Pastor Michael Talley | July 28, 2024
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Isaiah 1:1-20
Good morning. If we haven’t had the opportunity to meet, my name is Michael Talley. Pastor Scott has is on a well-deserved 3-month sabbatical, so he will be out of the pulpit for a few months. He will be studying early church history & reformation theology. Does that surprise anyone? It just hit me that Scott is going to spend a good portion of his summer in Wittenberg & Geneva, and then return to the pulpit a few weeks before Reformation Day. Buckle up!
All that to say, we’ll be taking a break from the book of Luke. You can groan if you want to. I’m as sad as you are. This has been a powerful series for our church. For the past year, I’m not sure I have made it through a Mon./Tue. without hearing someone talk about the impact that the sermon had made in their life. It has been so good to study the life of Christ.
As Scott mentioned last week, we’re going to spend the next 12 weeks in the book of Isaiah. I can’t really express how excited I am about studying this book with you. My fascination with Isaiah began about 3 years ago. In 2021, Laura & I spent about 3 months doing a deep dive in this book, & it blew me away. I eventually turned that energy into a Wednesday night course. But since I taught that course a few years ago, the book never left me. This is a bit strange, because typically I get fascinated by a topic, explore it like crazy, & then move on to the next thing. But Isaiah didn’t let me out of his grip. Over the past few years, I have been reading & listening to Isaiah on repeat.
Now, this is a very biblically literate church, so I imagine that most of this room has at least some knowledge of Isaiah. Perhaps you cherish a few key verses, or even a few key chapters. But maybe you’re not quite sure what his entire message is about. This is how I approached Isaiah for most of my life. When I got to Isaiah in my Bible reading plan, I would slog through about 90% of it, & light up at the good parts. And let’s be honest: that’s not a bad place to be. A single verse in Isaiah can change your life. (I heard from a dear sister this week who told me that Isa. 41:10 got her through the darkest 18 mos. of her life.) If only 1 verse of this book breaks through over the next 12 weeks, I will be thrilled.
But I have a bigger goal: I want you to come away with a greater love of the entire book. I want you to spend the time with Isaiah so that you to learn how to think like Isaiah thinks. That’s rewarding. Don’t get me wrong: this won’t be easy. Isaiah is an old book. You don’t casually read 2,700-year-old books. Isaiah is written in poetry & oracles. When is the last oracle you read for fun? It’s also a really long book. At 25,000 words, it’s the 6th longest book of the Bible, & would take you 4 hours to read in 1 sitting. And you should know that it isn’t organized like a modern systematic theology with a table of contents. It can be a difficult book to study, but it’s worth the effort and here’s why.
I am convinced that if you can get into the mind of Isaiah, you will come away with a greater vision of God. And that is what we need more than anything. You need an accurate vision of God so you can worship him correctly & live correctly. I have heard it said that Isaiah gives us the most comprehensive picture of God in a single book of the Bible, & I agree. Isaiah will show you a God who is holy & transcendent, naming the stars each night, tearing down kingdoms with a word. But also, a God who is near to the brokenhearted & the humble. You will see a God who is filled with wrath & vengeance. His clothes are stained red with the blood of his enemies. But you will also see a God who is tender & compassionate, bouncing us upon his knee like a playful mother.
Isaiah is also tuned into God’s plan of salvation, what Paul called the mystery of the gospel. Isaiah saw it with remarkable clarity. Isaiah was written 750 years before Jesus was born, but I am convinced that he knew Jesus better than the disciples! I’m not kidding. There’s a reason that the church father Jerome called Isaiah the 5th gospel. Isaiah prepared us for a divine savior who would be born of a virgin, live a spirit-filled life, give sight to the blind, die a humiliating death – but who would ultimately triumph through that death – & come back one day as a conquering warrior. That’s all in Isaiah.
It’s a brilliant book, & we will do our best to capture the heart of Isaiah’s message in 12 weeks. But of course, we cannot capture every verse in these 66chs. So, with the help of Cam Lloyd & John Lashell, we hope to cover some of the most important texts. (One final word: Asa Markus designed the slide. This almost counts as an extra sermon. Bookmark).
If you haven’t turned there yet, make your way to Isa. ch1. We’re going to study vs2-20, which is the first sermon in the book. Now, this probably isn’t the first sermon that Isaiah preached. Isaiah’s ministry probably did not begin until ch6, when he was commissioned by God in his famous throne room vision. We’ll study that in 2 weeks. Most scholars believe that the first 5 chapters are a theological introduction, a summary of his entire message that he put together later in his ministry. This makes a lot of sense because the sermons in this section are very general. There aren’t many names or historical markers. But there are a lot of powerful truths about God. It is a very important section.
So, let’s look at this first sermon. It is a literary & theological masterpiece. I believe this first sermon is designed to grab the nation’s attention. It’s like an alarm clock to wake them out of their rebellion. Isaiah will give us 3 unexpected messages about God. This will serve as our outline.
