Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Isaiah!


Background Passage: Isaiah Chapters 1-5, 2 Kings 15:32-21:18
Focal verses: Isaiah 1:4-5; Isaiah 5: 1-4, 5: 8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22; Isaiah 1: 15, 5: 5-6; Isaiah 1:13, 14, 16, 17, 2: 22; Isaiah 1:19

Pictured at the right is the Isaiah Scroll, found in the caves in Qumran. It is the oldest existing copy of the Book of Isaiah, and is over 2,000 years old.

This week we are beginning our study of the Book of Isaiah. Many people view this book as a "mini-Bible". It tells the story of God creating an ideal setting for the growth and protection of His people, their rejection of Him, the separation from Him that their disobedience causes, and His subsequent plan for their redemption.

Isaiah was an amazing man as we will learn. His years of prophesy ran from 740 BC to 680 BC (60 years), during which 4 different kings reigned in Judah. In many ways, he appears to have similarities to many of us. He lived his life in or around Jerusalem, the major city in Judah. At this point in history the nation of Israel was divided into a northern kingdom (called Israel) comprised of the 10 most northern tribes of Israel and a southern kingdom (called Judah) comprised of the 2 most southern tribes of Israel-Benjamin and Judah. Isaiah was married and had 2 sons. He appears to have lived a middle to upper class life and he had relatively open access to the leaders of his city/ country (just like many of us have access to the city, county, and state leaders around us). I think his most amazing attribute was his consistency and steadfastness.

This week's lesson deals with the first 5 chapters of the book. I think it is best to view these chapters as an arraignment of the nation of Judah. Just like a person faces a preliminary hearing where a general overview of charges against them is presented when they are accused of a crime, so the first 5 chapters of Isaiah give us an overview of God's charges against Judah. As we study this book, I think it is useful to repetitively ask ourselves if we personally (first), locally (second), and nationally (third) are traveling the same path that Judah travelled.

Isaiah 1:4 The entire crux of the problem is listed here. The nation of Judah was sinful (a verb meaning that they had missed the mark). They had forsaken the Lord and turned their backs on the Holy One of Israel. Notice that they had "missed the mark" so far that they were traveling 180 degrees in the wrong direction (their back was turned to Him)! They had become a nation loaded with guilt (from a verb meaning to twist which implies that they were perverted), evildoers (looking for ways to do harm or injure others) and corrupt (actions that lead to decay or decomposition).

Isaiah 1:5 Their relationship had deteriorated so far to the point that further attempts at discipline were useless. God had tried to correct their behavior but it was no use. Their whole head and their whole heart was rotten.

Isaiah 5:1-4 God's plan for His people was certainly much different than the life that they led. These verses tell a parable of the Lord and His vineyard (Israel/ Judah). He planted it in fertile soil, first clearing all obstacles that would hinder growth, planted the best vines and provided protection against predators (the watchtower from where He would oversee the welfare of the vineyard). He built a wine press, ready to use the fruit of the vineyard for the production of choice wine. He gave it every advantage possible but despite His love and efforts, the vineyard yielded only evil fruit.

Isaiah 5: 8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22 In these verses, 6 different specific sins of Judah are listed (land grabbing, drunkenness, blasphemy, perversion of moral distinctions, conceit, and judicial corruption/ bribery. It is easy to read this list and think that they don't apply to us. However, sins of greed (land grabbing), pursuit of physical pleasure (drunkenness), apathy toward finding God's plan for our life or turning our back on it (blasphemy), compromising our principles when threatened of uncomfortable situations occur (perverting moral distinctions), self-centeredness (conceit), and using influence to gain unfair advantage (bribery) occur in our lives on a regular basis.

Isaiah 5: 5-6, 1:15 Sin leads to separation from God. He simply removes His hand of protection and lets nature take its course. Notice in verse 5 that all God really does is to stop protecting (He removes His hedge and wall of protection) and caring for the vineyard. He simply leaves it alone. As a result, the vineyard becomes overgrown. It becomes choked with briers and thorns. Our lives need constant pruning and care if we are to be all that He desires. He is willing to care for us if we are obedient to Him (thereby producing fruit) and willing. If not, He allows us to continue down the path we have chosen and the consequence of our sin eventually chokes out what is good in our life. Verse 1:15 says that our sin leads Him to cover His eyes and ignore us when we pray. Sin causes us to appear so dirty that our Father (Abba) cannot even bear to look at us or listen to us when we talk to Him.

Isaiah 1: 13, 14b, 16, 17; 2:22 So, when trapped by sin, what is the solution? First, we must have a change of heart. The nation of Judah was going through the religious rituals prescribed by God but their actions were not a true reflection of their heart (and it is the condition of the heart on which God focuses). Their offerings were meaningless (Isaiah 1:13, 14b) because their hearts were corrupt, their lives riddled with guilt, and their actions full of evil. It is necessary to wash and make ourselves clean (Isaiah 1:16). Today, the only way to do this is to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Without this initial change of heart, we cannot know God's will (because He is covering His eyes and not listening). Next, we must decide to be obedient to His leading/instructions. In verses 16 and 17, we are told to stop doing wrong and learn to do what is right. At the moment of our conversion/ salvation, we do not instantly become all knowing and immediately perfect. We are fully forgiven but transformation of our outward lives (sanctification) takes time. In 2:22, we are advised to stop trusting in man. To learn what is right, we have to listen to the correct teacher (the Holy Spirit) and use the best curriculum which is the Bible (Psalm 119: 9 says "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." and Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."). It takes time and effort along with a conscious decision to act to learn God's will for our life.

Isaiah 1:19 states a fact/promise. We are told that if we are willing and obedient to God, we will eat the best from the land! The choice is clearly ours. Why chose anything less than the best?