Isaiah 1 (click on the scripthttps://www.esv.org/Isaiah+1/ure reference to be taken to the ESV online) We’ve spent a great deal of time in the New Testament lately so I thought it would be good to spend some time in the Old Testament. I also thought it would be good for us to take a survey of the prophets. We don’t often spend time reading from the prophets because it takes a bit more work to understanding the context and the work of striving to understand the difficult things that we read from time to time. But it is good stuff for us as it enriches our understanding of the Lord’s heart for us, the gift of Jesus, and challenges us to pursue our relationship with Him more and more.
Isaiah is an awesome place for us to begin. Isaiah is one of the Major Prophets (so called because of the volume of their writings). He was born in high circles. He has access to kings Ahaz and Hezekiah which means that Isaiah is in the court of the kings.
The audience for Isaiah is the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It is important to remember that at this point in history the kingdom of Israel is divided; there is the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
Micah (a Minor Prophet) is another prophet and a contemporary of Isaiah. Isaiah contrasts with Micah in terms of location. Isaiah is in the mountains and frequents the courts of royalty while Micah is in a place called Moreseheth in the valley.
It’s noted that Isaiah is during the reign of king Uzziah and during that time the Southern Kingdom of Judah was prosperous. However, the people of Judah had similar problems and choices to make as did the northern kingdom of Israel. The Assyrian kings are the dominate world power and eventually destroy the northern kingdom of Israel and soon they come knocking on the door of the southern kingdom of Judah where Isaiah lives.
One of the great themes of Isaiah is trust and the big question is who are the people of God in the southern kingdom of Judah going to trust in the face of the Assyrian onslaught? Will it be the Lord or alliances with other nations?
If they can trust other nations then they don’t need the Lord, however that isn’t what the Lord calls His people to do. In fact, the people know well that it is disobedient to trust anyone other than the Lord. That’s interesting given the meaning of Isaiah’s name. Isaiah’s name means “the Lord saves.” So straight away we have the message of the entire book of Isaiah in a nutshell both in terms of their current context but also looking ahead to Jesus as several prophecies regarding the coming Messiah are found in Isaiah.
Chapter one jumps right into the problem of the people of Judah as the Lord speaks.
The people of Judah are lost in their sin and have forsaken the Lord. It’s not as if they just made a mistake here. They are persistent in their sinfulness and the Lord is about to deal with them. The specific complaint from the Lord is that the people are doing all the right religious things with sacrifices and services, but their heart is not for Him. They are simply going through the motions and the Lord has become nothing more than a cosmic vending machine who should fulfill their wants and desires.
The Lord’s complaint is that they have the form of a relationship with Him but there is no substance. In other words, they observe the right religious practices, but their hearts are not for God. In verse 13 the Lord says don’t bring me anymore of these vain offerings. It’s not about the offerings—it’s about a relationship with the Lord and the condition of their heart before the Lord.
We also get a sense of God’s heart and love for the people. Even now, in the midst of their persistent rebellion and sin, the Lord calls them His children whom He loves and cares for (vs. 2), and in His love the Lord calls the people to repentance and speaks of a time when they will be restored (here we already see the shadow of Jesus—verse 18).
It’s incredible that even though the people are taking God for granted, God still loves them.
If you have children perhaps this passage resonates with you! I know it does for me.
Reading this I’m struck by the fact that the substance of our relationship with the Lord matters much more than the form. We can go to church all we like, we can say all the right prayers, give money, time, serve, have wonderfully planned and executed worship services, and a whole host of other things but none of that will buy any favor with God. Our hearts must be right with Him. It’s about
being and not
doing. It’s about who we are as followers of Jesus and our relationship with Him. It’s never about the outward appearances.
My encouragement to you is to just be with Jesus every day and know Him. From that center everything else will have its right place. What a great word for us in the middle of all the chaos of our culture and world.
God bless you and know that you are prayed for constantly.
Scott
