Isaiah 1 (HCSB)
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.
Judah on Trial
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, for the Lord has spoken:
“I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s feeding trough, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
4 Oh sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on Him.
5 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep on rebelling? The whole head is hurt, and the whole heart is sick.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, no spot is uninjured—wounds, welts, and festering sores not cleansed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.
7 Your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire; foreigners devour your fields before your very eyes—a desolation demolished by foreigners.
8 Daughter Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would resemble Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What are all your sacrifices to Me?” asks the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.
12 When you come to appear before Me, who requires this from you—this trampling of My courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies—I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals. They have become a burden to Me; I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
Purification of Jerusalem
16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil.
17 Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come, let us discuss this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
21 The faithful city—what an adulteress she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her—but now, murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross, your beer is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow’s case never comes before them.
24 Therefore the Lord God of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah, I will gain satisfaction from My foes; I will take revenge against My enemies.
25 I will turn My hand against you and will burn away your dross[i] completely; I will remove all your impurities.
26 I will restore your judges to what they once were, and your advisers to their former state. Afterward you will be called the Righteous City, a Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be redeemed by justice, her repentant ones by righteousness.
28 But both rebels and sinners will be destroyed, and those who abandon the Lord will perish.
29 Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees you desired, and you will be embarrassed because of the gardens you have chosen.
30 For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, and like a garden without water.
31 The strong one will become tinder, and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 4): Father, please forgive me for abandoning You, Your wisdom, and Your will for me for so long; stuck in my sinfulness and selfish ways like Judah for so long. Help me to rebuild my own temple so that I may build upon a strong foundation of You and not falter again.
PROMISE (verse 19): You promise us that if we are willing and obedient that we will eat the good things of the land. Lord, help me to always be willing to listen to Your word and wisdom, but to also be obedient to Your will for me.
ATTITUDE (verse 17): God, help me to have an attitude of doing Your good works and seeking Your justice always. Help me to continue to build this relationship with You so that I may know how to have an attitude of doing good how You expect me to, not of this world.
COMMAND (verse 16): Father, You command us to cleanse ourselves and to stop doing evil. Although my flesh is weak and the world's influences are strong, I know that You give us strength and that through You all things are possible.
EXAMPLE (verses 16-20): Lord, You give us a perfect example here of how we need to purify ourselves after living a sin-filled life of fleshly & worldly desires for so long, like Judah. Help me to follow this example so that I may be cleansed, do good works for You, so that my sin may be washed away, and so that I will have a life of willingness and obedience to Your will from this point forward.
*DAILY NOTE: I am so ashamed to say that I have often depended on my own understanding, my own will, and even the ways of this world instead of God's ever since I came to know Jesus. I've abandoned the path He's created for me so often and get stuck on my own path even though it's fully of traps, snares, and all types of bad/evil things. Thank You, Father, for always being there for me when I return to You. Please help remind me constantly that Your ways are better than my own and than the world's, no matter how easy it may seem in the moment to simply give into those things. Thank you, Father, for never turning Your back on me.
*GENERAL NOTE: I always "sandwich" my quiet time with God in prayer and do it in a location that I will not have any distractions so that I can be focused on my quiet time with God. Do not worry about how short or long your journal entries are for that day's quiet time. Just focus on the actual quiet time and relational conversation with God through the Holy Spirit and His Word. The journaling is an enhancement to your quiet time conversation with God, but also to allow you to reflect on things later as you can look back on your journal entries later when you do the chapters again in the future to see how you have grown. See the FAQ for more detail on how I do my quiet time.
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