Isaiah 1

This Thursday, we’re going to look at the first chapter of Isaiah. As we do that, I’m counting on you to look up Isaiah 1 in your Bible so that we can save space here. 

Isaiah begins by informing us that he served as prophet to Judah and Jerusalem, the southern kingdom. He prophesied roughly 55 years (739-686 BC), during the reign of four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. While Isaiah was called as a prophet in the final days of King Uzziah (6:1), the majority of the book deals with the last two, the wicked King Ahaz and the noble King Hezekiah. 

The book opens with a lengthy description of Israel’s poor spiritual state in verses 2-9.  They are like a transgressing son estranged from Him, riddled with spiritual sickness, and their land has been desolated by God’s prior judgments. They are only still a nation because of God’s grace. The reader of these verses senses the nation is on life support.

In verses 10-15 we hear many descriptions of how nauseating Jerusalem’s offerings are to God: “I have had enough”, “I take no pleasure”, “I am weary of bearing them”, “I will hide my eyes from you”, and “I will not listen”. Judah is so wicked that even their attempts at worship are vile to Him!

Next, God gives Judah the steps the nation must take for restoration in verses 16-20: cleanse themselves, care for the weak, seek Him for forgiveness, willingly obey, and remember His warnings of punishment if they don’t. These changes look so simple to the reader; but when we look at our own stubbornness, we can empathize: simple changes are not always easy for sinful hearts.

God gives a final rebuke in verses 21-25. We read that Judah is a polluted culture of unfaithfulness, murder, theft, bribery, and abuse of the poor. He promises to punish them until they are pure.

But the chapter ends on a redemptive note: it won’t always be this way. One day it will be called “the city of righteousness, a faithful town”. God explains that He will restore the city with righteous people, while punishing the wicked in verses 26-31.

This chapter teaches us to take God seriously. He loves us fully and expects us to love Him fully in response. There’s no room for selfishness or compromise as we might seek to gratify our sinful desires. He wants us to realize that these pursuits are not only offensive to Him, but detrimental to ourselves. Yet forgiveness is available for those who want a renewed relationship. 

Our God has a high standard, but He is also full of abundant grace. As Isaiah points out “unless Yahweh of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would be like Gomorrah.” Even our existence itself on earth is a testament to God’s mercy and grace. If there is sin in your life that you have taken for granted, and you haven’t confessed it to Him, take the opportunity to do that in order to have peace with Him today.

Pastor David