Isaiah 9-10

Isaiah 9:8-10:34; 10:21

"A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God" (Isa 10:21, NIV).

1. The coming destruction of Israel (9:8-10:4). [The Lord's anger against Israel; His anger is not turned away; The arm of the Lord protects Judah.] For the Lord's people everything depends on their reaction to his word. When the word came to Jacob (Isa 9:8) and they chose rather the way of self-sufficiency (Isa 9:9-10), everything else followed as night follows day. In a four-stanza poem, Isaiah traces out the terrifying consequences of abandoning revealed truth. The four stanzas are marked off by a refrain (Isa 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4).
• National disaster (9:8-12): Arrogance.
• Political collapse (9:13--17): Poor leadership.
• Social anarchy (9:18-21): Terrible judgment.
• Blatant misrule and oppression (10:1-4): Injustice.

The Dimensions of Love (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Ephesians 3:16-19, 18b "...grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Eph 3:17b-19, NIV).

Christ's love has many dimensions: width, length, height and depth. No matter how much and how far one knows the love of God, he or she will never get to the end of it. For Christ's love is:

• wide enough to encompass all mankind.
• long enough to last for eternity.
• deep enough to reach the most broken person.
• high enough to exalt him or her to heaven.
  

Christ's love is also seen in the dimensions in the cross of Christ.

• The upright pole reached down into the earth, and pointed upwards to heaven.
• The cross bar carried the arms of Jesus stretched out as if to embrace the whole world.
  

Dr. W. A. Criswell (pastor, 1909-2002) liked to talk about "God's love in four dimensions" from John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world" – Breadth "He included you"

"That he gave … his Son" – Length "He sent Jesus to die for you"

"Should not perish" – Depth "He reached down for you"

"Have everlasting life" – Height "He lifts you up to heaven"

Christ's love is broader than the universe, longer than time, higher than hope, deeper than death. As we are strengthened by the Spirit on the inside, we will come to a new comprehension of his love for us.

When a man and woman meet and date and fall in love, their love is real and true, but it is not complete. On their wedding night, they will experience love in a deeper way, but there is much more to come. As the years go by, romantic love gives way to a love that springs from a deep personal commitment made stronger and more profound by the changing seasons of life. And so a husband may truly say on his 10th, 20th, 30th anniversary, "Dearest, I love you more today than the day we got married." That is more than poetry or sentiment. In a good marriage, that is reality. (On a purely personal note, today happens to be my wife's birthday. We have been married almost 28 1/2 years. That's a long time to be married. It's long enough that we've been married longer than we were single. I can say without hesitation that it is better today than ever. Our marriage is stronger and happier and more satisfying than ten or 15 or 20 years ago. How that happened I could not say, but it is true, and on Marlene's birthday, I am happy to say that I love her still. And I pray the Lord gives us at least another 28 1/2 years together.)

References:

1. Beyond Your Dreams (Eph 3:14-21).
2. John Stott. Four key words in Paul's prayer:
   

1. Strength. God "may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Eph 3:16).
   
2. Love. You may be "rooted and established in love" (Eph 3:17).
3. Knowledge. You may "know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:19a), the knowledge of "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Eph 3:18).
4. Fullness. "...you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Eph 3:19b).

Consider:

1. Ruth Graham. Like teaching a pig to sing. What marriage is.
2. how my marriage has been for 33 years.
3. prayer for the marriage of the newly wed.
   

The First Sermon at West Loop UBF, Jan 6, 2008

Where is Your Vision? (This is the unedited sermon I preached at our first Sun service at West Loop UBF on Jan 6, 2008.)

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…" (Prov 29:18, NKJV).

The theme of this message is vision. Our key verse, Proverbs 29:18a says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish…" (Prov 29:18, KJV). Why is this? It's because if a man has no vision, he will live as he feels, and he will perish in obscurity. But with a vision, he can face hardships, overcome any difficulties and struggles and even conquer the world. In history, all great men were men of vision who overcame impossible odds. Here are a few stories.

