Isaiah 1
Imagine if music had no bass line. Imagine if drums did not exist. What would music sound like? Tinny, lacking depth. Unsubstantial. No drum beat to stir the blood. No great deep bass rhythms pulsing, inspiring.
So much of the “gospel” today seems to be tinny, lacking depth. That’s why we’re going to read Isaiah. Isaiah tackles the great bass notes of the gospel. I have been really looking forward to this book.
We’re going to let the Prophet Isaiah be our guide to the depths of the knowledge of God. Let his drum beat stir our blood as he gives us a vision of God. God, our God. Frightening, powerful, awesome. He is holy. He is other. He is not fooled by pretence. He is not impressed with religious activity. He is the impartial judge of all. And He is the compassionate God. Slow to anger. Abounding in love. He cares for and loves his people. That is the God we serve.
And more than that – he is the God who comes down. Isaiah is the Messianic prophet – of all the prophets he speaks most clearly of the coming of Jesus and his salvation work. We will be amazed, particularly after we’ve battled through chapter after chapter of right judgement on the wickedness of the nations, we will be amazed to find, at the end, mercy. That our great King, our great God comes as a servant, as a servant to suffer in our place, so that he can justly, rightly, show us mercy. Is 53:5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
That is what’s in store for us the next few months. It’s going to be awesome! We won’t be reading through every chapter. So why don’t you make Isaiah your book to read through over the next few months. Read a chapter a day.
This morning we start at the beginning in chapter 1 where we’re briefly introduced to Isaiah, and then he starts to sketch out the great themes of his message: Humanity is on trial and found guilty, but even Sodomites (the worst sinners) can be forgiven – so choose today between death – or life!
1. Who was Isaiah?
These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.
Isaiah prophesied 700 years before Christ – about 3000 years ago! He prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Israel called Judah. Around 200 years before Isaiah, the 12 tribes of Israel had split apart into two separate kingdoms: the 10 of the tribes were in the North and called themselves Israel. The Northern Kingdom turned against God very quickly, had evil king after evil king, and was eventually destroyed during Isaiah’s lifetime, in 722.
The remaining two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, made up the Southern Kingdom, called Judah. Judah remained loyal to the kings in the line of David, and the capital was Jerusalem, where the Temple was. They fared better than Israel, but idolatry – living life trusting in things other than God, or ignoring God – idolatry was always a problem.
And so Isaiah is sent by God to prophesy to them. Unfortunately we nearly always associate prophecy with “God told me to tell you” or “You’ll meet a tall dark handsome stranger soon”. That’s not prophecy. Rev 19:10 says that the heart of prophecy is clear witness about Jesus. True prophecy is not about us, but about God – what he is doing, how we should respond. He explains what is happening now theologically. How do we as God’s people understand the world around us? That is the prophet’s job. Part of preaching is prophecy. In the Bible studies we prophesy when we apply the word to our lives. And Isaiah is a great prophet. He drives our vision upwards, challenges us to see God at work, see what he has done, see what he is doing, see what he will do – and trust God’s word. It is in Isaiah that we read God’s word will not return to him empty but will do what he has sent it to do.
Let us listen to the Word of God.
2. Humanity on trial
2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
It is a cosmic court case. Listen to the charges: God’s own people, the people who know God, have seen God’s power, have, in their own history, experienced God’s amazing rescue – they have forgotten him, rejected him. How incredible! Even oxen and donkeys, dumb as they are, know their master. But the nation of Judah? No.
The nation of Norway…?
We who have experienced the blessings of God now reject him. And the blame - like in Judah, who was supposed to be a shining light to the nations but instead was just the same – the blame lies with us, with the church. We have compromised and turned our back on the Lord and on his word. Where is the voice proclaiming the gospel? Where are the Christians living holy lives? Let us look to ourselves, examine ourselves, and resolve to follow Christ, to proclaim Christ.
But why? Why do we sin? Like the donkey or the ox we should understand that to sin just hurts us. We should know by now that just like there are physical laws in the universe, there are moral laws. The moral laws are expressions of God’s character – and that’s the way the universe is designed to work. Norway is a country that is pleasant and good to live in because we largely follow the moral laws. Do what is right. Obey the law. Respect each other. Work hard.
