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Isaías 1

John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin

Isaías 1:10-15

Piper comments on Pr 15:8 - An act which is good in itself (Ed: Sacrifices that He Himself has ordained) can become displeasing to God when it is done with the wrong inner disposition. An outward act that looks pious to us can look horrible in God’s eyes because the pious act comes from a heart that is wrong. There seems to be a principle implied here that would go something like this: in God’s eyes the beauty (and hence enjoyableness) of an act is the outworking of inward beauty, and the ugliness of an act is the outworking of an inward ugliness. Since God always looks on the heart (1Samuel 16:7), he always sees our outward acts not as man sees them, but as extensions of what he sees on the inside. Whether our acts are immoral, like stealing and lying and adultery, or whether our acts are moral like church attendance and community service, both may be abominable in God’s eyes if the heart is not right. Paul teaches the same thing when he says in Ro 14:23 (note), “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” The inner beauty of hoping in God, of trusting him for help and guidance, makes the external act beautiful. And if this faith is not there motivating the act, the act is not pleasing to the Lord; it is sin. Hebrews 11:6 (note) teaches this when it says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Mere external righteousness does not please God. In fact, we will see that it is not righteousness at all if it does not come from faith. In the near context of Hebrews 11:6 (note) the very same issue of sacrifices is addressed that we have here in Proverbs 15:8. Hebrews 11:4 (note) says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain.” Why was Abel’s sacrifice pleasing to God and not Cain’s? The reason is that Abel’s sacrifice was offered by faith, but Cain’s wasn’t; and without faith it is impossible to please God. (The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God) What are your multiplied sacrifices - A rhetorical question by Jehovah which is phrased to get His hearers' attention. Jehovah then proceeds to give them a "multipart" answer (Isa 1:11b, 12, 13, 14, 15a) that undoubtedly must have surprised many of his listeners, especially the "ultra religious". It is not until the last phrase of Isa 1:15 that Jehovah states the reason their multiplied sacrifices, etc, were in essence an abomination to Him (cp Pr 15:8) -- "Your hands are covered with blood." (cp Isa 59:3) And what is the divine formula when one's hands are stained with blood? Simply put Jehovah says "Wash them!" (see Isa 1:16ff-note) NET Note - Heb "Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?" The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God's indictment: "But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!" In this section the Lord refutes a potential objection that his sinful people might offer in their defense. He has charged them with rebellion (Isa 1:2–3), but they might respond that they have brought him many sacrifices. So he points out that he requires justice first and foremost, not empty ritual. Piper adds "what Isaiah is really saying is that the reason God abominates the sacrifices of the unjust is not merely the inconsistency of external behavior during the week, but that they come before the Lord with hearts that are not broken for their sin, and with no true intention of forsaking it. And this heart condition of stubbornness and impenitence is why their sacrifices are an abomination to God. The sacrifice is meant to be an occasion of forgiveness for sinners. So the sin of the people in itself is not a sufficient answer for why their sacrifice is rejected… (for) when a wicked person comes to God and makes a sacrifice with a heart of penitence, his sacrifice is accepted. That is the whole purpose of the guilt offering. A person who has been sinful during the week can be accepted through the sacrifice when it is accompanied by a broken, humble, repentant heart. (Ibid) I have had enough - In what amounts to a anthropomorphism, God is pictured as being satiated or fully fed with no need for more of Judah's sacrifices. What He was full of and no longer interested in, were their external, formal, ritualistic sacrifices, offered from their hands but not from their heart! Had enough (07646) (saba) means to be satiated, filled full, and thus fully satisfied. In the present context, Jehovah, however, is hardly fully satisfied in the sense of being pleased with their offerings. NET Note adds "The verb [saba', "be satisfied, full") is often used of eating and/or drinking one's fill. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill. In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God's displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more." They still do this in India, leaving food in a bowl for their so-called deity! (See Ganesha drinking milk miracle) The tragic irony is that while demons dine on delicacies, many human beings suffer starvation! Such is the utter stupidity and foolishness of all false religion! It reflects the depth of deception of the practitioners. G Campbell

Isaías 1:10-15

