Does God warn Israel of six woes, consequences of their wrong ways? What can we learn from this? Let’s look at Isaiah 5.
What does this song picture and what does the vineyard symbolize?
I will sing a song about my friend's [beloved’s] vineyard that was on the side of a fertile hill. My friend dug the ground, removed the stones, and planted the best vines. He built a watchtower and dug a pit in rocky ground for pressing the grapes. He hoped they would be sweet, but bitter grapes were all it produced. (Isa 5:1-2 CEV)
Did God tend His vineyard well but still it did not produce well?
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? (Isa 5:3-4 ESV)
Does God warn what He is about to do to His vineyard? Does God finally name His vineyard?
Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness. (Isa 5:5-7 HCSB)
Are there six woes that God warns Israel and Judah about? Is greed still driving us to make smaller and smaller house blocks and farms with no room for wildlife between fields?
“How terrible it will be [Woe #1] for you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you have settled yourselves alone in the middle of the land!” The Lord of the Heavenly Armies has declared this so I could hear it: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great and beautiful houses, without occupants. For ten acres of vineyard will produce only one bath, and one omer of seed will produce only one ephah.” (Isa 5:8-10 ISV)
Do we also have a problem with alcoholism among our people?
Woe [#2] unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. (Isa 5:11-12 KJV)
What will happen to the nation because of their sins? Does God eventually treat all nations alike in this regard?
Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without limit; And Jerusalem’s majesty, her multitude, her rumbling, and the exultant within her, descend into it. So the common man will be bowed down and the man of importance will be made low, The eyes of the lofty also will be made low. But Yahweh of hosts will be lofty in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And sojourners will eat in the waste places of the wealthy. (Isa 5:13-17 LSB)
Will criminals with their deceptive scams, bribery, labeling evil good and vice versa be among the first to be punished by God?
Woe [#3] to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes; Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!” Woe [#4] to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe [#5] to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! Woe [#6] to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink, Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right! (Isa 5:18-23 NASB)
After initial punishment will God relent or double down?
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (Isa 5:24-25 NIV)
Did God then beckon Assyria to invade Israel? Will our modern nations escape God's punishment for our sins?
He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one will be weary or stumble among them, No one will slumber or sleep; Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver. In that day they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds. (Isa 5:26-30 NKJV)
Rather than the bad fruit of a rebellious nation, what fruit does the Holy Spirit produce?
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Gal 5:22-23 NLT)
Does God warn Israel of six woes, consequences of their wrong ways? What can we learn from this? You decide!
Jerusalem Cleansed (Isaiah 4)
Do we believe that Jerusalem will finally be cleansed and become holy? Let’s look at Isaiah 4.
Does warfare often kill so many male soldiers that women become a majority for a time? Does this depict desperate women?
In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!” (Isa 4:1 NIV)
Is there a reference to Jesus in this prophecy? Is that just a thought of Him giving people hope in dark times or does this also apply in some way to His return? What does it mean that some are recorded among the living?
In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. (Isa 4:2-3 NKJV)
When the Branch of the Lord reigns will He wash Jerusalem’s sins, and because they are clean, will God’s presence be there again?
The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment. Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. (Isa 4:4-6 NLT)
How are we saved, by our own goodness or by a washing from heaven?
not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5 WEB)
Who is the Branch that will bring cleansing to Jerusalem, mentioned here in this prophecy?
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant [Branch] of David, the bright morning star. (Rev 22:16 CEB)
Do we believe that Jerusalem will finally be cleansed and become holy? You decide!
Does warfare often kill so many male soldiers that women become a majority for a time? Does this depict desperate women?
In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!” (Isa 4:1 NIV)
Is there a reference to Jesus in this prophecy? Is that just a thought of Him giving people hope in dark times or does this also apply in some way to His return? What does it mean that some are recorded among the living?
In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. (Isa 4:2-3 NKJV)
When the Branch of the Lord reigns will He wash Jerusalem’s sins, and because they are clean, will God’s presence be there again?
The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment. Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. (Isa 4:4-6 NLT)
How are we saved, by our own goodness or by a washing from heaven?
not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5 WEB)
Who is the Branch that will bring cleansing to Jerusalem, mentioned here in this prophecy?
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant [Branch] of David, the bright morning star. (Rev 22:16 CEB)
Do we believe that Jerusalem will finally be cleansed and become holy? You decide!