In 1975, at the age of 20, Bill Gates dropped out of college. In 1986 at age 31, he became the richest man in the U.S. How did he do it? He had a vision that every household would have a PC. In those days a computer was slow, huge, costly and impractical. But when he had a vision, he realized his vision. Even a lunatic like Hitler, when he had a vision of a superior German race, was able to shake the world for a brief time in history. Martin Luther King's speech "I have a dream," is mesmerizing. King's vision was that his 4 children will "live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. " His vision forever distinguishes King as a great 20th century American hero.

Recently, billionaire Sam Zell bought the failing Chicago Tribune company. In his speech, he said, "the name of the game is excellence, relevance tied to revenue." His vision is for the Tribune to be relevant, profitable and great. Although the newspaper industry is in decline, and the Tribune has accumulated much debt, Zell took over as the self appointed CEO and chairman. He is taking a big risk. But he said he is doing this because others told him repeatedly, "It cannot be done." Zell is 64. Forbes lists him as the 317th richest man in 2006. He can retire and take life easy. Yet he finds and creates new challenges for himself. Such men of vision inspire us to do something great and impossible with our lives.

In the 1960s, through Jesus feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, Dr. Lee saw the vision of poor and fatalistic Koreans carrying out world campus mission through 1:1 Bible study. According to his vision, God sent out 1,500 lay missionaries to 80 nations. / Dr. Lee often loved to tell the story of a limousine with 2 people in the car: the chauffeur and the President of the company. He'd ask, "What is the difference between the 2 people, since they are both the same human beings?" Likely, the President of the company had a vision, for which he gave his life, while the chauffeur had no vision and lived for his paycheck, for the weekend, and for his foxy girlfriend. This story stresses the importance of having a vision for your life.

I pray that God may grant you a great vision for 2008. This message has 4 parts:

1. God's vision for Abraham;
2. God's vision for Israel;
3. Jesus' vision for Peter;
4. God's vision for you.

1st, God's vision for Abraham. Abraham was a childless 75 year old man. To Abraham his life was over. But God called him and promised to make him into a great nation with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Ge 12:2; 15:5). It was like a dream. But it was not a dream. It was God's great hope and vision for Abraham. To fulfill this vision, God trained Abraham in faith for 25 years until he could believe the promise of God to have a son in his old age when "his body was as good as dead" and when his wife's "womb was also dead" (Ro 4:19). When Abraham believed by faith, God fulfilled his vision and eventually brought forth the nation of Israel. Because of God's vision, 1 useless old man Abraham became 1 great nation Israel. We learn here that our God is a God of vision. God's vision is never for us to be a little better off, or to do a little bit better. Rather, our God has a great vision for each man to do something great with his life, because our God is a great God. At a minimum, each man must be a father of faith for 1 nation, like our father Abraham.

2nd, God's vision for Israel. God's plan was to forge a new nation Israel in the womb of Egypt. For this, God raised Joseph, Abraham's great grandson, as the Prime Minister of Egypt. Then due to a severe famine, Joseph brought his family of 66 persons to Egypt where they grew to a population of 600,000 slaves over the next 430 years. After 4 centuries of slavery, they developed a deeply rooted slave mentality (Ex 15:24, 16:2,3, 17:2). Their favorite activities were complaining, blaming others, feeling sorry for themselves, having a victim's mentality and doing nothing. In brief, they were a bunch of losers. But God had a great vision for them. After delivering them from slavery in Egypt through Moses, God said to them, "you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6). What does this mean? A priest is a mediator who brings man to God and brings God to man. God's vision was that they would be God's special priestly people to lead people of all nations to God. God's vision for his slave people was unrealistic. In fact, it was downright ludicrous. It's like asking a homeless bum to become the mayor of the city, or asking a prostitute to live like Mother Theresa. But God's vision was that his slave people Israel would become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. For this God trained them for 40 years in the wilderness so that they might learn just 1 simple lesson: "Trust God for your daily bread." But even with just 1 simple lesson for 40 years, they failed because of their slave mentality, and all of them but 2 died in the desert. However, their children who were born in the desert understood God's daily bread training. Then they entered Canaan, the Promised Land and defeated their enemies, not because they were able to, but because they simply trusted God, which they learned from their daily bread training. In this way, the nation of Israel was born. Because of God's vision, a nation of worthless slaves became a nation of conquerors.