Piper explains why God rejects sacrifices in a system which He Himself established, writing that "when a wicked person comes to God and makes a sacrifice with a heart of penitence, his sacrifice is accepted. That is the whole purpose of the guilt offering. A person who has been sinful during the week can be accepted through the sacrifice when it is accompanied by a broken, humble, repentant heart. So what Isaiah is really saying is that the reason God abominates the sacrifices of the unjust is not merely the inconsistency of external behavior during the week, but that they come before the Lord with hearts that are not broken for their sin, and with no true intention of forsaking it. And this heart condition of stubbornness and impenitence is why their sacrifices are an abomination to God. The sacrifice is meant to be an occasion of forgiveness for sinners. So the sin of the people in itself is not a sufficient answer for why their sacrifice is rejected… the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination because God sees all our acts as extensions or outworkings of the heart, and where the heart is bad the deed is bad, whether secular or religious. (The Pleasures of God) Imitation Faith - READ: Isaiah 1:1-4,12-17 - These people … honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me. --Isaiah 29:13 Tourists throughout the centuries have visited the famous Acropolis, the ancient hilltop religious citadel in Athens. Thousands of sightseers from all over the world have picked up marble chunks as souvenirs. Why hasn't the supply of pieces been exhausted long ago? The answer is very simple. Every few months a truckload of marble fragments from a quarry miles away is scattered around the whole Acropolis area. So tourists go home happy with what they think are authentic pieces of ancient history. We can be deceived by other kinds of imitations. Religious language and music, religious objects and services may fool us into imagining that we are experiencing a firsthand relationship with God when in reality we are simply going through empty routines. During the time of the prophet Isaiah, many of the people of Israel were merely going through the motions. That is why God told them, "Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me… Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates" (Isaiah 1:13, 14). Hypocrisy is a common sin That grieves the Lord above; He longs for those who'll worship Him In faith and truth and love. —Bosch A hypocrite has God on his tongue and the world in his heart! Woe! (Ed: And I would add he usually doesn't even know it! That's the nature of deceit!) Isaiah 1:14 "I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): your fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts my soul hates: ye have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins. Amplified: Your New Moon festivals and your [hypocritical] appointed feasts My soul hates. They are an oppressive burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. NET: I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying. (NET Bible) NJB: Your New Moons and your meetings I utterly detest; to me they are a burden I am tired of bearing. (NJB) NLT: I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Your new moons and your set seasons hath My soul hated, They have been upon me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them: My soul Isa 61:8; Amos 5:21 Weary Isa 43:24; Amos 2:13; Zechariah 11:8; Malachi 2:17 Isaiah 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries God wanted relationship, not ritual. How easy (and deceitful) it is for all of us to fall into this subtle snare -- we go to church on Sunday and live like the devil on Monday through Saturday. God hates hypocrisy! The prophet Amos records a similar indictment by God against the religious hypocrisy that characterized the 10 tribe Northern Kingdom of Israel… "I hate (sane' - same verb used by Isaiah in Isa 1:14), I reject (the repetition of hate and reject indicates vehemence and passion) your festivals (the three pilgrimage festivals required of every male each year - the feasts of Unleavened Bread, feast of Harvest or feast of Weeks), and Ingathering or feast of Tabernacles), Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 "Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them (cp Ps 51:16, 17, 19); and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. 23 "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. 24 "But (dramatic contrast) let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (cp God's desire in Mic 6:8). (Amos 5:21, 22, 23, 24) Earlier God even issued a sarcastic call to false worship was intended to show the people how far they were from God… Enter Bethel and transgress. In Gilgal multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days. (Amos 4:4) Comment: These offerings God calls for in Amos had become a sham. The religious activities of people of the Northern Kingdom were carried out to impress others, not to fellowship and walk humbly with God (Mic 6:8). They would brag about their devotion, but their day-to-day conduct violated the spirit of their offerings. In fact some of the produce they tithed came from stolen land. Some of the animals they sacrificed had been fattened on unjustly seized fields. Their vacuous worship was an offense to God as it hypocritically offered the fruits of their rebellion against His covenant. God is never pleased by the practice of ritual at the expense of righteous lives! Hate (08130)(sane) this verb is essentially the opposite of the Hebrew verb ahab