Isaiah 1

Identity of the book 1
The Lord's heart cry, His people have rebelled 2
He refuses to hear because they have blood on their hands 10
Call to wash and have scarlet sins removed 16
Like a harlot 21
To be purged 25


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Text
Comments
 1 ¶ The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.   1 - Rebellious children An alliance with Egypt was still popular following the siege by Sennacherib who had taken a lot of cities. 2ki1819, 2ki1821, is3604
.2 ¶ Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
 3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
.4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
.5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
  4 - Holy One of Israel A term used frequently by Isaiah to whom holiness was important.
.6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
 7  Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
.8  And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
.9  Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
  8 - Cottage in a vineyard The vineyard would be the people of Israel. See is05. The cottage? See the verse and v1.
.10 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
.11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
 12  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
.13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
 14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
.15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
   10 - Ye rulers of Sodom Sodom had been destroyed long before. From the context we see that the Lord appealing to His rebellious people. They were to see themselves through the situation of Sodom.
.16 ¶ Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
.17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
.18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
.19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
 20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
   16 - Wash yourselves This sounds like righteousness by works. The changing of scarlet sins to snow is God's work. He purifies the soul, verse 21. But that determination, the act of turning from sin, is ours. He does not force us to do right. When we accept the gift of repentance, he provides the power. The righteousness is always His.
  19 - If ye be willing We cannot expect heaven if we do not turn our hearts to the joyful obedience which is there.
.21 ¶ How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
 22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
.23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
  21 - Faithful city ... harlot A sad story also expressed by other prophets of the time ho02, je0220,21, ez16.
  23 - Judge not the fatherless They would ignore those who could not bribe them. We see similar attitudes today but call bribes by a different name.
 24  Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
.25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
 26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
 27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
 28  And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
.29  For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
 30  For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
 31  And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

  24 - Avenge God is not at the mercy of those who hate Him. He purifies His people mal0302,3.
  26 - Restore ... judges There will be judges who serve with honesty and care. The city would be called "the city of righteousness." This never happened. The promise will be fulfilled by the New Jerusalem re2101.
  29 - Gardens For heathen worship. See on is6503.
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