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Many of the verses we will be looking at were written as poetry, but translating them into modern English means that much of the original form has been lost. Simply breaking up each verse into lines really doesn’t add anything, and breaks up the flow of thought. So in the following studies I have presented them in the form of short prose verses. You may want to do something different!

(There are also some awkward chapter breaks which were added to the original – these can be safely ignored!)

As we begin to study the book of Isaiah we need some background.

It had always been God’s intention that the people he had rescued from Egypt and led into the Promised Land would be a Holy people.

But ever since the beginnings of history some would seek God, but many would not.

Following the death of Solomon, the nation had been split into two halves – Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. Very generally the kings of Israel worshipped other Gods, while some of the kings of Judah worshipped the Lord. But even those were a minority.

God would not stand by and do nothing. He sent many prophets to admonish them (see chart below), notably Elijah and Elisha, but God is a God of Judgement as well as Love, and finally Israel (in the north) was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, never to return.

Judah was allowed to continue for 150 years but finally they too would be exiled to Babylon.

It was during these turbulent years that Isaiah lived and prophesied, but beside warning the people of future judgement and exile; Isaiah was filled with a message of salvation. Not only did he prophesy concerning exile, then restoration under Cyrus, But he looked beyond that to a Messianic age, where a king descended from David would reign in righteousness.

You may want to look at 2 Kings Chapters 15-18 to get a general flavour of the events at this time.

I have to warn you, Isaiah did not hold back when warning the people of his day and it is going to make depressing reading.

Let’s read Isaiah 1:1-3

1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken:

‘I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.

3 The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’

Domesticated animals know where their food comes from and will predictably turn up to be fed!

But the Lord’s people were deliberately and continuously breaking their covenant promises and turning away – always looking for other religious experiences.

What is it that ‘Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’?

There are only two sources of spiritual experience – God or the Devil.

If you turn from one you turn toward the other. As you turn from the light you only see shadows.

Is it unfair to tar the whole population with the same brush? It seems not. They had followed each new king into whatever he decreed without any seeming opposition. Following each new ‘religion’ but never attaining true faith in their Creator God.

Read Isaiah 1:4-7

4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption!

They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

5 Why should you be beaten any more? Why do you persist in rebellion?

Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness –

only wounds and bruises and open sores, cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.

7 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.

Throughout their history raiders from surrounding nations had been allowed to ‘punish’ Israel (verses 5 & 6) – God’s ‘Promised Land’ is now described as ‘desolate’ and ‘laid waste’ yet the people seem oblivious to the cause of their suffering.

Read Isaiah 1:8-9

8 Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.

9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

Even the land of Judah in the south, with Jerusalem, its Temple and the Priests was not much better and is here described as ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’.

Again their ‘worship’ although not directed to other gods was shallow and now consisted of following religious rituals and practices without actually connecting with the God who loved them.

Read Isaiah 1:11-16

11 ‘The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me?’ says the Lord.

‘I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals;

I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?

13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations – I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.

14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being.They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!

16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong

Although the Lord himself had specified the ways in which his people were to bring offerings and the various special festivals they would share throughout the year, that only applied to a covenant-keeping people who loved him. Here the practices were mere religious rules that had to be followed – an empty sham. Their love for the Lord was missing.

Read Isaiah 1:17-20

17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

18 ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord.

‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient you will eat the good things of the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

These are not the ramblings of a travelling poet. Isaiah has been appointed as God’s messenger ‘The mouth of the Lord’ (v20) and these warnings are serious. Even now, if the people would only turn back to God they could receive cleansing and forgiveness.

Read Isaiah 1:21-25

21 See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her – but now murderers!

22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.

23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.

25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.

‘I will turn my hand against you’. Now his own people are described as ‘foes’ and ‘enemies’. Is that to be their end? No – when the Lord brings Judgement he also offers salvation.

Read Isaiah 1:26-27

26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterwards you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.’

27 Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.

Verse 27 : the penitent ones will be delivered,

Well, that’s a relief. But – and there’s always a but

Read Isaiah 1:28-31

28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.

29 ‘You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.

30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water.

31 The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.’

‘those who forsake the Lord will perish’

There is always a choice: choosing what seems to be a delightful garden may soon reveal its true nature – you will find that there is no water, no life. Those who were leaders, and those who were led will ‘burn together, with no one to quench the fire.’

How depressing. Let’s hope chapter 2 is more encouraging.

Read Isaiah 2:1-5

1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.

5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

This was the height of prophecy; Isaiah could see the future when the Lord returns (v2) and the new heavens and the new earth are populated with people from every nation who know and love their Lord. People who are keen to learn what God wants (v3) and who are keen to live together in peace (v4) and ‘walk in the light of the Lord.’

But having seen the glorious future, what will the earth be like when the Lord comes again?

Read Isaiah 2:6-11

6 You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practise divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

7 Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures.

Their land is full of horses; there is no end to the chariots.

8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

9 So people will be brought low and everyone humbled – do not forgive them.

10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendour of his majesty!

11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

The ‘Day of the Lord’ will be truly wonderful for those who love the Lord. But here Isaiah describes the state of the world in his day (and ours too?).

Here the last day will be one where people discover that their false religions (v6,8) and their great wealth (v7) or status (v9) will count for nothing. There will be no forgiveness, and nowhere to hide ‘from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendour of his majesty! ‘

Read Isaiah 2:12-17

12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled),

13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan,

14 for all the towering mountains and all the high hills,

15 for every lofty tower and every fortified wall,

16 for every trading ship and every stately vessel.

17 The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, 18 and the idols will totally disappear.

Isaih now expands on his theme from verse 11 ‘the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. ’

Nothing that is considered by man to be proud, lofty, exalted, tall, towering, high, even stately – will be found to have any value – look at verse 17 again. And the idols in which they trusted will simply ‘totally disappear’

How will people react when that day comes?

Read Isaiah 2:18-22

19 People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendour of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

20 In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.

21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendour of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

22 Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?

The great people of power and influence, those who sought to lead others in their materialistic way of life, will find nowhere to hide.

If we can’t put our trust in humans, who then can we trust?