meaning to love and means to feel extreme enmity toward or to have strong aversion toward. TWOT says that sane - expresses an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship. It is therefore the opposite of love. Whereas love draws and unites, hate separates and keeps distant. The hated and hating persons are considered foes or enemies and are considered odious, utterly unappealing. God hates Israel's feast days; he has no delight in religious assemblies and will not accept sacrifices (Amos 5:17). Since in point of fact these prescribed elements of worship have become a mere cover-up for hypocrisy, deception, and spiritual adultery (Zec 8:17, Isa 1:13, 14, 15). They are placed in the same category as idols (Deut 16:22) and other means to express sin (Pro 6:16). God's hatred for idols and feasts is also directed against people, e. g, Esau (Mal 1:3, Gen 27, Psa 5:5, Psa 11:5). In each case the character and/or activities of the hated ones are expressed; thus God is opposed to, separates himself from, and brings the consequences of his hatred upon people not as mere people, but as sinful people. The OT speaks a number of times of men hating God. Men express in one way or other an absence of love and kindly sentiment or actual illwill and aversion toward God (Exo 20:5; Dt 5:9; 2Chr 19:2, Ps 22:8). Isaiah 1:15 So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): When ye stretch forth your hands, I will turn away mine eyes from you: and though ye make many supplications, I will not hearken to you; for your hands are full of blood. Amplified: And when you spread forth your hands [in prayer, imploring help], I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood! (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. NET: When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood. (NET Bible) NJB: When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not be listening. Your hands are covered in blood (NJB) NLT: From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full. So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood: Isa 59:2; 1Kings 8:22,54; Ezra 9:5; Job 27:8,9,20; Psalms 66:18; 134:2; Proverbs 1:28; Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 8:17,18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13; Luke 13:25, 26, 27, 28; 1Timothy 2:8, I will - Isa 58:7; Psalms 55:1 Multiply - Matthew 6:7; 23:14)(Your hands - Isa 59:2,3; Jeremiah 7:8-10; Micah 3:9-11 Isaiah 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Isaiah explains the reason for their futile, fruitless petitions in Isa 59:2 "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear." I will not listen - Notice it is not as if He cannot still hear, but it is that He will not listen! If you will not repent of your sins, God will not listen to your prayers. Unrepentant sin stops our prayers There are a number of reasons why our prayers may seem to go unanswered and the presence of unconfessed and unforsaken sin is often the cause. This possibility must always be considered with all honesty before seeking another reason. As the Psalmist knew so well… Ps 66:18 If I regard (Hebrew = to see intellectually, even to look with favor upon; Lxx = theoreo = to regard with interest & attention!! Meditate on this picture! Be sure that the little foxes will not spoil your vineyard - Song 2:15) wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Comment: "Regard" means here "to look with favor upon" or "plan". One picture is that of a heart which is making "provision" for sin (Ro 13:14-note). Another aspect is that of compromising with sin rather than having a holy aversion toward sin. We must seek to maintain the same attitude toward sin which God takes. A high view of God is always a good "catalyst" to maintain a low view of sin. A clear conscience, devoid of a desire for sin, is necessary for effectual prayer (1Jn 3:20,21). We must be diligent to avoid nullifying your prayers by planning, harboring, or entertaining sin or wickedness in your heart.

Isaías 1:16-20

Piper writes…These are the two great needs that we all have. The first is to be forgiven—to have all the violations and offenses and transgressions and disobedience and sins cancelled out. “Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow!” (Isaiah 1:18). And the second need is to have God Himself come into our lives where sin once reigned. We need a personal relationship with God through his Spirit. We need wisdom and guidance and love and joy and peace and patience and goodness and self-control (cp Gal 5:22-note, Gal 5:23-note). And we need extraordinary power for the task of local and world evangelization. We need the gift of the Holy Spirit (cp Acts 10:38, Lk 4:14, 18, Isa 32:15, 44:3, Joel 2:28, 29, Jn 7:37, 38, 39, Lk 24:49, Acts 1:4, 8, Mt 10:20, Lk 12:12, Eph 3:16-note, Zech 4:6). (See full message Repentance, Forgiveness, and the Gift of the Spirit) (Ed: All Scripture cross references except Isa 1:18 added) Walking on the Highway of Holiness Isaiah 1:16, 17 Sinners are lost and in grave need to hear God's holy word that they might walk in His holy way and will and this section of Isaiah (Isa 1:16, 17, 18, 19, 20) is God's "GPS" ("Global Positioning Signal") "turned on" to guide all those who are spiritual wayward and lost onto the ancient path (Jer 6:16, 18:15), the highway of holiness (Isa 35:8, 30:21, 1Pe 1:15-note) on which the redeemed (Isa 1:27, 35:9) are privileged to walk