Isaiah 1:21-31
Read Isaiah 1:21-31
The city, the Lord’s people, had completely rejected their God. She who was once full of justice became full of murderers and unrighteousness (1:21). This transition didn’t happen overnight, but over time. With each choice Judah stepped further and further from their First Love, ultimately becoming a harlot (Isaiah often uses strong imagery like this to drive home his point, which can be uncomfortable at times. But addressing sin is uncomfortable.). What was once a faithful, beautiful, just, and righteous city became incredibly dark. The pure city became grossly diluted, which affected everyone. It trickled down from corrupt leadership. The princes were rebellious and heartless, which eventually became true of the people (what an unexpected verse on leadership!). Alec Motyer wrote, “Once sin is touched by water, no particle remains undiluted. Thus sin degrades the nature it enters and leaves no part untainted” (Motyer, 55).
Because of this, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, needed relief from those who became His enemies and His foes… which was a tragedy. Again, from Motyer, “Sin sets God at variance with the sinner. But sin also invites divine retribution” (56). The scene was set for God to declare His judgment. God promised to turn His hands against Judah–which is something to be fearful of… We want the hand of the Lord with and before us, not against us.
Right when we expected the Lord to explain His judgment–like with lightning and thunder and the 10 plagues!!– Isaiah shared how God will purify and cleanse His people. In His judgment on them, He was going to refine them for the better, in fact, for the best. With His refining would come real and amazing restoration. The city known for murder and corruption would, by the saving power of the One True God, become a city of righteousness and faithfulness (both of which are themes to watch throughout the whole book of Isaiah according to my man Motyer).
Again, this doesn’t mean they could do whatever they wanted. In verses 27-31, Isaiah reminded the people that–even with the cleansing of the Lord–those who were unrepentant would still perish. In this context, he was referring to those who chose idol and pagan worship even after knowing the Truth. The oaks and the gardens in verse 29 reference different fertility and nature cults in that period, which Israel and Judah actively followed. Those who knew the Truth and followed paganism instead ultimately chose their own destruction. They gave their souls over to lifeless and finite things, hoping they’d be made full! I’m quoting Motyer a lot here, but I’ll finish with this quote from him: “True religion… plugs into a source of life not subject to earth’s withering… But earthbound religion is subject to earth’s fading and earth’s uncertain resources” (Motyer, 57). For Judah and Israel, their religion was the pagan worship of nature, of man made idols, and of themselves. I cannot help but ask the question, what is it for me?
Journaling Questions:
Did anything stand out to you in this reading?
What do you learn about God’s character by reading this passage?
While you might not struggle with worshiping trees or little household idols (or maybe you do, I’m not sure who’s reading this!), there might be something else that is taking your heart’s attention from the Lord. Take some time to pray for the Lord to reveal those things to you and write them out. How can you surrender them to the Lord?