In the course of time, Israel became corrupt and abandoned God. God sent enemy nations to humble them and sent many prophets to help them repent. But they refused to humble themselves and repent. Finally, God sent them into exile. Yet, God kept his vision for his people Israel that they would be the best shepherds and Bible teachers in the world. Isaiah 2:3 expresses God's vision: "Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house 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." God's vision was that people of all nations would stream into Jerusalem and study the Bible with his people Israel. It's a surprising vision, considering that they were rebellious, ungodly and unspiritual. But despite themselves, God himself would fulfill his vision.

3rd, Jesus' vision for Peter. Though the nation of Israel refused God's vision, God sent his Son Jesus to fulfill God's vision to make Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. How did Jesus fulfill God's vision? Jesus realized God's vision by planting God's vision in his disciples.

However, Jesus' disciples were men of no vision. They were nobodies. They lived on the bottom of society with a hand to mouth survival mentality. They were mere common men with little education and not much ambition (Ac 4:13). They were similar to the masses of people through out the world and through out history. When I was in the Manila in Dec, I saw a middle aged man who was hired to work on their new UBF center. He impressed me by working so hard from 9 to 5, sweating in the hot humid weather. He was obviously skilled and good at what he did, which was carpentry and masonry. But what amazed me was that he was paid 400 pesos a day, which is $10. He worked 8 hours for $10! If he worked 5 days a week all year round, he would make $2,500 a year if he took no vacation. In contrast, when Michael Jordan was playing for the Bulls, he made $10,000 a minute playing basketball. That man would have to work 4 years with no vacation to make what Michael Jordan made in 1 minute! What is my point? My point is that Jesus' disciples may not be that much different from this carpenter in Manila. This carpenter was not a lazy man but a hard-working man. But he had no vision. So he could only be a carpenter all his life. Jesus' disciples were just like that. For instance, Simon Peter only knew about fishing in Lake Galilee. He thought about fish, dreamed about fish, and even smelled like fish. At best, he wanted to win the medal for "most improved fisherman of the year," and someday be recognized as the top fisherman in Galilee. That may have been the extent of Peter's hope and vision for his life. But something changed him.

One day, Jesus called him to be a disciple (Mk 1:17). It happened this way. On one fateful morning, Peter had worked hard all night long, but failed to catch any fish. He must have felt, "What a wasted night of fishing," since he had nothing to show for all of his hard labor. He could only think about how sorry his wife would be when he returned home empty handed. At that moment, Jesus helped Peter to restore his failure. Jesus helped him to catch such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Through this miraculous catch of fish, Peter's eyes were opened to see something beyond his own understanding, knowledge and experience. But more than that, Peter saw God in Jesus. Immediately, he realized his utter wretched sinfulness and cried out, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" But Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men" (Lk 5:4-10). Jesus' vision for Peter was to be a fisher of men and a great man of God. Because of Jesus' vision, Peter's heart and mind began to expand little by little from that moment. Once Peter lived like a fish in a fish bowl. But through Jesus' vision for him, Peter began to see beyond his fish bowl until he would someday see and conquer the whole world with the gospel. Through his disciple Mark, Peter wrote Mark's gospel and he concluded Mark's gospel with Jesus' world mission command: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mk 16:15). How could a fisherman who only knew fish, fishing and Lake Galilee speak with the scope of "all the world"? He could because Jesus planted in Peter God's great hope and vision for his life. Because of Jesus' vision, a smelly fisherman became a great man, who had the scope of the whole world.

4th, God's vision for you. Proverbs 29:18a says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish…" I grew up in Malaysia, with no vision. But when I was 16, someone said, "You can enter medical school." A vision was planted, and without ever having considered it before, I applied and entered medical school within a few months.

