brought Israel into this promised land, a land of milk and honey but now it is as a desert. As our country continues to experience drought I must wonder if God is withdrawing His hand of blessing upon us for the same reasons. Verse 8 tells us that Israel was left as a shelter or hut. Lowly, cheap and unprotected dwellings open for danger. Verse 9 reveals God’s grace among His judgments. God left some survivors to be faithful to His promises to Abraham and his offspring. Without God’s mercy our destiny was that of Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 "The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?" says the LORD."I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations — I cannot bear your evil assemblies. 14 Your New Moon festivals 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 in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. God addresses first the rulers and then the people because the rulers are charged with the responsibility of shepherding the people in God’s law. Note it isn’t the love of God that they are to listen to but the law. Here we also see that the Israelites were playing church very nicely. They were continuing to bring forth sacrifices of all sorts, even remembering to celebrate the New Moon and the Sabbath. What did God think of all this? He hated it. Just because one goes to church and gives money in the offering plate doesn’t mean God is pleased with you or your offering. Anything done apart from faith is sin. Just as today, we say that going to church is honoring the Sabbath these people also assumed that by recognizing the day their religious duty or formula had been taken care of. This is living under the Old Covenant of rule upon rule not understanding the blessings that come from freedom to be conformed into the likeness of Christ so that we want to spend a holy day with our Lord. Verse 15 shows that even though the outward show of lifting hands in prayer was detestable in God’s eyes. God even would turn his head away and plug his ears. So many think they are Christians because they pray at night. Satanist pray to. Proverbs 28:9 says that “ if anyone who turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable in God’s sight.” Do you ignore the laws of God? The only way for Israel’s prayers to be heard was to get their evil deeds washed and to turn away from them. Once they stopped the evil deeds they needed to learn something. Doing good takes practice. This is why we “labor and strive” for godliness according to Timothy. We SEEK justice, ENCOURAGE the oppressed, DEFEND the fatherless, PLEAD for the widow. These are all verbs that seem to be lacking in most churches today. Instead, churches look at the needs and try to fill them. For example, we see so many unchurched kids in our community so we say, hey, let’s start a daycare to teach these kids about God. We see families aren’t training their children so we say, let’s start a Sunday School program.