But if we break the moral laws there are consequences. We know this. When we turn from honesty to lying – the country becomes full of corruption. When we work for selfish gain and use power to crush the weak – the country is a horrible place to live. We are opening our borders to people fleeing from countries like this – why on earth are we here in Norway going the same way. We turn our backs on God and we think there will be no consequences?
Look to Judah! Look at v5-10 5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. 8 Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege. 9 If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.
The country is suffering. This was probably during Ahaz’s reign, when he’d closed the Temple, and encouraged everyone to worship idols. The country was almost always at war. But inside the country was not much better. Corruption. Abuse. Fraud. Ignoring God has consequences in this life as well as the next.
They are battered and bruised – yet they do not turn to God. Stubbornly they go their own way. As CS Lewis once wrote “Pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf generation”. It is His judgement on us when he allows us to do what we want – remember Romans 1:18-31? Whose fault is it when things go wrong?
It is ours. Whose fault is the Syrian refugee crises, the war in Sudan, the child abuse in Norway? It is ours. We have chosen to do what is evil. And God has given us over to our sins and the consequences of our sins.
You know, Hell is nothing more than the absence of God. We say to God “I don’t want you” and eventually he takes us at our word. He does not sit there laughing as he throws people into flames. Flames, hellfire – is just a visual image of the suffering we will endure if we reject God forever. This worst of this bruised and battered world is nothing compared to the reality of Hell. Because unlike in Hell, here God is still at work, there is still hope. As long as the person is still breathing, because Jesus is still on the throne, there is still hope.
But hope is not found in false religion. It is not found in empty rituals. Going to church will not save you. Being good will not save you. You own actions will not save you. Only God can save you.
Just look at the devastating words in v10-16. 10 Listen to the LORD, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” 11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? 13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
I get angry when I see everyone dressed up in their bunads and suits for a confirmation or baptism (dåp eller konfirmasjon), or even a wedding or a funeral. I hear the words of Isaiah 1 echoing in my head. Is this not the ultimate rejection of God? Is it not blasphemy when we dress up in our finest and go through religious rituals and say the name of Christ and say we belong to him when in reality we don’t care?
During Apartheid in South Africa a book was written called “Cry, the beloved country”. The horrors of Apartheid were tearing the country’s soul apart. I am desperate for my country Norway. I weep for her. Our empty religion is spitting in God’s eye. How much longer will he put up with us?
Do you think God is pleased with a church that ignores his word? After the recent vote, we need clear teaching on sex! God’s word on sex is this: Men: have sex, lots of sex with the woman you are married to. Women: have sex, lots of sex, with the man you are married to. And that’s it. It’s easy! Sex works that way – every other form of sexuality is a sin, it will not work, and it is rebellion against God. So, if you’re sinning sexually, repent. That goes for the man having homosexual sex just as much as for the man having sex with someone else’s wife.
The “Open church” are fools. The church has always been open to homosexuals, because engaging in homosexual sex is sinful, yes, but so is lying, gossiping, viewing porn, cheating, etc. And the church has always welcomed sinners! If no sinners were allowed in the church none of us would be here. Of course, maybe the church here in Norway has been closed to homosexuals. Maybe they’ve engaged in false religion and put up false barriers and made new laws. Well, then the church needs to repent. The way forward is repentance and apology – it is OBEYING God’s word, not disobeying God’s word and saying hey, sexual sin isn’t a sin any more, God’s changed his mind.
True churches have always accepted homosexuals. As an example: the head of the Proclamation Trust in England, and senior minister of St Ebbes church in Oxford, Vaughn Roberts, is a homosexual. And he’s a fantastic Bible teacher and a brilliant church leader. We have his books here on the book table. Having sinful urges, desires, wants – that’s normal for Christians. That’s not a sin. Disobeying God – that’s a sin. Otherwise the church is just full of empty ritual. Just like v10-15. And God hates it.
No! We, the church, must proclaim God’s Word – there is power there. For a Christian church is our lifeblood! It is here we hear the Word taught every Sunday. On Wednesdays we learn how to read the Bible for ourselves. (It does worry me that so few men are in the Bible study. Because I know it is not because we know the Bible so well!)