Jerusalem Judged (Isaiah 3)
As God judged Jerusalem, will He eventually judge the wrongs of the whole world? Let’s look at Isaiah 3.
What did the Lord say He would do to Jerusalem? Did the people rely upon many things but not God? Do our people?
The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers. (Isa 3:1-3 NLT)
What happens when the young and foolish dominate a culture?
I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the wicked against the honorable. (Isa 3:4-5 WEB)
Can times get so bad that mature and wise leadership is totally lacking and nobody wants the responsibility?
Someone will seize a family member, saying, “You have clothing! You be our leader! This mess will be your responsibility!” Someone else will cry out on that day, “I’m no healer! I have neither food nor clothing in my house! Don’t make me the leader of the people!” (Isa 3:6-7 CEB)
What was the cause of Jerusalem’s troubles? Did they bring it on themselves?
Jerusalem and Judah, you rebelled against your glorious Lord—your words and your actions, made you stumble and fall. The look on your faces shows that you are sinful as Sodom, and you don't try to hide it. You are in for trouble, and you have brought it all on yourselves. (Isa 3:8-9 CEV)
Can the wrong kind of leaders come to power? What about our national leadership?
Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths. (Isa 3:10-12 ESV)
Could God charge our world with similar wrongs, plundering the poor and crushing people?
The Lord rises to argue the case and stands to judge the people. The Lord brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devastated the vineyard. The plunder from the poor is in your houses. Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” This is the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts. (Isa 3:13-15 HCSB)
Are some of our women vain and self-centered? What did God say about the women of Zion?
The Lord says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald.” (Isa 3:16-17 NIV)
What would God say about arrogant and self-indulgent women?
In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. (Isa 3:18-23 KJV)
Is God’s way of teaching people to love their neighbor, sometimes for them to experience the suffering they ignored in others?
Now it will be that instead of sweet perfume there will be the smell of rot; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle. And her gates will lament and mourn, And deserted she will sit on the ground. (Isa 3:24-26 LSB)
Will a similar thing happen to this world’s Babylonian system, built on the excesses of capitalist greed, obnoxious wealth for some and deplorable slavery for others?
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any more—cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; every kind of citron wood, every article of ivory, and every article made from very valuable wood, bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spice, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, and cargo of horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives. (Rev 18:11-13 NASB)
As God judged Jerusalem, will He eventually judge the wrongs of the whole world? You decide!
What did the Lord say He would do to Jerusalem? Did the people rely upon many things but not God? Do our people?
The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers. (Isa 3:1-3 NLT)
What happens when the young and foolish dominate a culture?
I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the wicked against the honorable. (Isa 3:4-5 WEB)
Can times get so bad that mature and wise leadership is totally lacking and nobody wants the responsibility?
Someone will seize a family member, saying, “You have clothing! You be our leader! This mess will be your responsibility!” Someone else will cry out on that day, “I’m no healer! I have neither food nor clothing in my house! Don’t make me the leader of the people!” (Isa 3:6-7 CEB)
What was the cause of Jerusalem’s troubles? Did they bring it on themselves?
Jerusalem and Judah, you rebelled against your glorious Lord—your words and your actions, made you stumble and fall. The look on your faces shows that you are sinful as Sodom, and you don't try to hide it. You are in for trouble, and you have brought it all on yourselves. (Isa 3:8-9 CEV)
Can the wrong kind of leaders come to power? What about our national leadership?
Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths. (Isa 3:10-12 ESV)
Could God charge our world with similar wrongs, plundering the poor and crushing people?
The Lord rises to argue the case and stands to judge the people. The Lord brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devastated the vineyard. The plunder from the poor is in your houses. Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” This is the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts. (Isa 3:13-15 HCSB)
Are some of our women vain and self-centered? What did God say about the women of Zion?
The Lord says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald.” (Isa 3:16-17 NIV)
What would God say about arrogant and self-indulgent women?
In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. (Isa 3:18-23 KJV)
Is God’s way of teaching people to love their neighbor, sometimes for them to experience the suffering they ignored in others?
Now it will be that instead of sweet perfume there will be the smell of rot; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle. And her gates will lament and mourn, And deserted she will sit on the ground. (Isa 3:24-26 LSB)
Will a similar thing happen to this world’s Babylonian system, built on the excesses of capitalist greed, obnoxious wealth for some and deplorable slavery for others?
