Thursday: Isaiah
Read Isaiah 1:15-23; Isaiah 3:13-15; and Isaiah 5:7-8. How would you describe the prophet’s response to what he observes in society around him?
Isaiah’s opening sermon—the first five chapters—is a mix of scathing criticism of the kind of society God’s people had become, warnings of impending judgment in response to their rejection of God and continued wrongdoing, and offers of hope if the people would turn back to God and reform their lives and society.
Isaiah
But perhaps the strongest emotion that comes through his words is a sense of grief. Based on his understanding of who God is and what He wants for His people, the prophet is mourning what has been lost, the countless forgotten people who are being hurt, and the judgment that is to come on the nation.
Isaiah continues this pattern through his prophetic ministry. He urges the people to remember what God has done for them. He also offers these people the hope of what God wants to do for them in the future. Thus, they should seek the Lord now, for this renewed relationship with Him will include repenting of their current wrongdoing and changing the way that they treat others.
In chapters 58 and 59, Isaiah specifically returns to the concern for justice. He again describes a society in which “justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter” (Isa. 59:14, NIV). But he also affirms that God is aware of it and that God will rescue His people—the “Redeemer will come” (Isa. 59:20, NIV).
Throughout the book of Isaiah, a significant part of the prophet’s attention is given to proclaiming the coming Messiah, one who would ultimately reestablish God’s reign on earth and would bring justice, mercy, healing, and restoration with Him.
| Read Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-5; Isaiah 42:1-7; and Isaiah 53:4-6. How do these prophecies fit with what you understand of the life, ministry, and death of Jesus? What do these prophecies suggest about the purpose of His coming to this world? |
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On of the most interesting links between the Old and New Testaments is the Isaiah 61 – Luke 4 connection. Jesus tells us that the old testament prophecy applies to himself. Notice the bit that he read:
And just for comparison, here is the original Isaiah passage Jesus quoted:
It is not just the identification of who the passage is about, but it is about who he identifies with. Jesus identifies with the weak and the poor.
Read Isa 53 for the answer:
Jesus identifies with the despised, the rejected, the captive, and the oppressed. It is no coincidence that the judgment scenes painted for us in the new testament reflect his association:
We love God as much as we love the least of these.
Chapters 1-39 of the Book of Isaiah are known as the “Book of Judgement”, and (like the 39 books of the Old Testament) are filled with judgement upon immoral idolatrous men. Judah has sinned; the surrounding nations have sinned; the whole earth has sinned. Judgement must come, for God cannot allow such blatant sin to go unpunished forever.
The last 27 chapters of the Book of Isaiah (chapters 40-66) are known as the “Book of Comfort”. These 27 chapters (like the 27 books of the New Testament) declare a message of hope. The Messiah is coming as a Savior and a Sovereign to bear a cross and to wear a crown.
Isaiah saw what was happening in Judah and Jerusalem. Most people only saw good and bad things happening. Isaiah did not just see those things. He also ‘saw’ why those good and bad things were happening. He heard what God was saying to him.
Do we hear God when He is speaking to us?
Are we willing to listen to him and course correct our actions?
I don’t think I have ever heard that before...the Book of Judgement and the Book of Comfort. I need to read Isaiah again with that in mind. Thank you.
show love one another as he love us...wilma Eovua
Reading through the warnings of the prophets in the lessons this week, justice is the issue each one returns to repeatedly. It makes me realize just how important it is to God how we treat others...specifically those who are most vulnerable. Certainly He tells us how to treat others who are in the same economic class as ourselves, and how to treat those who are more wealthy. But over and over, He commands us to be kind and to care for the poor, widows, orphans, foreigners. And His anger is directed at those who abuse them.
Jesus continued that teaching. He never condemned those who seemed the most obvious “sinners”...prostitutes, tax collectors, people riddled with illnesses (many probably caused by their own lifestyle). He showed nothing but compassion for them. The only people He did condemn were the religious leaders...and His condemnation was for the way they treated those they had power over.
