Judge & Jury
Isaiah 1:1-31
The Rebellion of God’s People
The book of Isaiah spans the course of 4 kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, with Isaiah’s calling during the last year of Uzziah’s reign in 740 BC. Altogether, he prophesied for between 40 and 50 years.
Main Idea: Isaiah 1 teaches us that God rejects empty worship but restores those who repent and trust Him.
This first chapter is reminiscent of the period of Judges, when there was no king, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. Back then, the people would turn in disobedience to God. As expected, God withdraws his blessings and protections because of their disobedience, and the people greatly suffer – usually at the hands of their enemies. Eventually, they cry out to the Lord for help, and in response to their cries, God appoints a judge to deliver the people. This continues in the same cyclical manner time and time again.
Just as in the period of the Judges, Isaiah confronts rebellious and unrepentant people. The people were evil doers and corrupters – a people who have forsaken the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
Even as their cities burned and their land was devoured, their hearts were so hardened that they continued in disobedience.
Verse 4: They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged – Other translations: To turn away from
(Hebrew – Nazaroo). This implies a previous relationship.
In verse 5, the Lord says, “Why should you be stricken anymore?”
God is saying, “When is enough, enough? When will you learn? How long will you go on being punished?”
Although complete and total annihilation is deserved, just as what transpired in Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord is determined to leave a “very small remnant” (verse 9)
God allows this very small remnant to remain to keep the promise He made to King David. This promise, this hope, this “root of Jesse,” is our Messiah, Jesus.
God Hates Judah’s Sacrifices
Verses 11-14 are a firm rebuke of Judah, their sacrifices, and their offerings to God. The people of Judah abide by their appointed feasts, offer incense, and even continue to assemble to worship, but these are all considered an abomination. The question is, why?
(1st Illustration) True Believers Follow
Athletes illustrate what it means to truly believe in a person in authority.
A high school basketball player, for example, who believes in his coach because that coach is a former NBA champion, will do whatever that coach says. He believes the coach is right. If the coach says to change his technique in his shooting motion, he will do it even if it feels awkward and initially causes him to shoot worse. If the coach says to run four miles a day or lift weights thirty minutes each day, he will do it even though it hurts. If the coach says to pass the ball more and shoot less for the sake of the team, he will accept that role.
Why? Because the athlete believes the coach knows better than he does what makes a winner. When you truly believe in a person in authority, you follow that person in complete obedience.
The athlete who does not truly believe in the coach will not fully follow. He may believe things about the coach—that he is a former NBA champion, that he is honest, that his name is Michael, Kobe, or LeBron—but believing certain information and believing in someone’s authority are two different things.
Those who believe in Jesus not only believe the facts about his deity, atoning death, and resurrection, they believe in his right to direct their lives. True believers follow.
Judah believed about God but did not believe in God’s authority-just like the athlete who knows facts about the coach but refuses to obey.
Our behavior and actions should remain firm both in and out of our worship. Our character should not change. Our walk must be consistent, and our light must not go out. I have failed at this; all of us have. Basketball players commit fouls, and human beings backslide. The good news is that our Lord is merciful and quick to forgive – washing away our scarlet sin.
I often wonder how many times I have failed to trust our Lord. Too many to count, for sure. How often I thought I had all the right answers and that my way was better than God’s way. So many times, I’ve failed to build that foundation of stone… I failed to completely trust the foundation that is Jesus.
Like the people of Judah, we resist our God. We may go through the steps of praying, fasting, and attending services. But is our worship accepted and is God glorified when we fail to listen, to trust, and to obey?
Proverbs 26:11-12 says, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. 12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Like a dog that returns to its vomit…is a FOOL who repeats its folly.
Verse 12 says so much… “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more HOPE for a FOOL than for him.”
How frequently do we take advantage of God's grace and mercy? We have to ask ourselves, how often do we turn to God seeking His forgiveness, only to turn right back to our own devices?
Verse 15 says “And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
It is because of their immorality – their failure to care for the poor and stand up for the oppressed. Their evildoing, their corruption, and their affinity for power and class comprised the hardness of their hearts. They have not taken upon themselves mercy, forgiveness, and love as God required of them. Their assemblies, tithes, feasts, and sacrifices were only a façade, a mere mirage. Pride, power, and injustice filled their hearts – rather than God’s love.
Isaiah’s rebuke echoes throughout Scripture. Jesus confronts the same issue centuries later.”