in this life and eternally in that to come. REPENT - "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;" REFRAIN - "cease to do evil;" REEVALUATE - "Learn to do well; seek judgment," RELIEVE - "relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." WHAT'S RIGHT? - Read: Isaiah 1:11-18 Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor. - Isaiah 1:16-17 Lord, grant me grace throughout this day To walk the straight and narrow way, To do whatever in Thy sight Is good and perfect, just and right. - Huisman LIKE A COMPUTER, THE BIBLE ALWAYS POINTS YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Look What's For Dinner - Isaiah 1:10-20 - Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings. —Isaiah 1:16 A health teacher taught his students the importance of washing their hands before eating. He had them take scrapings from their fingers and put them in an environment that fosters the growth of bacteria. A few days later, they looked at the results through a microscope. The students found critters from their fingers that could have made them sick if they had eaten them with their dinner. Many people who make sure they wash their hands before they eat are careless about a far more serious kind of contamination. They should heed the advice of Isaiah. He showed God's people the visible evidence of their evil condition. He pointed to their crumbling society and told them it was the result of their moral and spiritual pollution. They had lived for selfish rewards, ignored justice and mercy, and loved material possessions more than people. No wonder Isaiah exhorted them, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean" (Isa. 1:16). Lord, grant me grace throughout this day To walk the straight and narrow way, To do whatever in Your sight Is good and perfect, just and right. —Huisman Keep out of your life whatever keeps Christ out of your mind. Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): learn to do well; diligently seek judgement, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow. Amplified: Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. NET: Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow! (NET Bible) NJB: Learn to do good, search for justice, discipline the violent, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow. (NJB) NLT: Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive for the widow. Learn to do good; Seek justice Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow: Isa 1:23; Psalms 82:3,4; Proverbs 31:9; Jeremiah 22:3,15,16; Daniel 4:27; Micah 6:8; Zephaniah 2:3; Zechariah 7:9,10; 8:16) These 5 staccato commands remind one of the beautiful passage in Micah… He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Vance Havner has this to say about social work in the church (orphans, widows)… In these days of social emphasis, we do well to remember that before God ordered His people to "… seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Is 1:17), He bade them, "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well!" (Isa 1:16, 17). Social reform by an uncleansed and unconverted people is not the program of God. What Is Heavy When Empty?- READ: Isaiah 1:1-17 --Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. --Isaiah 1:17 After reading Isaiah 1, I thought of this riddle: What is heavy for God when it's empty for me? Nothing is too hard for God to do, of course, but that doesn't mean that nothing is a burden to Him. In fact, one thing I sometimes take lightly is actually a heavy concern to God. In the time of the prophet Isaiah, the Jewish people followed their religious celebrations to the letter. They showed up at the right time, sacrificed the right amount, and offered many prayers. But when they left the temple, it was as if they left God there. Nearly 3,000 years later, not much has changed. Sometimes I think my responsibility to God begins and ends with going to church and giving an offering. But this attitude makes me more of a burden to God than a blessing. I'm not accomplishing the tasks that are important to Him—doing good, seeking justice, defending the fatherless, and pleading for widows (Isaiah 1:17). God is not impressed with a full house at religious gatherings if the people come with empty hearts. God wants worshipers with hearts so full of love for Him that they overflow in good deeds for others. My heart is filled, dear Lord, with love, So let it show in words and deeds; And help me share, in all my ways, The overflow for others' needs. —Hess The heart filled with praise brings pleasure to God. Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): And come, let us reason together, saith the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make them white as wool. Amplified: Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. NET: Come, let's consider your options," says the LORD. "Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool. (NET Bible) NJB: ‘Come, let us talk this over,' says Yahweh. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (NJB) NLT: "Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be! Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool: Let us - Isa 41:21; 43:24, 25, 26; 1Sa 12:7; Jeremiah 2:5; Micah 6:2; Acts 17:2; 18:4; 24:25 Isa 44:22; Psalm 51:7; Micah 7:18,19; Romans 5:20; Ephesians 1:6, 7, 8; Revelation 7:14 Come now - Come is a word of invitation. This invitation is from a King and given to helpless spiritual paupers in Judah (and by way of application to all men and women of all ages who are outside of Christ). It is notable that "Come" is one of our merciful God's favorite words. Yes, He uses the word "Depart" but that is not His favorite word. And so we see throughout Scriptures God's invitation to "Come"… “Come, let us talk about these things. Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow.” (Isa 1:18) “All you who are thirsty, come and drink.” (Isa 55:1) “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28) “Come to the wedding feast.” (Matthew 22:4) “Come follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” (Mark 1:17) “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) THOUGHT - Dear reader, I must pause and ask you "Have you come? The King has given you a personal invitation, but you must accept? Have you accepted His gracious invitation to 'Come'?" Let us reason together - God is imminently reasonable and here we see the tone is indeed one of reason rather than demand, for the righteous Judge is also a compassionate Father. The very fact that God would reason with sinners when they stray speaks volumes about His lovingkindnesses that are new every morning. Even in Isa 1:5, 6, one senses God's tone of sorrow for His children's sin, much as did the Lord Jesus centuries later as He looked over Jerusalem and wept… O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'" (Lk 13:34, 35) Scarlet… crimson - There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath the flood, Lose all their guilty stains. Scarlet (towla’) was the name for a worm in Hebrew. This particular worm was used in the making of red dye, and so it’s often translated "scarlet". The towla' would attach itself to a tree as it prepared to lay its eggs, and in the process, the mother would die, leaving a red stain on the wood. Later, after the babies would hatch and leave, the red stain would dry up, turn white, and flake off the wood. In Psalm 22:6, an indisputably Messianic psalm, the Messiah cries out, "I am a worm" (towla’). The picture our humble Messiah presents parallels the worm's life cycle, for Jesus died on a cross of wood in the process of giving birth to us, leaving a bloody stain that turns our sins from scarlet to white as snow! This is surely amazing, utterly incomprehensible grace and love in action! O come let us adore Him! Related Resource Psalm 22-6-I Am a Worm White as snow - Speaks of total cleansing. God grants the repentant sinner amnesty as it were. He stays the execution and grants pardon to the guilty sinner, for another has paid the price to set the sinner free and allow the granting of "amnesty". The word amnesty is from the word from which we get amnesia which means to forget. What a beautiful picture this presents, for when the holy God washes away our unholy sins, they are completely forgotten. We’re left whiter than snow, purer than wool. The prophet Micah gives us a picture of the completeness of God's granting of "amnesty" and His "amnesia" regarding our sins asking… Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? (He is speaking to faithless Israel but this applies to all forgiven sinners) He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot (This prophecy will ultimately be fulfilled in the time of Jacob's distress, Jer 30:7, 8, also known as the Great Tribulation). Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18, 19) Later in Isaiah mortally ill King Hezekiah in his prayer to Jehovah says… "Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is Thou who hast kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back. (Isa 38:17) Again in Isaiah God says… "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. (Isa 43:25) Comment: This verse is certainly one of the high points of God's grace in the OT. In spite of Israel’s utter unworthiness, the Lord in His grace has devised a way that He can forgive their sins and grant righteousness (Isa 61:10), without compromising His holiness. This He would accomplish through the work of His Servant (Isa 53:6). In spite of her failures, Israel will always be God’s chosen people. The psalmist writes… 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us; Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (One can travel east or west forever without coming to its end.) 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. (Ps 103:8-13) Peter preaching to the Jews shortly after Pentecost (he had drawn a crowd in the Temple area because God had granted him power to heal a man lame from birth, Ac 3:1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)… "Repent (aorist imperative = command to "Do this now!") therefore and return aorist imperative = command to "Do this now!"), that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing (anapsuxis = recovery of breath, breathing again) may come from the presence of the Lord (this occurs when one believes but will be perfectly fulfilled when Christ returns) and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you (since Christ had already come the first time, this speaks of His Second Coming), (Acts 3:19, 20) Comment: Luke presents a vivid word picture in this passages, for ancient writing was upon papyrus and the ink had no acid in it. It therefore did not bite into the papyrus like modern ink, but simply lay on top of it. To erase the writing a man simply wiped it away with a wet sponge; so God wipes