Isaiah 1:21-31 - Observations, etc.

ISAIAH CHAPTER ONE, cont'd

OBSERVATIONS: & INVESTIGATIONS:

To Listen to Post, Click Here (11:07)

To Print Isaiah 1:21-31-Observations, etc. Study Guide, Click Here

To Print Isaiah 1:21-31-IMPACT Study Guide, Click Here

Isaiah 1:21-31

(ESV) 21 How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross,    your best wine mixed with water. 23 Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them. 24 Therefore the Lord declares, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes. 25 I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. 26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” 27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. 30 For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31 And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.

ISAIAH CHAPTER ONE, cont'd

OBSERVATIONS: & INVESTIGATIONS:

Isaiah 1: 21-31

V. 21 - 31 - This section transitions back to describing how Jerusalem (capital city of Judah) was, how it has become, a promise for restoration for the repentant remnant, but warning for those who continue in rebellion. (Like a summary for the chapter, the author is reiterating his main points from his introduction (1:1-20).

V. 21 - How Jerusalem (the central place God’s people dwelt) was:

Jerusalem was a faithful city

How Jerusalem has become:

Jerusalem has become the opposite (not faithful, but a whore)

She was full of justice

Righteous did lodge in her,

But now murderers [lodge in her]

V. 22 - 23 – Silver has become dross (source of riches has become impure)

        Best wine mixed with water 

(source of sustenance now diluted, not as good, tasty, or valuable)

          Princes are rebels (instead of good leaders)

        Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts (greedy, corrupt)

        No justice to fatherless, the widow’s cause does not get heard or cared for (this is an echo of v. 17 where the LORD is telling them what to do.  It is significant to God that his people care for the vulnerable - fatherless, husbandless)

Here their money, food, leaders, economy, and legal systems are all portrayed as falling short of God’s good design.

V. 24 - THEREFORE  (What is the “therefore” there for?  To tell us how the Lord will respond to His people not living according to His good design.)

We are told the Lord declares what He will do

The Lord is described as “the LORD of hosts” and as “the Mighty One of Israel.”  These are both military terms of strength, pointing to YHWH’s leadership, control, and power.

He then declares that He will get relief from his enemies and avenge Himself on His foes (more military language.  We shall expect to see a deserving attack and destruction).

V. 25 - I will turn my hand against you, smelt away your dross…remove all your alloy.

Ugh, for YHWH’s hand to be against His people.  A hard blow to take.  May it shake them up to repentance.  Even the LORD’s discipline is to draw His people back to Himself.  

What does it mean to “smelt”? “Extract”

“Dross” reminds us of verse 22.  Jerusalem’s silver became dross.  Now the LORD is going to smelt away, extract that dross. Take away the dross and remove all its alloy.

What is alloy?  A mixed metal.  Therefore, it is not pure metal.   

He’s removing their impure metals. We get a picture here of YHWH in the process of purifying His people.

V. 26 - Promise of restoration for the repentant remnant, reminded of HOPE: “I will restore your judges”...but it looks like the restoration comes after the extracting and removing of impurities as YHWH avenges Himself on the enemies who have forsaken Him (v. 25). Sometimes we have to go through trial by fire before being restored. 

V. 27 - Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent by righteousness.

• Zion - a term referring to a special place for God’s people

• Redeemed - bought back…brought back to God, with the idea of being    “bought back” at a price (Jesus, our Redeemer, bought us back to God at the price of His own life.)

• By justice - injustice was one of God’s accusations against the Israelites. So, it will be by justice and righteousness that God will bring back His remnant.  (Ulrimate justice in that Jesus will pay for the penalty of our sins and satisfy the wrath of God on our behalf!)

• Those who repent by righteousness - a specific call to repent, turn back, by righteousness…by what is right, instead of vain rituals or other empty notions.

V. 28 - Warning for those who continue in rebellion: 

“BUT rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.”

• Contrasting the repentant redeemed to the rebels (and sinners and those who forsake the LORD, who will be consumed).  A warning of destruction for those not actively for the LORD.  Here at the end of chapter 1, the author is bookending with the themes of warning for rebelling (1:5) and forsaking (1:4).  

