We will be spend the next 4 Sundays exploring passages from Isaiah; then from last Sunday of September we will return to Romans.
Opening Prayer
The prophets.
Who are the OT prophets? They were people called by God to deliver a specific message to a specific audience.
They were primarily preachers, and they spoke about the religious and social issues which the people were facing. A second important part of their role was that of prayer. They were mediators – between God and the people. They represented God by sharing his message with the people; they also represented the people by praying for them, and bringing them before the Lord.
When we consider the prophets, they focused on three main themes – sin, judgement and salvation / deliverance.
Sin took various forms. Sin may be that of worship through worship of idols, or worship that had become syncretised with other religions. Eg Jeremiah spoke about the people turning to worship the Canaanite god Baal.
But also there were sins connected to social sins – the poor were oppressed or victimised, there was corruption, abuse of power, and injustice. This is a strong theme in Amos for example. There was the sin of unbelief. Israel and Judah were to trust in their God – not just in the small decisions but in the major ones, which included the decisions made by their rulers. Political decisions had to be led by trust in the Lord God.
The sins would lead to judgement – which was the second major theme of the prophets. This took the form often of military defeats, occupation, or even natural disasters such as famines. The ultimate form of the judgement was exile – which sadly took place first for Israel and then for Judah.
Yet thirdly the prophets talked of salvation or deliverance. Salvation or deliverance in the current times as God intervened. But also salvation in the future sense. The return from exile, the nation to be rebuild. As someone said ‘’beyond the darkness of the coming destruction, the prophets saw the dawn of God’s salvation.’’
Sin, Judgement, salvation / deliverance.
What is the relevance of these books for us as Christians?
It is important to remember that in the words from the prophets there is foretelling and forthtelling. Foretelling is the one we are most familiar with – promises about the future, whether the coming years, or perhaps of the long distance future about a return from exile or a promised Messiah etc…
But the prophets have many words of forth-telling – ie speaking into the here and now about life and what it means to believe in God in the here and now.
The prophets spoke to people who had faith in the creator God, father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These people believed they had a right relationship with him and he was pleased with them and for them.
The prophets challenge the believers. They challenge the idolatry. They challenge the corruption and the lack of trust among people who believed God was on their side, for they looked back and remembered the freedom from slavery from Egypt, how God had raised up David as King and how he had chosen Jerusalem and placed the temple there.
We too as Christians, we believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God has called us, saved us. He has delivered us from slavery. He has sent his Son as Saviour. He has shown us his truth, given us grace, and promised us his presence by his Holy Spirit – that each of us has become a temple where he dwells. And we hear the words of Romans 8 – if God is for us, who can be against us?
So we can learn from the character of God revealed in the prophets, for he is our God;
we can learn and be comforted by the words of his active presence and peace he offers;
but we can and should also take the prophets words as an act of self examination.
Is our worship – truly God focused – or do we worship other things, idols?
Are we somehow corrupt in how we use our power or our money or influence?
Do our convictions and how we live them out or express them in public or on social media, reflect our trust in God and the self sacrificial serving love of Christ?
As churches or individuals, how do we treat the marginalised, the less popular, the weak, the poor, the outcast, the refugee, the migrant, the vulnerable? Are loving our neighbour?
The prophets remind us that we cannot use our relationship with the Lord as an excuse to live and act or refuse to live and act, as we want…
Paul reminds the Corinthians. 2 Cor 5:9 ‘’ so we make it our goal to please hm whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ…’’
Introductions to Isaiah
In addition to all I have just said.
Isaiah shares with us a vision of God that is both challenging and inspiring.
God is majestic and high, yet close to those who are crushed in spirit and humble.
God is passionate about justice, he demands absolute trust and intervenes in the activities of the world.
God is righteous and holy, like a consuming fire, but also merciful and caring like a tender mother.
He is the God of the present, who meets his people in their struggles and difficulties.
He is also the God of the future who has prepared a new heaven and a new earth for those willing to take the holy highway marked that leads them there…
Isaiah recognised God’s awesome holiness and power, and yet he adored the God was high and lifted up and called him ‘my beloved’.
Briefly to move through our chapter…
V1.
V1 locates Isaiah in time and history.
He speaks across 40 years based on the reigns of the kings mentions.
His ministry is about 800 years before Christ.
V2-9 The national decline.
‘I reared children’ – the phrase reminds us of Exodus 6:6=7 – I am the Lord I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. … I will take you as my own people and I will be your God.’’ God’s children.
Yet he says while an ox knows and a donkey knows its master, Israel does not know – their actions are not just rebellion yet so unexpected how things should be – they should know who their father is and relate accordingly.
V4-6 it becomes clear – they have forsaken the Lord, they have turned their backs on him.
And the results – your country is desolate – a devastated land, as promised in Deuteronomy 28, through probably military defeat.
And yet the phrase ‘daughter zion’ hope is not all gone – there is hope ….