out the sin of the forgiven man. Our scarlet, crimson sins are completely blotted out, erased, obliterated before the Almighty Holy God! Finally David writes… 1 (A Psalm of David. A Maskil.) How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to Thee, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him. (Ps 32:1-6) How can God grant amnesty to guilty sinners (eg, 2Sa 12:13)? As Paul explains in one of the great passages of Scripture… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Ro 3:23, 24, 25, 26) Illustration of White As Snow - During the late South African War I stood in one of our main thoroughfares watching a regiment of red-coated soldiers marching to the quay to embark for the front. A friend came up to me and asked me what color I thought their tunics were. “Why, red, to be sure,” I replied. “Look through that,” he said, handing me a bit of red glass. And to my amazement, when I looked through it, I saw a white-coated regiment pass before me! You look incredulous. It may seem improbable; but test it for yourself tomorrow. Get a piece of red cloth and view it through a red glass, and you will find the cloth becomes white. So with our sins. Though they are as scarlet, the red blood of Christ will make them white as snow. (Cyclopedia of Religious Anecdotes, compiled by James Gilchrist Lawson. Chicago: Revell, 1923) With this new life comes forgiveness. If you could re-live your past, would you change some things? Would you avoid that tragic mistake, correct that regretted moment? Of course. None of us lives without regrets, yet we cannot go back and change the past. Hence, guilt. When Christ comes into our lives, the guilt is suddenly, completely, permanently removed, and we have a new beginning. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” In trying to convey the marvelous wonder of this forgiveness, the biblical writers strained to give us powerful images from the natural world: · As great as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy—Ps 103:11 · As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us—Ps 103:12 · Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow—Is 1:18 · I have swept away your sins like the morning mists—Is 44:22 (NLT) Suddenly, at the moment of conversion, your past was revisited, your record was expunged, your mistakes forgotten, your sin forgiven, your guilt removed, your record wiped clean, and your soul set free. It took a miracle to do that. ILLUSTRATION: Bible commentators say that scarlet portrays sin, not only to denote its dreadful character, but also to emphasize its indelible nature. They tell us that you can immerse a cloth in any other color and the stain can be removed. Once red dye has been thoroughly set in a piece of goods, however, no scientific method is know that can successfully eliminate it without damaging the fabric. Even if the material is rubbed and scrubbed until threadbare, the fibers that are left will still retain their crimson hue. Larry Richards explains that = Scarlet and crimson were shades of red drawn from the same source, the crushed body of an insect. Isaiah chose the image not because of the color, but because this was the most securely fixed dye then known. No launderer could remove that color from cloth. Isaiah thus says God can do the impossible and cleanse sinners, even though the stain of sin is fixed as firmly as crimson in the sinner’s soul. (The Bible Readers Companion. Wheaton: Victor Books) John Piper references this passage in describing what made him into one of the leading preachers in America…Learning the “Severe Discipline” of Reading the Bible - My debt at this point to Daniel Fuller is incalculable. He taught hermeneutics—the science of how to interpret the Bible. Not only did he introduce me to E. D. Hirsch and force me to read him with rigor, but he also taught me how to read the Bible with what Matthew Arnold called “severe discipline.” He showed me the obvious: that the verses of the Bible are not strung pearls but links in a chain. The writers developed unified patterns of thought. They reasoned. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). This meant that, in each paragraph of Scripture, one should ask how each part related to the other parts in order to say one coherent thing. Then the paragraphs should be related to each other in the same way. And then the chapters, then the books, and so on until the unity of the Bible is found on its own terms. I felt like my little brown path of life had entered an orchard, a vineyard, a garden with mind-blowing, heart-thrilling, life-changing fruit to be picked everywhere. Never had I seen so much truth and so much beauty condensed in so small a sphere. The Bible seemed to me then, and it seems today, inexhaustible. This is what I had dreamed about in the health center with mono, when God called me to the ministry of the Word. (Piper, J. Don't Waste Your Life. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books) Illustration - Evangelist E. Howard Cadle (1884-1942), was converted from a debauched life through the power of Isaiah 1:18. He was the black sheep of four children in a Christian family who started drinking at age twelve. He became addicted to alcohol, gambling, and sexual adultery, becoming known as the “Slot Machine King” in much of the Midwest because of his gambling enterprises. He attempted to murder a man, only narrowly escaping the penitentiary. Broken in finances and health, he finally “hit bottom” and returned home and collapsed into his mother’s arms, saying, “Mother I’m tired of sin. I’ve broken your heart, betrayed my wife, broken my marriage vows—I’d like to be saved, but I’ve sinned too much.” His mother replied, “Son, I’ve prayed for 12 years to hear you say what you’ve just said.” Getting out her Bible, she turned to Isaiah 1:18, and on that morning, March 14, 1914, E. Howard Cadle was converted. He later became a powerful and popular evangelist and radio preacher. (Morgan, R. J. Nelson's annual preacher's sourcebook : 2004 Edition. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) Not Good Enough - READ: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. —Isaiah 1:18 A friend told me recently of a young mother who was trying to explain her father’s death to her 4-year-old. The girl wondered where Grandpa was. “I’m sure he’s in heaven,” the mother answered, “because he was very good.” The girl replied sadly, “I guess I won’t be in heaven.” “Why not?” her mother asked in surprise. “’Cause I’m not very good.” The story saddened me, as I’m saddened when I hear of others who believe they must be very good to get into heaven, especially since we all know deep down in our hearts that we’re not very good at all. Perhaps like this little girl you’re thinking about your sins and asking, “What must I do to get to heaven?” The answer has already been given: Jesus, by His death, has paid in full the price of your sins, no matter how sordid, tawdry, or shameful they may be. Your salvation is free. God promises, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). John Donne writes: Or wash thee in Christ’s blood, which hath this might, That being red, it dyes red souls to white. The perfect righteousness of Christ Is free to everyone, But we by faith must take that gift And trust God’s precious Son. —D. De Haan No one is good enough to save himself; no one is so bad that God cannot save him. Isaiah 1:19 "If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): And if ye be willing, and hearken to me, ye shall eat the good of the land: Amplified: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: NET: If you have a willing attitude and obey, then you will again eat the good crops of the land. (NET Bible) NJB: If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. (NJB) NLT: If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume, If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land: Isa 3:10; 55:1, 2, 3,6,7; Jeremiah 3:12, 13, 14; 31:18, 19, 20; Hosea 14:1, 2, 3, 4; Joel 2:26; Matthew 21:28, 29, 30, 32, 32; Hebrews 5:9 If you consent and obey - Note that this is a conditional promise. It necessitates one to make a choice to obey or not. Sounds like the same options that were presented to Adam in the Garden of Eden, doesn't it? God is not interested in "robots" but in men and women who will love Him from their heart, and this is a love which shows itself in obedience (Jn 14:12). Let love for God (and walking according to His Spirit - Ro 8:2, 3) not legalistic constraints be your motive for obeying Him (cp Ro 13:8, 10). Judah and Jerusalem had been "hard of hearing" rebels who had become disobedient. Here God calls for a total change in direction of their belief and behavior, a clear call to repentance. He even gives a promise that would seem to motivate a willingness to "consent and obey." Willing To Change - READ: Isaiah 58:1-14 - If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. --Isaiah 1:19 A recent news feature chronicled the growing search for stress relief through spas, massage, pills, and exercise tapes. The craving to ease tension has spawned an entire industry, including walk-in backrub stores in shopping malls across the country. The report ended by saying, "Although people will pay to fix their stress, they are not about to change the lifestyle that is causing it." No matter what the problem, our initial response is to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. During the days of Isaiah, God's people were not experiencing the Lord's blessing. They went through the motions of worship and couldn't understand why God wasn't noticing their religious efforts (Isa. 58:3). But while they were fasting, they were also exploiting their workers and fighting among themselves (Isa 58:3, 4). Isaiah condemned their hypocrisy and told them they needed to change. If they would free the oppressed, share with the hungry, house the homeless, and clothe the naked, God would bless them with healing, answered prayer, guidance, strength, and joy. The Christian life is not confined To church one day a week; God wants us to obey His Word, Each day His will to seek. --Sper Religious activity is no substitute for an obedient heart. DON'T BLAME THE RULE - The Grand Rapids Press reported an ironic turn of events that happened to a group of motorcyclists traveling to the state capital to protest Michigan's motorcycle helmet law. The group was scheduled to meet at the capitol building to make some speeches and symbolically burn their helmets. But on the way to the protest, one of the bikers lost control of his machine and slammed into a construction warning sign. He suffered head and facial injuries that most likely would have been avoided if he had been wearing a helmet. Sometimes we are like those cyclists. We look at the ways of the Lord as unnecessarily restrictive. Yet we