In Matthew 23:26, Jesus commands to first clean the inside of the cup, and then the outside will also be clean.
God calls for pure, undefiled worship. God calls for continued obedience. God calls his chosen people to be Holy as He Himself is Holy. We must clean the inside of our cups. We must have a new heart.
How though? How do we change the condition of our hearts to align with that of God’s will?
The answer is by God Himself through Christ, by His Spirit. How awesome is God!! He is so loving, so long-suffering, and so merciful! In His wisdom, He says WE have a better HOPE than those who are wise in their own eyes --- and that Hope is in a resurrected and LIVING JESUS Christ.
In John 6:44, Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
2nd Illustration (Jesus Holding a Rope)
Imagine taking on the task of digging a well. Standing beside you is your helper, Jesus. Jesus stays at the surface with a rope to help you haul up the dirt. He reminds you that you need to reinforce the shaft with stone, but in your own wisdom, you decide against His better judgment. As you progress further, the soil begins to collapse around you. Jesus, your helper, tells you to grab hold of the rope, and He will pull you to safety. But you once again ignore his advice. Full of helplessness, you finally cry out to Jesus and grip the rope tightly. Jesus, in His strength alone, slowly pulls you out of the collapsing foundation of soil. As you are being raised, you fight against the process, making the rescue increasingly difficult. Then you hear the word, “STOP!” Frightened in the darkness, you look up and see a small light. You hear the voice of Jesus – and he says, “Trust ME, don’t fight against me, let ME rescue you.” Finally willing to listen, you hold tightly on the rope and let Jesus lift you out of the dark hole and into the light.
In his sovereignty, God has called each of us right here, right now. How amazing is it to know that God knows you, and God is seeking YOU out?
Ezekiel 36:25-29 states, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.”
If God is working this in His chosen Israel, are you not grafted into that blessing as well?
Our Lord stands at our door and is knocking…
The question is, “Will we answer? Or, will we ignore Him and His calling?”
Looking back, I can recognize the times God was calling me – and how I blatantly ignored Him, refused Him, and dishonored Him. Through it all, He never stopped loving me… and to this day, He has not stopped loving you.
If we are to be true to ourselves and our God, we must ask ourselves the hard questions. What idols are we holding fast to? What sin grips us…shackles us… and causes us to remain stagnant? Have we pushed God away in our disobedience? Have we experienced his judgment only to continue in sin, just as these people have done? Have we denied the providence and blessings of our true God because of unbelief?
Your Sin Shall Be As White As Snow
Verses 16 and 17 say:
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice,
correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause
Good deeds do, in fact, follow true repentance.
This calls for each of us to do a self-evaluation. We are called to purge our sin and turn back wholly and faithfully to God. In this self-evaluation, are we pleading with our Lord for mercy and forgiveness? Or do we just say sorry, God, and turn right back to our own devices?
The Opportunity to Repent
God loves His creation so much. Isaiah 1:18-20 say
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
God graciously offers plenty of opportunities to return to Him, but this opportunity doesn’t last forever. Our Lord requires righteousness and Holiness, and He desires for ALL to be saved.
First Timothy 2:3-5 says,
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
If you aren’t currently part of this family, you can be.
When the New Jerusalem and the New Kingdom are ushered in, there will be no room for sin, no room for darkness, no room for defilement. We are called to live according to how God sees us - cleansed by the blood of His Son, JESUS - RIGHTEOUS. Remember, you no longer reflect your old identity. You have died and been reborn in the image of Christ. You are a SOLDIER in an army of CHOSEN SAINTS, Holy and set apart - guarded by the provision of the Lord. We must stop letting the darkness influence our ways, alter our mindsets, and guide our paths. There is no army of 1 here - you are teamed with your brothers (or sisters) in the strength of Christ by His Spirit.
Jesus Christ is our foundation. He is our high priest and our Savior. Christ helps us so that we can help each other. Jesus enables us to pick up the pieces of our failures and turn them into a transformed life.
So, build each other up in faith and do good to one another. Grab hold of the rope and trust that Christ Jesus is more than enough to handle your burdens. Sin was conquered on the cross, and death was defeated at the resurrection. If you haven’t already, I implore you now – just as John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus initiated his ministry using these exact words in Matthew 4:17. No sin is too deep, no one is too far gone; - NO-thing can separate you from the love of Jesus Christ. So boldly go to the cross, boldly cry for forgiveness, and accept the salvation that is so freely given. It is paid in full – past, present, and future. It is finished!