V. 29-31 - FOR…(a term of explanation)

• the next set of verses uses a plant illustration to explain what the consuming for the rebels will be like - from oaks (large, strong tree) to gardens (small, useful plants) you have desired and chosen them, but they will bring shame and you will become like them when their leaf withers or when a garden is without water, becomes weak toward death.

• The strong (tree/person) will become tinder (foundation of a fire), and his work a spark (starts a fire), and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench (none to put out the burning).  Again, a picture of destruction as the greens from little, useful gardens, to big, strong oaks wither and die and become used as kindling, burned, destroyed, and useless.  No longer a faithful, righteous city full of justice (1:21)   

  

SUMMARY

The faithful city of Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah and place God dwells with His people, has become unfaithful, acting opposite of how she is called to. So the LORD of hosts considers them enemies and will turn His hand against the rebels who forsake Him.  Like strong oaks and fruitful gardens they will wither and be used as tinder and burned.  Yet, there is a promise of hope that His people who repent will be restored and redeemed and called righteous and faithful again.  

PRAYER

Father, You are faithful and glorious and trustworthy to have a plan of love and provision for your people.  May we heed and hope.  May we heed this warning and not be like those who rebel and forsake by turning away from You and Your ways, but turn to their own ways.  And may we hope in the reality that you have a plan to redeem and restore Your people into your presence through Jesus for eternity.  And it is in the Hope of His righteousness and faithfulness and justice that we praise, confess, and ask these things. AMEN.

NEXT

Isaiah 1:21-31 - IMPACT - Click HERE to Print Study Guide

Isaiah 1:11-20 - IMPACT

                                                IMPACT - Isaiah 1:11-20

(Inform, Transform, Proclaim)

To Listen to the Post, Click HERE (!0:10)

To Print Isaiah 1:11-20 IMPACT Study Guide, Click Here

To Print Isaiah 1:21-31 Observations, etc. Study Guide, Click Here

• How does this IMPACT you by INFORMING your understanding of and trust in God’s character? 

Take a moment to ponder for yourself & record your thoughts:

This passage impacted my understanding of God’s character by continuing to emphasize the LORD’s character of holiness and justice.  He is holy, so the sinner must be made right in order to be in God’s presence (Thus a sacrifice is needed.  The Old Testament sacrifices proved to be inadequate. Thus, Jesus came as the perfect, spotless Lamb of God, who was sacrificed to take away the sins of the world once and for all.)  

But sacrifice isn’t the whole picture, repentance is also needed to be right with God. Since God’s people were only bringing sacrifices and not repenting, that is why God called them out as vain and offensive and thus need to be judged by God’s justice.  In this passage, we also see again God’s grace and mercy to offer hope and a promise, cleansing of sin, and good fruit in their land!  Holiness, justice, grace.  This is the heart of the Gospel - holiness, justice, grace. May my heart understand and trust this more and more.  

• How does this IMPACT you by TRANSFORMING the way you think, speak, or act? 

Take a moment to ponder for yourself & record your thoughts:

This passage impacts my heart because I want to delight the Lord (v. 11), I do not want to “trample His courts” (dishonor, defame, render useless) (v. 12), I want him to listen to my prayers (v. 15), I want to genuinely be in His presence (v. 15, 18), therefore, I want to heed His call: 

Bring no more vain offerings,  (LORD, continue to purify my heart that my life is a living sacrifice.  That I am not just going through the motions of church and Bible study and/or small group, but that my heart has a true devotion of wanting to know, love, and serve you more and more wholeheartedly,) 

Wash/remove & cease evil/learn to do good (v. 16,17).  (Holy Spirit, convict me of the evil that I need to repent of - areas of pride, temptations toward a harsh tongue), 

Come into God’s presence to learn from Him (v. 18).  (Lord Jesus, I know my cleansing comes from Your righteousness (v. 18) - keep me humble and dependent, teach me to do justice, correct oppression, bring justice to fatherless, and plead the widow’s cause (v. 17). 

Help me know what this looks like in our time and culture - fatherless & widow - They represent the vulnerable, who don’t have the strength and security of that designed leader, protector, provider. 

