Isaiah 1:1-20
Read: Isaiah 1:1–20
This book opens abruptly with the prophet Isaiah calling on all of creation in Heaven and on Earth to hear his vision from the LORD. The children of Judah–who God Himself raised and taught how to walk with “cords of kindness” (Hosea 11:3-4)–chose to rebel against their Father. Isaiah 1:2 is foundational for the book as a whole because it shows why God called Isaiah as a prophet in the first place. Had Judah been devoted to the Lord in their hearts and in their ways, they would not have needed a prophet to deliver warnings about Babylon nor receive judgment prophecies. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The children of God were caught and found guilty in rebellion, which is why this book exists.
Judah was called “a sinful nation, a people with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly (Isaiah 1:4)”. They engaged in, celebrated, and feasted on sin. This is important to grasp. God was not bringing judgment on perfect, innocent people (mind you, that does not exist). Judah had forsaken their God in every possible way. With every cause there is an effect, therefore Judah’s sin caused sick heads, faint hearts, lack of soundness, wounds, dryness, and desolation. In other words, they became lifeless. They rejected their true Life with God, to the point of becoming bodies simply carrying deprived souls.
The people of Judah made their attempts at obeying the word of the LORD, but these were not sincere attempts to be applauded.Their sacrifices, offerings, incense, and feasts – all a part of the Mosaic Law and good things – became a vile stench to the Lord. With their hollow bodies and depraved souls they made these ‘sacrifices’. All of these practices were put in place by the Lord for true worship and devotion, but it had become incredibly hypocritical, empty, and void of any joy that was to be found in the Holy One. “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you, even though you make prayers, I will not listen. (Isaiah 1:15)”
Then, we find a tender calling to repent, meaning to be cleansed by the goodness and mercy of the Lord. In their corruption, their love of sin, and their vain attempts at worship, the Lord invited them to be made pure. He wanted to completely cleanse them, which created a dilemma: Choose purity and eat the good of the land and enjoy a relationship with their God, or continue living the life they wanted and harsh judgment would come. Spoiler alert: they chose rebellion, which is why this book had to be written (as previously mentioned).
These same threads of His character are strewn throughout the book as a whole, and they point to the meaning of Isaiah’s name: Yahweh is salvation.
We cannot miss that God, in His rich mercy, steadfast love, and cords of kindness, offered to cleanse His rebellious children of Judah. These same threads of His character are strewn throughout the book as a whole, and they point to the meaning of Isaiah’s name: Yahweh is salvation. J. Alec Motyer wrote, “The same Lord who judges also acts in forbearing preservation. Because of the Lord’s love, we are not terminated, for his compassions do not fail (Lam. 3:22)” (Motyer, 51*). This constant theme is what has made me love this book. No matter what or how often Israel and Judah rebel, the Holy One of Israel extends limitless love, mercy, and grace. Another spoiler, He even promised a Savior to relieve them of their sorrows, their pain, their exile, and their death–but we’ll get to that later.
Journaling questions:
Did anything stand out to you in this reading?
What is your perspective approaching the book of Isaiah? Are you excited, eager, nervous? Why? Write down any questions you may have about the book so you can do some research to dive deeper.
God called out Judah for their heartless sacrifices. Are there any spiritual disciplines in your life that have become simply tradition to you? Spend some time identifying and lifting these areas up to the Lord, then ask for Him to redeem them.
*My commentary of choice is Isaiah by J. Alec Motyer, published by Inter-Varsity Press. It’s incredibly detailed, but also full of great wisdom, insights, and thought-provoking quotes.
