Day #191

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 1-4 - Audio
Isaiah 1-4 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Isaiah as a chapter in the master story of the Bible.

The whole master story of the Bible gets told in capsule form in Isaiah. If we piece together the individual visions into a composite story, it is a story of (a) the fall of the human race into sin, (b) its perpetuation of that sin through its corrupt actions and rebellion against God, (c) God’s judgment of human evil but also provision of a way of escape from that judgment through a Savior, and (d) God’s plan to bring human history to an end with a final destruction of evil and the glorification of believers in a new heaven and a new earth.

• 1.2-17: The people of Israel are living in the midst of a land that bears the marks of invasion and suffering. The pain is a result of their sin and their lack of understanding. The believe that if they just bring sacrifices and celebrate the right festivals that God will be pleased. Their understanding is that that God can be manipulated by such things to give them what they want. God’s point is that all the sacrifices in the world do not bring him what he truly wants, namely, a righteous life that is marked by the end of evil and the coming to life of every kind of good and justice (vss 16-18).

• 1.18-20: The scene is a courtroom (or more properly the city gate where legal disputes are heard). God calls the people to see how they have fallen short of living by his covenant. He is saying to them, “You know you have fallen and I want to bring you back.”

• 1.21-31: The reason for God’s lawsuit against his people is spelled out: injustice, rebellion, abuse of the weakest in society. The words are those of a powerful indictment. Mixed in with the indictment are words that speak of hope for the future as God restores a fallen people: punishing the wicked and restoring the righteous.
• 2.1-5: The words of this chapter address the people of Judah and speak of the coming hope and wonder of what God will do. The theme of the nations of the world streaming to Jerusalem and to God looks to the day when the Messiah comes and the nations are brought in.
• 2.6-11: The people of Judah have wandered from God and taken up the ways of their wicked neighbors. Verse 10 reminds us of Revelation 6 when at Christ’s return the people cry for the rocks to fall on them as they see the wrath of the Lamb.
• 2.12-19: Isaiah is a master writer uses symbolism to bring his point across. These verses pile picture on picture of what it is like to be proud.
• 2.20-22: Encountering God (without Christ) is a moment of terror. Humankind for all of its pride, is nothing compared with the King of the universe.
• 3.1ff: This chapter gives us a picture of what a nation is like when it falls under God’s judgement. We can keep track of all the things that are true. In the early verses we see that one of the greatest curses is that a nation no longer has qualified leaders.
• 3.13-17: One of the troubling themes in Isaiah is his constant pointing out of oppression. Jesus speaks the same way of leaders in his own day (see Matthew 23). As we look at our lives and recognize the struggles of the poor in the world Isaiah’s words always make us reflect on our part in oppression today.
• 3.18-26: A vivid and terrifying picture of the day when God brings judgment and punishment on those who have failed to live by his covenant. The rich become poor, the oppressors become the oppressed, the well-dressed wear rags. All of this will come true when the people of Judah are sent into exile. The people of Israel will experience this in about 18 years, the people of Judah will experience in about 140 years.
• 4.1: This verse concludes the picture of judgment. Women who in that culture need the protection and care of a male are willing to provide for themselves if they can just have his name.
• 4.2-6: One of the things we quickly discover about Isaiah is that he switches themes and ideas in a moment. This can make for confusing reading, therefore we have to be ready for the switch. In chapter 4 Isaiah changes from doom to a sudden celebration of restoration. Isaiah gives us a picture of a golden age when all is right.