Isaiah 1:2 (MSG)
Heaven and earth, you’re the jury.
Listen to GOD’s case:
“I had children and raised them well,
and they turned on me.”
I read chapter 1 of Isaiah today. I started reading it just like it is laid out, a message of judgment on Israel. Quickly my brain switched gears and America started filling the verses. It got worse. God got personal and I started filing those verses.
Now this wasn’t an ouch in a bad way. OK, maybe a little at first. I mean it did hurt. However, God came across pleading to me not chastising me. I read it like a lawyer pleading His defense trying to convince the jury of His point. But I also read it as a plea to turn around! Come back to me. I am here waiting for you. You have it in you. You know what is right. You haven’t traveled so far away that I can’t get you, but you must turn around.
Can’t you hear the Perry Mason or Law and Order theme in your head when you read these verses:
Isaiah 1:4-5 (MSG)
Shame! Misguided GOD- dropouts,
staggering under their guilt- baggage,
Gang of miscreants,
band of vandals–
My people have walked out on me, their GOD,
turned their backs on The Holy of Israel,
walked off and never looked back.
5 “Why bother even trying to do anything with you
when you just keep to your bullheaded ways?
You keep beating your heads against brick walls.
Everything within you protests against you.
Then it changes to that scene of a Father lecturing you. That disappointed look in His eyes. No raised voice, just pure disappointment.
Isaiah 1:12-15 (MSG)
When you come before me,
who ever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that–
all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
13 “Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings–
meetings, meetings, meetings– I can’t stand one more!
14 Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
15 When you put on your next prayer- performance,
I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Then His love comes out. He can’t help Himself. He still loves you. He gives you sound advice.
Isaiah 1:16-20 (MSG)
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
17 Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down- and- out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.
18 “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”
This is GOD’s Message:
“If your sins are blood- red,
they’ll be snow- white.
If they’re red like crimson,
they’ll be like wool.
19 If you’ll willingly obey,
you’ll feast like kings.
20 But if you’re willful and stubborn,
you’ll die like dogs.”
That’s right. GOD says so.
Verses 21-31 really screamed America to me…
Isaiah 1:21-31
Those Who Walk Out on God
21 Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city
has become a whore!
She was once all justice,
everyone living as good neighbors,
And now they’re all
at one another’s throats.
22 Your coins are all counterfeits.
Your wine is watered down.
23 Your leaders are turncoats
who keep company with crooks.
They sell themselves to the highest bidder
and grab anything not nailed down.
They never stand up for the homeless,
never stick up for the defenseless.
24 This Decree, therefore, of the Master, GOD- of- the- Angel- Armies,
the Strong One of Israel:
“This is it! I’ll get my oppressors off my back.
I’ll get back at my enemies.
25 I’ll give you the back of my hand,
purge the junk from your life, clean you up.
26 I’ll set honest judges and wise counselors among you
just like it was back in the beginning.
Then you’ll be renamed
City- That- Treats- People- Right, the True- Blue City.”
27 GOD’s right ways will put Zion right again.
GOD’s right actions will restore her penitents.
28 But it’s curtains for rebels and GOD- traitors,
a dead end for those who walk out on GOD.
29 “Your dalliances in those oak grove shrines
will leave you looking mighty foolish,
All that fooling around in god and goddess gardens
that you thought was the latest thing.
30 You’ll end up like an oak tree
with all its leaves falling off,
Like an unwatered garden,
withered and brown.
31 ‘The Big Man’ will turn out to be dead bark and twigs,
and his ‘work,’ the spark that starts the fire
That exposes man and work both
as nothing but cinders and smoke.”
Verse 31 makes me chuckle. When I read it, I see the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy firsts sees the man behind the curtain. How many little men are standing behind curtains blowing a bunch of smoke? Preaching and teaching, yet not living the truth. How often am I that man?
Lord, I don’t want these verses to be me. I don’t want to be the man behind a curtain saying and doing a bunch of things and yet not living the truth. I want to willingly obey, and feast like kings. Not be willful and stubborn, only to die like dogs (Is 1:19-20).” Thank you for not turning a deaf ear on me. Thank you for loving me enough to provide a detour from my wicked ways. I will go home and wash up and clean my your act. Help me to sweep my life clean of evildoings so You don’t have to look at them any longer. Help me say no to wrong and learn to do good. I want to work for justice. Help the down- and- out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless (Is 1:16-17). Lord, right now I also pray for my nation and its leaders. We have become a country of turn-coats. We have forgotten You and our humble beginnings. Lord, there are a few survivors. I am one. I will stand up for my country. We are not as desolate or doomed as Sodom and Gomorrah. (Is 1:9). Lord please give us the back of Your hand, purge the junk form our lives, clean us up. Do as you promise and set honest judges and wise counselors among us just like it was back in the beginning so we can be renamed County-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue Country. Put us right again. Restore us. Restore me (Is 1:25-26). Amen