ask for and expect His protec­tion and blessing while we resist, rebel, and misunderstand His loving guidelines. But our efforts to be free from restraint have not brought more happiness, freedom, peace, or satisfaction. Instead, we have lost honor, purpose, and security. Those who insist on doing things their way see an increase in disease, divorce, abuse, and violence. No society has ever profited by disobeying the Lord. Don't blame the rule if you don't measure up. WASTED WORSHIP - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart." -- Psalm 51:17 If you are able to go to church on Sunday, you probably will. For most Christians, it's almost automatic -- and rightly so. But is it possible that our efforts to go to church for worship might be wasted? Could it all be in vain? Yes. Before we even enter the church, the worth of our worship can be reduced to nothing because of the way we've lived during the week. In Amos 5 (Amos 5:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27), the Lord had some harsh words for those who attempted to worship Him while bringing with them the guilt of an ungodly lifestyle. His people were constantly angering Him by following false gods (Amos 5:26). When they assembled to worship the Lord through sacrifices and songs, God despised their hypocrisy. In Isaiah 1, God instructed His people that before they could worship Him, they were to "cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice" (Isa 1:16, 17). O holy God, undone by guilt depressing We come to Thee our every sin confessing; Grant us, we pray, Thy cleansing and Thy blessing; We worship Thee, O God! -- Frost Worship that pleases God comes from an obedient heart. Isaiah 1:20 "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): but if ye be not willing, nor hearken to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this. Amplified: But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. NET: But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Know for certain that the LORD has spoken. (NET Bible) NJB: But if you refuse and rebel, the sword shall eat you instead— for Yahweh's mouth has spoken.' Lament for Jerusalem (NJB) NLT: But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!" Unfaithful Jerusalem (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, By the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken: Isa 3:11; 1Samuel 12:25; 2Chronicles 36:14, 15, 16; Hebrews 2:1, 2, 3) (Isa 40:5; 58:14; Leviticus 26:33; Numbers 23:19; 1Samuel 15:29; Titus 1:2) But - A dramatic contrast. Whenever you encounter a contrast word, pause and ponder what the author (and the Author) is contrasting. Ask questions (interrogate with the 5W/H'S) like - Why does he draw this contrast? Who is impacted? What is being contrasted? etc, etc. What you are in effect doing is slowing down (the Bible is not well digested when you "speed read" it!) and "chewing the cud" so to speak. You are learning to Meditate on the Word of Truth. See Primer on Biblical Meditation for the wonderful promises that God associates with Biblical (not mystical) meditation, which sadly has become a seldom practiced spiritual discipline in our day, times in which fare such as the "one minute Bible" are much more popular than Biblical meditation! God grant that we in the church might be given the holy desire to "return to the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk it it" so that we might "find rest for our souls" (Jer 6:16). Notice the stark contrast in choices - "consent and obey" versus "refuse and rebel". Notice also the radical contrast between the promises - "eat the best of the land" versus "be devoured ("eaten") by the sword." Notice the interesting word play for the Hebrew word for "devour" also can mean "to eat or consume." In short obey and eat, disobey and "be eaten"! Our choices always have consequences - good or bad. Which category are you falling in this week? Remember we can't choose our consequences, but only the choices that lead to the consequences! Beloved, in the New Covenant era, may we all "walk by the Spirit" for then (and only then) we will "not (double negative ~ absolute negation) fulfill the desire of the flesh." (Gal 5:16-note) Refuse (ma'an) means to reject an offer. This is amazing! Look Who they are rejecting! This says a lot about one's depth of deception and the degree of hardness of heart to refuse a word spoken by Jehovah. However, lest we are too hard on Israel, is this not what each of us (believer and non-believer) does every time we choose to "do it our way" rather than God's way?! Rebel (04784) (marah) almost always (40 of 45 OT uses) refers to rebellion against God by Israel or Judah (rarely used of any other nation), of direct opposition to His authority and right to rule His creatures. The TWOT notes that "This sin of rebellion may be in word: Nu 17:10; 27:14, complaining; Ps 78:17ff., challenging and defying God to do the abnormal, to cater to their tastes and delicacies. Or, it may be a rebellion in deed: 1Sa 12:15, obedience to man over God; 1Kgs 13:21, 26, actions contrary to God’s clearly expressed will by a “clergyman”; Jer 4:17, “your own behavior and actions”; Isa 3:8, “their words and their deeds.” What is most often rebelled against is “the commandment/the word of the Lord,” (et) pı̂ (literally, “the mouth”). (Harris, R L, Archer, G L & Waltke, B K Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Press)