Personal Application.
It is the image of National decline…
When you think of your home nation, how would you describe it?
Is it decline? Prosperity?
If decline, in what ways; if prosperous in what ways…
And it leads us onto – when we hear this passage, it can move us to pray.
To pray for your own nation from which you come… ‘daughter zion’ a word of hope. Have you given up hope for your nation. Things can never change? Prayer is an act of defiance, a word of hope, that it can change…
V10-20 – Bogus religion – slide
Maybe you call it ‘deep fake religion’’.
Religious actions are happening yet it is making no difference on day to day life.
‘’The multitude of your sacrifices, what are they to me?’’ So the temple is full, the churches are full ,,, but God says
I have more than enough… I take no pleasure…
Stop bringing meaningless offerings…
It is an attack not on formality but rather an attack on formality with no life, no heart – deep fake religion.
As Jesus said, quoting Isaiah ‘These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.’’ (Matthew 15).
The issue is the need to respond to Torah – to God’s instruction on how to live as a believer.
Here God makes a direct link between faith and living it out; he makes a direct link here between worship and social justice, which has been an expectation of Israel from the days around MT Sinai and in the desert.
‘’Learn and do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; please the case of the widow.’’
Micah would say: He has shown you o mortal what is good. And what does the Lord require of you. To act justly, and to love mercy; and to walk humbly with your God. Up – walk humbly; in – towards believers, love mercy; out – to the world – act justly…
Yet God continues to offer grace – the Lord continues waiting as a father waiting for a son to return
Grace. Come let us settle the matter or reason together. Though your sins are scarlet they shall be white as snow…’’ Judgement can be averted if the people repent.
Personal Application.
A friend of mine Chris – a minister in England talked about being SUN MOs – Sunday mornings only – what happens here makes no difference on how we live the rest of the week…
Deep fake religion – how does this Sunday influence and shape our week?
How does the name we take ‘I am a Christian’ how will that influence your school week, work week, parenting week, even your driving or fitness week?
V21-25 Social realities – slide
‘has become a prostitute’- Isaiah talks now about spiritual adultery. We see these themes in Jeremiah and in Hosea. This is lament, ‘’See how the faithful city has become’ – sadness at what it has become. Other gods are being worshipped and not only the Mighty One of Israel, the Lord Almighty.
And for Isaiah, this collapse of the central relationship, this adultery has led to other sins. It reminds us of Genesis 3-11. In Genesis 3 we see the Fall. Yet from Gen 3 we see the many sins that flow from that – fear, blaming, accusation, injustice, hatred, murder… Here two examples Isaiah mentions are not defending widows and orphans…
Personal Application.
It has been said there are three idols of the 21st century.
Money, but money divorced from reality.
Arnold Schwarenegger once said: ‘’Money doesn’t make you happy. I now have $50 million; but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.’’
We know – or believe – deep down that money does not make people happy. Yet all can feel its pull.
Money can be something we treasure, Jesus recognized its draw in this teaching.
Another c21st idol is sex separated from commitment.
A UK writer: David Baddiel said in an article ‘Sex without love.’ ‘’Love is something that has been invented purely to suppress us. It is time love and sex got separated. Have sex without pressure whatever you do. Don’t think you have to be in love.’’
Yet the consistent Biblical message is that sex and love are together. And that the place of sex is to be only within a marriage, which is the ultimate expression of love between a man and woman.
A third c21st idol is fame – fame for its own sake, separated from any kind of achievement. Many people want to be famous, without doing anything… if they cannot be famous, the next best thing, is to know someone who is famous. And if we cannot do that, then to at least know about famous people.
Yet the Bible message, for example in Philippians 2, is that what we seek is not fame, but to be a servant, following the example of the most famous man of all time – our Lord God Jesus!
Three suggested idols in Western society. Maybe you can think of others?
Are there things that get in the way of your relationship with the Lord? Something you idolize?
V26-31 Hope for Zion – slide
I will restore your leaders… 2 Sam 7 God makes a promise of a King to come – he says that he has not given on his promise to raise up a leader…
And then the reference to being an oak with fading leaves…a garden without water…
Because they have turned away to other things…
It reminds us of the positive words in Psalm 1. A contrast.
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. Psalms 1:1-3
Personal Application
To be a tree with fading leaves; or whose leaf does not wither. What do we seek? What steps do we need to take?
These final verses you sum up the entire chapter and in a way the first chapters of Isaiah:
the Holy King, Lord Almighty judges fruitless Jerusalem and Judah,
but He will renew her.
Conclusions – slide
Isaiah condemns God’s people for rebellion against God, and their injustice towards each other.
Judgement can be averted God says, if the people repent.
There is judgement and grace – the faithful city has become a prostitute but ‘’afterwards you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.’’
A nation in decline.
Deep fake religion
Spiritual Adultery
Hope
Shall we pray?