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any more—cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; every kind of citron wood, every article of ivory, and every article made from very valuable wood, bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spice, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, and cargo of horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives. (Rev 18:11-13 NASB)
As God judged Jerusalem, will He eventually judge the wrongs of the whole world? You decide!
Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2)
Will we endure as the end of the age and the Lord’s return draw near? Let’s look at Isaiah 2.
How will world peace come, from human leadership or from the Lord? Why will mount Zion be exalted above every other mountain?
The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will never again train for war. (Isa 2:1-4 HCSB)
Why did God reject Israel? Will God tolerate eastern religious practices and idolatry?
You house of Jacob! Come! Let’s live in the Lord’s light. For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with practices learned from the East and they are fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They cut deals with foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. So mankind is humbled, each human being is brought low, and you won’t forgive. (Isa 2:5-9 ISV)
Who will be exalted on the day of the Lord, and who will be humbled?
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isa 2:10-11 KJV)
Will the day of the Lord also be a day of reckoning? For whom and what symbols of human arrogance?
For Yahweh of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and high And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be made low. And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, Against all the high mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up, Against every lofty tower, Against every fortified wall, Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the desirable craft. (Isa 2:12-16 LSB)
Is there a lot of arrogance in the world and even various religious traditions? Who alone will be exalted on that day?
And the pride of humanity will be humbled And the arrogance of people will be brought low; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day, And the idols will completely vanish. People will go into caves of the rocks And into holes in the ground Away from the terror of the Lord And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth. On that day people will throw away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, In order to go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth. Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed? (Isa 2:17-22 NASB)
Does the New Testament also address the day of the Lord? Who will help us endure until the very end?
He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor 1:8-9 NIV)
Will we endure as the end of the age and the Lord’s return draw near? You decide!
How will world peace come, from human leadership or from the Lord? Why will mount Zion be exalted above every other mountain?
The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will never again train for war. (Isa 2:1-4 HCSB)
Why did God reject Israel? Will God tolerate eastern religious practices and idolatry?
You house of Jacob! Come! Let’s live in the Lord’s light. For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with practices learned from the East and they are fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They cut deals with foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. So mankind is humbled, each human being is brought low, and you won’t forgive. (Isa 2:5-9 ISV)
Who will be exalted on the day of the Lord, and who will be humbled?
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isa 2:10-11 KJV)
Will the day of the Lord also be a day of reckoning? For whom and what symbols of human arrogance?
For Yahweh of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and high And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be made low. And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, Against all the high mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up, Against every lofty tower, Against every fortified wall, Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the desirable craft. (Isa 2:12-16 LSB)
Is there a lot of arrogance in the world and even various religious traditions? Who alone will be exalted on that day?
And the pride of humanity will be humbled And the arrogance of people will be brought low; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day, And the idols will completely vanish. People will go into caves of the rocks And into holes in the ground Away from the terror of the Lord And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth. On that day people will throw away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, In order to go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth. Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed? (Isa 2:17-22 NASB)
Does the New Testament also address the day of the Lord? Who will help us endure until the very end?
He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor 1:8-9 NIV)
Will we endure as the end of the age and the Lord’s return draw near? You decide!
Apostasy (Isaiah 1)
How does God view a society that relies on religious rituals, but abandons love of God and neighbor? Let’s look at Isaiah 1.
After about 700 years in the land, 400 years under judges and 120 years under three kings, as the northern Tribes were being taken captive by Assyria, Isaiah prophesied. Was this vision during the reign of three good kings of Judah and one evil king, Ahaz?
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. (Isa 1:1 KJV)
After Solomon, was Israel divided in two, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, partly because they became apostates, forsaking God?
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; For Yahweh speaks, “Sons I have reared and raised up, But they have transgressed against Me. An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know; My people do not perceive.” Alas, sinful nation, People heavy with iniquity, Seed of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh; They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; They have become estranged from Him. (Isa 1:2-4 LSB)
Is God sorry for the self-affliction that sin has caused to Judah?
Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The entire head is sick And the entire heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing healthy in it, Only bruises, slashes, and raw wounds; Not pressed out nor bandaged, Nor softened with oil. (Isa 1:5-6 NASB)
Is sin a cause of national destruction? Does this apply to other nations as well?
Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. (Isa 1:7-9 NIV)
Why was Israel in such trouble even while keeping feasts that God had commanded? What were their hands full of?
Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.
“When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. (Isa 1:10-15 NKJV)
What other attributes are more important to God than keeping feast days and rituals?
Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. (Isa 1:16-17 NLT)
How could their sins become white as snow? Was repentance involved? Is Jesus the ultimate answer to our sins?
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword; for Yahweh’s mouth has spoken it.” (Isa 1:18-20 WEB)
Has Jerusalem become unfaithful, like a harlot? What specific sins does God list?
This faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lived in her—but now murderers. Your silver has become impure; your beer is diluted with water. Your princes are rebels, companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and pursues gifts. They don’t defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause never reaches them. Therefore, says the Lord God of heavenly forces, the mighty one of Israel: Doom! I will vent my anger against my foes; I will take it out on my enemies, and I will turn my hand against you. I will refine your impurities as with lye, and remove all your cinders. Then I will restore your judges as in earlier times, and your counselors as at the beginning. After this you will be called Righteous City, Faithful Town. (Isa 1:21-26 CEB)
How important are justice and doing right to God? How vile is idolatry to God?
Jerusalem, you will be saved by showing justice; Zion's people who turn to me will be saved by doing right. But those rebellious sinners who turn against me, the Lord, will all disappear.
You will be made ashamed of those groves of trees where you worshiped idols. You will be like a grove of trees dying in a drought. Your strongest leaders will be like dry wood set on fire by their idols. No one will be able to help, as they all go up in flames. (Isa 1:27-31 CEV)
What will Jesus say to those who did not act in love for their neighbor?
Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Mat 25:44-46 ESV)
How does God view a society that relies on religious rituals, but abandons love of God and neighbor? You decide!
After about 700 years in the land, 400 years under judges and 120 years under three kings, as the northern Tribes were being taken captive by Assyria, Isaiah prophesied. Was this vision during the reign of three good kings of Judah and one evil king, Ahaz?
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. (Isa 1:1 KJV)
After Solomon, was Israel divided in two, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, partly because they became apostates, forsaking God?
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; For Yahweh speaks, “Sons I have reared and raised up, But they have transgressed against Me. An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know; My people do not perceive.” Alas, sinful nation, People heavy with iniquity, Seed of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh; They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; They have become estranged from Him. (Isa 1:2-4 LSB)
Is God sorry for the self-affliction that sin has caused to Judah?
Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The entire head is sick And the entire heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing healthy in it, Only bruises, slashes, and raw wounds; Not pressed out nor bandaged, Nor softened with oil. (Isa 1:5-6 NASB)
Is sin a cause of national destruction? Does this apply to other nations as well?
Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. (Isa 1:7-9 NIV)
Why was Israel in such trouble even while keeping feasts that God had commanded? What were their hands full of?
Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.
“When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. (Isa 1:10-15 NKJV)
What other attributes are more important to God than keeping feast days and rituals?
Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. (Isa 1:16-17 NLT)
How could their sins become white as snow? Was repentance involved? Is Jesus the ultimate answer to our sins?
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword; for Yahweh’s mouth has spoken it.” (Isa 1:18-20 WEB)
Has Jerusalem become unfaithful, like a harlot? What specific sins does God list?
This faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lived in her—but now murderers. Your silver has become impure; your beer is diluted with water. Your princes are rebels, companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and pursues gifts. They don’t defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause never reaches them. Therefore, says the Lord God of heavenly forces, the mighty one of Israel: Doom! I will vent my anger against my foes; I will take it out on my enemies, and I will turn my hand against you. I will refine your impurities as with lye, and remove all your cinders. Then I will restore your judges as in earlier times, and your counselors as at the beginning. After this you will be called Righteous City, Faithful Town. (Isa 1:21-26 CEB)
How important are justice and doing right to God? How vile is idolatry to God?
Jerusalem, you will be saved by showing justice; Zion's people who turn to me will be saved by doing right. But those rebellious sinners who turn against me, the Lord, will all disappear.
You will be made ashamed of those groves of trees where you worshiped idols. You will be like a grove of trees dying in a drought. Your strongest leaders will be like dry wood set on fire by their idols. No one will be able to help, as they all go up in flames. (Isa 1:27-31 CEV)
What will Jesus say to those who did not act in love for their neighbor?
Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Mat 25:44-46 ESV)
How does God view a society that relies on religious rituals, but abandons love of God and neighbor? You decide!
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