Gods will judge the sinner, but forgive and restore the penitent.

Isaiah is the most well-known of the four major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel). The book that bears his name, reveals only that Isaiah was the son of Amoz (1:1). However, according to Jewish tradition, Isaiah‘s father was the brother of Amaziah, the eighth king of Judah; which, if true, means Isaiah belonged to Judas royal family. The name Isaiah means “the Lord gives salvation,” which might also be viewed as a main theme for his book. Other themes are faith in God, justice, the blessing of obedience, and God‘s judgment for sin. This lesson is focused on God’s indictment of the people of Judah for their sinful rebellion.

SINS OF A NATION

A. A Fathers Plea

Isa 1:1  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.

…….To understand a book of a prophet clearly we must first know that a prophets words are directly from the thoughts and heart of God himself. When we read, we must not consider the writings being produced by the thoughts of man, but rather by God himself giving warning or praise through the mouth of man who had been proven to have a true relationship with the Lord in many ways.

Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

…….God brought his indictment against the people of Judah as a loving father, making their sins known to them and pleading with them to turn from their sinning and repent. God had made the people of Judah his own children, who he had nourished and brought up, only to see them rebel and turn their backs on him. Therefore, the legal accusations enumerated against them in this indictment proceeded from the heart of a wounded father.

Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

…….It is only natural for the creature to know its creator. Especially for those who have been raised to know about the Lord, it is shameful to at least not reverence him. I have never met a person that has truly confessed a disbelief of something greater. The only reason why atheists have become so famous in their studies is because the majority of the world thinks they are crazy.

I can ask the question a thousand times, especially to the half living believer, if you know him why don’t you serve him?

Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

…….Isaiah is speaking to a people who have been evidently rescued by the hand of almighty God, who can testify of His great and wonderful authority, but had rather be entangled by the idolatrous pleasures of this world. Any time the children of the Lord walk away from God and His truth, they must expect to come to know His wrath. When any child has been provided so much to succeed, but would rather come up the hard way, any loving parent would be angry. There is no doubt that we get our natural parenting behaviors from the Lord, and with that understood it is obvious that the Lord would become angry after so many times and years of extending a guiding hand of love.

B. Hypocrisy and Injustice

Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

…….This deep analogy of the condition of Judah is an explanation of their spiritual and physical life combined. When people are living in sin and the effects of sin are so evident it makes us wonder why the sinner continues living in such a manner. Why does the alcoholic and a drug addict continue to destroy themselves? No different than the church who continues without the Spirit that mutilate themselves and others due to the lack of fruit. No person in the church can be productive while living away from the spirit.

Isa 1:7  Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

……. what happens to our items that don’t get used anymore? We begin with putting them to the side and stop using them. Eventually, if it’s something that we don’t want to throw away we put it in storage or in a closet somewhere. When those items stay out of sight and out of mind it is easy to forget that they are there and even easier for them to be stolen by someone else and we never know it happened. This was the condition of Judah. The Lord had blessed them so many times over again and they became calloused to the blessing. The enemy came in and contaminated their lands with sin, brought in the old false gods and not only did they forget about God but they became entangled and indulged in the same sinful idol worship of others.

Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

…….God compares the once great tribes to a land that was destroyed because of their sinfulness. They had apparently been committing the same acts as the people who inhabited Sodom and Gomorrah.

Isa 1:11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

…….Because of their willful and persistent sinning, their ritualistic ways of worship became only that, rituals. At that time what did they mean to God? Nothing. No matter what man does on the side of religion, if there is persistent willful sin present, God does not recognize it. Methods don’t save and keep a person, only a pure relationship.

Isa 1:12  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

Isa 1:13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Isa 1:14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

…….He literally said, “my soul hateth”. Why a scary position to be in!

Isa 1:15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

…….We must understand that no matter how consistent our methods of religion remain, if there is sin, Gods ears will be shut!

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isa 1:22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

…….He said their purest possessions and attributes had become contaminated with the impurities that were once purged!

Isa 1:23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

…….It is an evil thing to not confident the ones who need help whenever God has blessed us with the means to help them. Not only the people were corrupt, but the leaders were corrupt too. May we never be fooled to followed the paths of the wicked, no matter who is leading the way!

CALL TO REPENTANCE AND CLEANSING

A. Washing of Repentance

Isa 1:16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

Isa 1:17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

…….These two scriptures alone show us what it means to repent. Repentance simply means to turn around and go the other direction. When we repent, we chose to learn what it means to live in righteousness, because right living with the Lord is the fuel to a spirit filled life. Repentance isn’t just turning around, but now indulging in those things that now appeal to the Lord, helping others who need help.

B. Washing of Cleansing

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

…….What a moment with the Lord we experience when He is willing to reason with His children. He literally offers the exchange of those things that are impure, and replaces them with His goodness, peace and joy. These are the blessings of salvation and will follow all who are saved.

Isa 1:19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

Isa 1:20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

…….He literally says, it’s here if you chose it (If ye be willing, vs.19). But if they chose destruction, they will reap destruction. For every person, God has a promise laid out. It is up to us to the world to chose salvation, but it is up to Gods people to reveal the options.

JUDGEMENT AND RESTORATION PROMISED

A. Redemptive Judgement

Isa 1:24  Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Isa 1:25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

Isa 1:26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Isa 1:27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Isa 1:28  And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Isa 1:29  For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

…….Look at the physical examples in these few verses the Lord gives to compare the results of continuing to serve sin. Judah had planted groves of trees in order to worship the enemies gods. God don’t play with counterfeits.

Isa 1:30  For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

…….Just like a tree who is affected by the changes of climate, their pleasures would wither away, and when it was gone, they were left as a tree whose sap had drained to the bottom with the look of death.

Isa 1:31  And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

…….Mans strength is always connected to something. When that something is taken out of the way, the man withers. Tow was used as wick because of its ability to easily burn. Tow had come from the remains of flax after it was processed and prepared for its many uses (clothing, cords, ropes and bands). He said the strong man in his sinfulness would burn out as the tow and the spark that was used to ignite it, and no one would be able to prevent or save it from burning to ash. When the Lord gives warning of destruction, we must know that the end of mercy is near.

B. Future Restoration (Prophetic Vision)

Isa 2:1  The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isa 2:4  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

…….Although Christians believe that this prophecy was partly fulfilled at the day of Pentecost, there is still much to look forward to at the coming of Christ. All perfection will come to pass and peace will ring throughout eternity! It is wise to accept the invitation of the Lord and learn of Him and live in His blessings before this prophecy is fulfilled.

Isa 2:5  O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Through Isaiah, God made known His mission for the whole world (all nations) to be taught His ways, so as to know and follow him. God sent Jesus Christ so all the world would hear the gospel and have the opportunity to believe in Christ and be saved. The Great Commission Christ gave to the church is that, in all the world believers in Christ will proclaim and teach the gospel, and make disciples for Jesus Christ. God‘s plan of salvation always extended beyond Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel to all nations. God‘s plan and mission must also be our plan and mission.