Holy Spirit, please grant me a willing and obedient heart (v. 19) to hear the word of God and listen to His teachings (1:10…v. 11-21 are a reflection of what it looks like to hear the word of God and listen to His teachings - cease evil, learn good, correct oppression, seek justice!) 

• 1:11-15 – Raises the questions: Are there vain rituals I am performing?  Am I going through the motions on any religious activity?  Do I do the “right” thing, but my heart is turned away from the right reason (devotion to the LORD?)

• 1:16, 17 – Raises the questions: What evil do I need to cease from? What good do I need to learn to do?  How do I seek justice and correct oppression in my sphere of influence?  Who are the fatherless in our time and culture? (orphans, foster care kids, kiddo’s with incarcerated fathers, kids of single moms or even disengaged dads) Who are the widows in my life? (Ladies at church, neighbors, women in nursing homes.)  They are not as vulnerable in our society as this original audience, but it still shows God’s heart of compassion for those in need and reflects a call for His people to be intentional about their care.  Father of the fatherless, Husband of the widow, what step of obedience are you calling me to here?

• 1:18-20 - Causes pause: Am I willing and obedient?  Or am I refusing God’s ways and rebelling in my self-centeredness?  (Don’t be too quick to answer affirmatively here.  Use the opportunity for the Spirit to convict your heart, transform you more into the image of Christ by spurring you on in ways to be more willing and obedient.  We know our sins are washed white as snow only by the righteous blood of Christ, not by the works we do, and we know our lives can reflect a deeper gratitude, love, and joy for this gift. How can we (you) pursue this willing and obedient heart?)

• How does this IMPACT those around you by the truths you can PROCLAIM to them? 

Take a moment to ponder for yourself & record your thoughts:

My take-away:

God’s call to His people in this passage can be what we proclaim to others:

• Bring no more vain offerings (Don’t just go through the motions of religion)

• Wash yourselves (through a relationship with Jesus as Savior and Redeemer) 

• Seek justice (seek to do what’s right: removing evil, doing good, seeking justice, correcting oppression, pleading the cause for the vulnerable)

• Come to YHWH, know He has cleansed and forgiven your sins, live a willing and obedient life to His glory and for your good!

• Personally, I think obedience for me looks like being more willing to be inconvenienced for the needs of widows in my life and being more aware of and willing to engage with injustices (maybe with social injustices particularly?  Looking around for who may be in a place of oppression and how may God be prompting me to bring correction to such oppression?)

PRAYER

Oh Father God, this feels big and heavy and yet you are a God of justice, mighty and strong and over all things.  In honor of your holiness, we desire to seek justice for the oppressed and vulnerable.  May you open our eyes to see these needs around us and grant us the wisdom and courage to learn to do your good for those in need.  May we not be self-righteous in our religious rituals, but have hearts of repentance that seek to be willing and obedient to You day by day.  LORD Jesus, we thank you for washing our sins white as snow and ask for your strength and wisdom to walk in Your righteousness.  We know that left to ourselves we would lead vain lives in rebellion to you. Thank you for this undeserved grace of a redeemed life. May we learn more and more how to honor and glorify You with our thoughts and words and actions for Your glory and our good, in the name of the Just and Justifier, Jesus Christ.  

NEXT

Isaiah 1: 21-31 - Observations, Investigations, Summary, etc. - Click HERE for Study Guide

Isaiah 1:11-20 - Observations, etc.

ISAIAH CHAPTER ONE, cont'd

OBSERVATIONS: & INVESTIGATIONS:

To Listen to Post, Click Here (9:45)

To Print Isaiah 1:11-20-Observations, etc. Study Guide, Click Here

To Print Isaiah 1:11-20 - IMPACT Study Guide, Click Here

ISAIAH 1:11-20 – LORD Challenges their “Religious” Rituals

V. 11 - Meaningless rituals in which the LORD does not delight

What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? (YHWH indicating you sure have a lot of sacrifices, but what is that to me?  They don’t have any meaning.)

I have had enough of burnt offerings…and fat of well-fed beasts (maybe a jab at the reality that some of their own people have not been well-fed?)