But there is no point in coming to this church if you’re coming just for show. There is no point in coming if in the rest of life you are ignoring God or actively disobeying him. The word is to be heard and obeyed.
Humanity is on trial, and found guilty. But amazingly, God’s response is to hold out hope. God’s response is to promise mercy for those who turn to him.
3. Even Sodomites can be forgiven!
In provocative – rude – language, Judah was described as Sodom and Gomorrah, the towns which were so sinful that not even 10 good people could be found, and so were destroyed by fire from heaven – although Lot and his family were rescued. Running away Lot’s wife looked back longingly - and turned to a pillar of salt. Sodom and Gomorrah are the epitome (the top) of sin. And that’s what Jersualem has become! But God still holds out hope. Look at v16-18 – amazing verses!
16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. 18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
v16-17 is what is called repentance. Turning away from evil and truning towards God. It is the words with which Jesus began his ministry “God’s kingdom is here: Repent! And believe in the gospel (Good news).” Repent. Give up your evil ways – follow God’s ways. And then believe. For the Jews in Isaiah’s time – trust God’s word in v19. Somehow he will make their scarlet (red) sins, white. They did not know how God could do that – they just had to trust that he could. That if they repented and followed Him, He would forgive them. We, however, know how. The Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah was our Lord and Saviour Jesus. And through his suffering, through his blood shed on the cross, our sins have been washed away. By his blood, our blood guilt is erased.
19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
There are only two ways to live. And we can be certain of blessing if we follow God, and certain of judgement if we do not. Why? Because he has said it. I, the LORD, have spoken
And when he speaks, things happen! “Let there be light!” anyone?
V21-31 are a stark reminder and summary of what we’ve just read. What will Jerusalem do? Will they continue to rebel – and have the Lord as their enemy (v24 Therefore, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes! 25 I will raise my fist against you). Or will they repent and be restored?
God’s fire will be raised against his people, and it will burn away the unrepentant, the empty religion, the mockery of those who claim to worship God but do not. And God will restore those who belong to him. There will always be a faithful witness to Him, because he has said it. Jerusalem will not fall until the coming of the saviour. And after Jesus, the church is the faithful witness, and the church will never be destroyed, not even from the inside. The church can never be completely corrupted. For we belong to the Lord. 25 I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. 26 Then I will give you good judges again and wise counsellors like you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.” 27 Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.
One day the slag will be melted down and restored. One day we will see the Heavenly Jerusalem, the true City of God. One day all of God’s people from every tribe and nation will be gathered in joyful celebration and worship. And until that day, there will always be God’s purifying fire, washing clean his people, sustaining the witness of the church.
God’s word is trustworthy and true. What he says will happen, happens. Isaiah questions us: “Do I trust God’s Word?” Or am I just an idolater, pretending to belong to God with my empty religion while my heart lies elsewhere?
Do I trust God’s Word? What about financially? Am I generous? Do I give to gospel work? Do I trust him to provide for me? Or is my faith elsewhere? In NAV? In my qualifications? In my skills?
What about my time? Do I trust Him with my time? Do I give up time willingly to read the Bible, to pray, to share the gospel?
What about my reputation?
Friends, do we really trust God? Our idol worship might not be as obvious as Judah’s – we don’t have physical statues that we worship – but it is just a real. What do we place our trust in other than God? The Norwegian state? Our own abilities? Things?
What do we run after, what consumes us? The easy life? Comfort? Sex? Relationships? Being popular? Being liked? Having the best stuff? Buying shiny new things?
As I look into my own heart I see so many idols. So many idols that need to be exposed, broken down, and replaced with love for God. Like Judah, we are corrupt idolaters. And the Lord is calling us to task. Let us repent! Let us run to him and say “I am so sorry, Daddy”. Let us run to him in confidence knowing that his word is true: that those who turn to him in repentance will be forgiven, and we know what Isaiah could only dream about: because our Lord himself came as a servant to die in our place so that we who turn to him, we ugly idolaters, can be called children of the living God. Amen!
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