I woke up this morning and decided to do a deep dive into the book of Isaiah. Why Isaiah? No idea. I mean, I have grown over the years to love the Old Testament, probably because it enhanced my understanding of the New Testament.
So everyday I will write about each chapter. 66 chapters. 66 days. Easy enough. Join me on this journey if you like.
First an overview. The book of Isaiah will be difficult to understand if you don’t know the background.
Overview
The year is probably around 740 B.C. The kingdom is divided. It has been this way for around 180 years, ever since King Solomon’s kid tried to prove he was a bigger man than his father. The northern kingdom, the ten tribes of Israel, are sadly within twenty years of going into captivity.
The southern kingdom, Judah, is a hot mess (spiritually speaking). Maybe not as evil as their northern neighbors, but they still need a divine revival.
The prophet Isaiah ministered, primarily to the southern kingdom, for at least 40 years. He was your typical godly prophet. Trying to be a mouthpiece for YHWH and therefore, he was probably not super popular with the people.
The looming political drama was Assyria. That barbaric nation was coming for Judah. I won’t bore you with all the details, but they are powerful and fears are growing. How was Judah to reconcile God’s promises to make them a great nation, when they are divided and destruction seems imminent?
This is the context as we head into the first chapter of Isaiah.
Isaiah 1
Isaiah begins strong, not mincing any words.
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. (Isaiah 1:4)
So Isaiah goes after the nation and then he rebukes the leaders of Judah.
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. (Isaiah 1:10–11)
Wow. Calling the leaders of Judah “rulers of Sodom” and the nation “people of Gomorrah” should not be overlooked. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their immorality. Isaiah is basically saying, “You are heading down the same path. Come back to God!”
Verse 11 is probably my favorite statement in chapter 1. God doesn’t care about their burnt offerings, because their hearts are far from Him. This is a crucial reminder to us: God wants our worship to be from the heart. A pure heart. A clean heart. A humble heart. A fusion of attitude and action.
The rest of the chapter is what you are going to get with Isaiah. He calls Jerusalem (the capital of Judah) a spiritual whore. It used to be about righteousness and justice. Now it is about bribes, thievery and apostasy.
Judgment is coming. But there is still time to turn your hearts back to Him.