The first unexpected message is this: God has an unexpected enemy. Let’s read vv2-6. [2] Hear, O heavens, & give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared & brought up, but they have rebelled against me. [3] The ox knows its owner, & the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” [4] Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. [5] Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. [6] From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil…
Nobody should be surprised to discover that God has an enemy. If you know the Bible at all – even if you’ve read a Bible storybook to a toddler – you know that God has enemies. The battle lines are pretty clear: it is God’s people vs. the wicked world. He fights against the Canaanites & Philistines & Pharaoh & Goliath. God always comes to the defense of his people. The good guys are on the inside; the bad guys are on the outside.
This is how most of us view God. We feel like he is on our side. When we get in a jam, he will rescue us. (Modern worship songs, political conventions). This is certainly how the citizens of Jerusalem felt in the 8th c. And they had good reason to feel that way. They knew the stories. But Isaiah had some unexpected news. God is opposed to you. You are his enemy. That’s how the book starts. This is a significant & troubling message, so we must ask: how did it get to this point? What has happened in Jerusalem that God would oppose his own people with this much passion? Isaiah spells it out very clearly in the opening line. [2]…Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
The core problem in the book of Isaiah is the rebellion of God’s people. It is not Assyria; it is not Babylon. God will use those nations like an axe & toss them away when he’s done with them. The core problem in Isaiah is the hard & rebellious hearts of God’s children. Isaiah will tell us 2 things about rebellion.
First, rebellion never makes sense. Look at v3. [3] The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Isaiah’s first metaphor is brilliant. He calls attention to 2 farm animals. The ox is a good & dependable animal. It has a relationship with the master. As Isaiah says, it knows its owner. The donkey doesn’t give a rip about the owner. But you can always find the donkey in the barn at the end of the day because the donkey knows where the food is. It’s dumb, but it has enough sense to come home. God’s people are more foolish than a donkey. God had given them everything: they had the kingdom, the temple, the law, the covenants. But they had walked away for dead idols. It makes no sense.
And that’s the point. Rebellion never makes sense. It never adds up. (Gen3?) But every one of us in this room is guilty. How many times have you seen this story play out in your own life or in the life of someone you love? You give up your family, your career, your health, for a bite of an apple. It makes no sense to rebel against God, yet we do it anyway.
Second, rebellion never delivers what it promises. The nation rejected God in favor of their idols. They were looking for prosperity & security but look what it got them. In v5, Isaiah started identifying the disaster that had come upon them. Your body is sick. From head to toe, you’re covered in raw wounds. Your nation is a wasteland. You’re like a shack in a cucumber field after the harvest. You have destroyed everything that you love. Let this sink in: there is no life apart from God. Rebellion always leads to destruction, & there are no exceptions. In ch.1, Isaiah will show us the short-term consequences. It leads to sickness & destruction. But the eternal consequences are far more severe. I wonder if you know how Isaiah closes the book? He doesn’t give us a picture of heaven; he gives us a picture of hell, because this is where untreated rebellion leads. Go to ch66 & look at the last verse on the page. “And they shall go out & look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, & they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (You might know that verse because Jesus quoted it. He feels the same way about rebellion).
Rebellion takes you on an unending path of destruction. Listen: not all suffering gets better. Some people think that if you keep on persevering, things will change. The suffering that comes from rebellion will not get better. My daughter saw a bumper sticker recently that says: Apparently, rock bottom has a basement. Apart from God, that is your story.
So, we must get right with God. But this leads to Isaiah’s 2nd unexpected message: the way back to God does not start in the temple. I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but it’s in the text, so let’s go. V10. – [10] Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! [11] “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. [12] “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? [13] Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. [14] Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. [15] When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. [16] Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, [17] learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
The people had rebelled against God, & they were suffering the consequences. But they were doing their best to appease him. And so, the temple was a very active place in Isaiah’s day. This is especially true after Hezekiah’s reforms. In fact, at the peak of his reforms, there was a 2-wk celebration where countless animals were sacrificed. Some people think Isaiah is referring to that specific event (What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?). There was a lot of activity in the temple, but not a lot of activity in the heart. I imagine Isaiah walking past the temple, looking at the priests who were stained with blood. Yet, nothing changed. The temple was full of noise, but don’t call it a revival. Idols were still worshipped. The poor were still neglected. The leaders were still corrupt. Their hands were ironically covered with the blood of injustice. Their rebellion hadn’t been dealt with.
God was not impressed with this religious activity. In v.14, Isaiah says that God is weary. This is an arresting image that should make your head spin because if you know 1 thing about God, you know that he does not get weary. In fact, Isaiah will teach us this very thing in ch.40. The everlasting God never faints & never grows weary. And yet, in ch.1, he is bent over with grief at the false worship of his people. He is on his last nerve, covering his ears & closing his eyes. It makes me think of a tired mother who has been snowed inside a house with toddlers for an entire winter. I love you, but if I hear one more noise… Isaiah is painting an amazing picture with a serious point: God is not impressed with your rituals. You can kill a thousand lambs, but God will not accept them; you can pray a thousand prayers, but God will not listen. You cannot cover your rebellious heart with church clothes & think that your problems will suddenly go away.