From the Old Testament through the New Testament, God calls for us to seek justice for society’s most vulnerable people.
God so loved the world. God’s desire is to restore and heal brokenness for all people, including the family in line at the Food Bank, the teen afraid to go to school because of bullies, the trans-gender adult facing rejection. The gospel is about more than saving souls to get people to heaven. It’s about bringing God’s love and healing to a broken world. It’s also about justice and mercy.
Jesus said this as he answered the question of why he was here on earth during his first sermon in his hometown of Nazareth. As an honoured guest at the synagogue worship on that particular Sabbath, he was invited to read from the scroll, the Bible. Whether it was the assigned passage for the day, or a passage he chose, we don’t know for sure. We know that he read the words of Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me...to preach good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” When he sat down, as was the custom for the rabbi when he would move from reading to teaching, Jesus proclaimed this prophecy to be fulfilled. These words were a statement of why Jesus was here....
Jesus was here to make things right in the world. Jesus was here to challenge injustice for the poor, for prisoners, the blind and the oppressed. Jesus was here to live out God’s desire for things being just and right.
God loves justice. God has a heart for justice. God is devoted to justice. And by justice, we’re not just talking about the stuff that happens in a court room, where a wrongdoer gets the punishment they deserve.
The justice to which God is devoted is much bigger than that. In Isaiah 61, we also hear the word “righteousness,” which is often used along with justice. This gives the idea that justice is right living, doing the right thing, going the right way. The picture we saw during Advent from Isaiah 11, and the picture in Isaiah 61 is a picture of shalom, an overarching peace in creation and relationships. It is the picture of restoring what is broken, of challenging that which does the breaking, of bringing healing to those who are hurt....
#We love God as much as we love the least of these#
Remain blessed.
Isaiah, a man of unclean lips were called to go to his own people who were of unclean heart and lips.
This was a call to go to the Insiders, Israelites( Judah), The Jews, The Sabbath and Sabbaths keepers, the ones who pride themselves as better than others. This call excluded the Heathens who did not know God.
Isa 1: The prophet was called to go to a people of 4 generations of Kings. Great Grandfather Uzziah/Azariah. Grandfather Jotham, Father Ahaz, and Son Hezekiah. In Jer 17:1 We are told the sins of Judah is written with an iron pen. Judah sins fell under 5 categories: Political, Social, Ecological, Economical and Spiritual. In today lesson we are called to study part of the social aspect of their sins. Judah social problems weren’t from the surrounding enemies but from their own. Starting from the Kings downward. But we see hope when some of the Kings allowed God to rule and be their guide. Leaders e.g Magistrates and Judges were to protect the poor from the oppression of the rich but they became so corrupt themselves, they took bribes and they poor, orphans and widows did not stand a chance. How can one who is poor stand a chance against someone who is rich? How can they poor pay one Lawyer, or find witnesses to conform what they were saying were true in social matters against the powerful? The poor were over worked and underpaid. God was calling the rich and powerful to relieve the oppressed. Isa 3:12 Says As for my people, children are their oppressors..... I asked, how did it got to that state?
Israel/ Judah was Gods appointed people to the world.
They became a corrupt vine with sour grapes.
We, SDA, as a people are called to be a representation to the world. We are told our righteousness must exceed the Scribes and Pharisees. As a people, are we different from our forefathers? But in Isa 1: 18-20, Jesus is calling us back to a place of purity, a place like that of the apostles in Acts, in one accord socially, taking care of each other. Doing what we can to help poor congregations.
“Even though you make many prayers I(the Lord your God) will not listen.”
Isaiah 1:15. There is hope though for us, wash your hands(in the blood of the Lamb) Isaiah 1:16. For by Asking for forgiveness of sins, Believing He forgives, the Lord forgives and dwells(listens) in those with a Contrite(sorrowful)spirit. Isaiah 57:15.