I do not delight in blood of bulls or lambs or goats 

-These blood sacrifices and burnt offerings are because they.have.sinned! He does not delight in that.  He has had enough of it.  He has waited for repentance.  In His justice He shall wait no longer.  The judge can wait no longer for the offender to make it right on his own…he will not, he cannot, it is not just.

V. 12 -  “trampling of my court” - this idea portrays a treading on and crushing with contempt.  Like trampling in a field, crushing the crop, so then it is useless.  It does not honor the intended purposes.  The intended purpose of the LORD’s court is to bring the sacrifice with an attitude of repentance and be in His presence with humility, honor, devotion, love, and gratitude.  That was NOT the attitude or actions of most of God’s people.  They bring their sacrifice, but then leave and act as their flesh desires, not what is honoring to their God and His ways (His ways of justice and righteousness laid out in His Law and commandments.)  These vain offerings trample, dishonor, offend the intended purpose of His court - to usher them into a personal and loving relationship with the presence of the LORD.  

     V. 13 - 15 - The LORD gives them his thoughts against their rituals:

• Bring no more vain offerings

• Incense is an abomination to me

• I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly - New moon and Sabbath the calling of convocations

• Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates 

• They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them

• When you spread out your hands (in prayer), I will hide my eyes from you

• Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen

(Because of the abominations, He is weary and will turn His eyes and ears from their self-centered prayers)  *

V. 16, 17 - LORD responds with how they should repent:

• Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean

• Remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes

• Cease to do evil

• Learn to do good

• Seek justice

• Correct oppression

• Bring justice to the fatherless

• Plead the widow’s cause 

• (9 imperatives, commands underlined here. Specific ways to repent.  Almost a process: wash, remove, cease, learn, seek, correct, bring, plead - stop doing this evil and learn to do this good - justice and not oppression) *

V. 18 - 20 - The LORD gives them a call, a promise, and a warning:

• CALL: Come now, let us reason together (A call to a logical solution, “together” - not a tyrannical dictator)

•  PROMISE: - Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow

• Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool

• If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land

(Again, like verse 9, in the first section of chapter one, we see a picture of HOPE for the REMNANT.  This cleansing of sin and good fruit will come from the REDEEMING MESSIAH!)

• WARNING:  - BUT if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword 

Each of these sections (v. 13, 16, 18) begins with an imperative, a command: Bring no more, Wash, Come…These are actions of REPENTANCE: Stop these meaningless, offensive rituals; Wash off evil that you may be clean; Come - *come* to YHWH that we may be together (in the presence of) and reason about the good that will come if you pursue my promise!  This is a promise of hope for the future, highlighting togetherness with God and a reasonable, good future - foreshadowing the redeemer who will make their scarlet sins white as snow.  

 

SUMMARY

 After the LORD calls them to hear the word of the Lord and listen to the teaching of God in the midst of evil (1:10), He tells them what He does not delight in (vain sacrifices and offering), calls them to bring no more and instead repent (wash, remove & cease evil), learn to do good, and seek justice, particularly for the vulnerable.  Then He calls them to come to Him for the hope that He will make their sins white as snow if they are willing and obey, but warns them of death if they refuse and rebel.  This section expands on the introduction with specific ways of sin and repentance, while again repeating the warning of ruin coming to those who rebel, but hope for the remnant who are willing and obedient to follow God and His ways of righteousness (not just vain rituals). 

PRAYER

Father God, may we be children who do not rebel nor go through the motions of vain rituals.  May we heed your calling to come and trust in your promise of sins washed clean, rather than going through religious motions that don’t bring lasting forgiveness for our sins.  Would you teach us which ways in our modern culture are meaningless to you?  And would you grant us willing and obedient hearts to truly know you, follow you, and reason with you in your presence? Would you teach us how you desire us to seek justice and correct oppression in our day and time?  May we not take for granted your powerful word, but cease to do what is evil in your sight and learn to do good.  Thank you that we know it is Jesus’ blood on the cross that cleanses our sins to be white as snow.  It is in His name we praise you, thank you, and ask these things. AMEN.

NEXT

IMPACT - Isaiah 1:11-20 - Click HERE to Print Study Guide