I understand if you’re a little confused, because didn’t God give them this system? Isn’t this what he wanted? Let me briefly comment this. God is not condemning the sacrificial system that he set up. That would be confusing. (Here it is/don’t do it). Rather, he is attacking their abuse of the system. God had given the sacrificial system as a means of grace: it was always designed to grab their hearts. You can see this very clearly if you read Leviticus – sacrifices are always tied with a confession of sin. David understood this. When he sinned, he knew that God did not want a bull. He wanted a broken heart. But the religious leaders had perverted the system because that’s how every other religion works. They killed animals without sorrow. They were bringing vain offerings – literally offerings of nothing. (Do you ever do that when you worship? I’m moving my mouth, but my heart isn’t in it). They also came into the temple with an arrogant heart. The text says that they trampled on his courts. They were waltzing into God’s house, but they had no regard for God himself. So, God had no regard for them. He closed his eyes & covered his ears. (Do you ever feel like God is not regarding your prayers? Could it be that you have stopped regarding him?)
In v16, Isaiah suddenly changes his tone. He will punch out 9 quick commands. Essentially: stop doing evil & start doing good. Clean up the corruption & start taking care of the needy people in your streets. Isaiah’s beautiful poetry goes out the window, and once again he sounds like an exasperated parent stringing off a list of chores that the children refused to do. Brush your teeth, make your bed, comb your hair. I’ve told you this a thousand times, when will it sink in? Isaiah is not outlining new material. He’s reminding them of what they already knew. God wanted them to care for the orphan & the widow. They knew that. They had heard these commands their entire lives. God had called Abraham to bless the world. But how could they bless the world when they refused to care for the widows & orphans on their own streets? Clean up the mess. This is what God wants.
God has never wanted a religious nation. God has always wanted a righteous nation. But as Isaiah walked the streets of Jerusalem, he saw a rebellious nation. And here we come to one of the main themes in the book. How will this rebellious nation become that righteous nation that God desires? This is the puzzle that Isaiah will try to work out.
In v.18, Isaiah will give us an important piece. This is the 3rd unexpected message, and it is by far the most shocking & beautiful: God is willing to extend grace on rebellious sinners. [18] “Come now, 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 become like wool. [19] If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; [20] but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
After all this rebellion & mockery, God invites them back. This is the most surprising message of all. It’s the most surprising message in your entire Bible. If you dig into commentaries, you will find a debate on what this verse means. Some of the modern commentaries suggest that God is continuing a mocking tone. Though your sins are like scarlet, do you really think they will become white? But the problem with this reading is that it makes God just like us. If you rebel against him, it’s game over. There’s no pathway back. This isn’t surprising; this is very normal.
But the whole message of Isaiah is that God is entirely different than us. In chapter 52, when God reveals his plan of salvation – his righteous arm – the kings of the earth will be so astonished that they will shut their mouths. Our God is different. He offers a way back. Let these beautiful words wash over you. To the one who has rebelled against him, God says come. To the one who has wearied him with vain offerings, he says come. To the one whose hands are stained with blood, God says come. It’s an irresistible invitation.
God promises to wash away their sins. This is the biggest problem in the book of Isaiah, and it is the biggest problem for everyone in this room. We are polluted with sin. Our hearts are rebellious. We have destroyed our lives. It is why we are sick, and it is why our lives are destroyed. And yet, God is inviting us back into his presence so he can heal us. He is willing and able. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. He waits to forgive you.
Isaiah does not yet reveal what this will cost God. That lurks in the background & will come to the forefront in chapter 53. God will send his Son to bear our sickness & carry our sorrow. He will be crushed by the Lord in our place. And it is through his wounds that our wounds are healed. We are washed clean by the blood of Jesus. God’s grace is even greater than we can possibly imagine. But we don’t have the full picture yet in chapter 1. We are simply introduced to a God who is willing & able to forgive rebellious sinners.
Here’s the question for you: are you willing to come? V.19 says that if you are willing & obedient, you will eat the good of the land. If you come to your senses & return to the Lord, he will wrap his arms around you & shower you with kisses. He will put a fine robe on your back & kill the fattened calf. He’s not going to bring up your sin at dinner. He longs to show you mercy & to lavish his limitless grace on you. All you must do is come.
In fact, as Ray Ortlund says, the only thing that is preventing you from renewal is your stubborn heart. It’s not your circumstance. It’s not your spouse; it’s not your boss. The only thing preventing you from renewal is your pride. You can refuse to come to the Lord if you want. But what is it getting you? Is it making your family better? Is it strengthening your relationships? You will not eat the good of the land. Verse 20 says it as clear as possible, so I will end the sermon where Isaiah does. I typically try to end sermons on a high note… let the tension resolve. But I’m finding that Isaiah often leaves the tension in the air. So I’ll let him have the final word this morning. V.20: if you refuse & rebel, you will be eaten by the sword. The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Let’s pray.