During my medical internship in Singapore, while taking a shower, a fellow intern said, "I'm going to apply to go to the U.S." Another vision was planted, and I immediately decided to come to the U.S., despite objections from family and friends and many difficulties. By God's providence, I came to Chicago in 1980.

After coming to Chicago UBF, Dr. Samuel Lee began shepherding me. Those of you who know me know that I am stubborn, forceful, opinionated and highly infuriating. But through Dr. Lee, God planted a vision in me that even an unlikely person like me can shepherd American students and raise 120 disciples. Dr. Lee's vision was unforgettable. Dr. Lee always communicated to me that I was great. But whenever he did I trembled, saying to myself, "If only you knew how sinful I am!" But he never deviated in always communicating to me unconditional love, trust and respect, despite my countless flaws, failures and sins for over 2 decades. In this way, God used him to plant the fear of God in me. In this way, God burned a fire within me to raise disciples of Christ all my life no matter what. Only by God's mercy and the vision of Dr. Lee, God blessed my house church to establish pioneering house churches in the U.S. and to pioneer 1 nation, the Philippines.

When Dr. Lee passed away in 2002, I began praying for my own kids and for our 2nd gens. I felt a disconnection between us because there were generational barriers and cultural barriers. So, our 2nd gens subliminally thought of UBF as "my parent's church." But God granted me a vision that they are the best kids in the world, because they have 2 great attributes: 1) they honor the Bible as the word of God, and 2) they want to live a moral life. Then with the prayers and tears of countless UBF parents, God blessed our Young Disciples ministry over the last 5 years until 200 attendants came to our YD winter retreats in recent years.

What is my vision for our West Loop UBF? My vision is borrowed from Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee's vision was to love and raise American leaders. According to his faith and vision, God raised so many great Americans, beginning with P. Ron, Dr. Jim Rabchuk, Dr. Joe Schafer, P. Teddy, Dr. Helen Rarick, Dr. Sam A. Lee and countless others. Similarly, God put in me a desire to support young leaders, so that God may raise them to be great servants of God. By God's leading, God has granted us a handful of already great men and women of God for West Loop UBF. (Rhoel, Tim, Jim, Arthur, Len and Ruben. Their wives: Elena, Angie, Jenny, M. Helen, Liliana, Tif. We also have Michelle, Damon Mui, Oscar, Dindo, Henry & Susan, Iris.) Because of each of them, who are all far greater and better than I, I stand in awe of God. Because of them, and the prayers of many, and by the great mercy of God I see the vision that God will make us the best UBF chapter in the 21st century, by catching up to Triton, UIUC, LP, West LA, IIT, and Chicago UBF, to whom I am forever indebted.

Finally, how can we have a vision? First and foremost, we must love Bible study. The greatness of UBF is directly related to how much Dr. Lee and Mother Barry loves Jesus and loves Bible study above all else. Dr. Lee's last words were, "Go back to the Bible." No one can have any meaningful vision apart from the word of God. Then to grow in the word of God and in God's vision, the best way is to share the Word of God with others. Studies show that you remember 10% of what you read, and 70% of what you teach and share with others. So, to grow in God's word and vision, the best way is to share the word of God with many students. Next, we must know that it's not easy for anyone to have a vision, not even for God and Jesus. God waited 25 years for Abraham, 430 years for Israel, plus 40 more years in the wilderness. Jesus shed every ounce of his blood to fulfill God's vision. Dr. Lee gave his life for > 40 years to fulfill God's vision for UBF world campus mission. Having and fulfilling one's vision is obviously not easy. Thus, many have no vision. Proverbs 28:19a says, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…" "Where there is no vision, the people perish…" (KJV). Without a vision, man will be mediocre and underachieving. Without a vision man will perish without a trace.

From this message we learn that our God is a God of vision. God's vision is never small but great and awesome, because our God is a great God. Because of God's vision, 1 old man Abraham became the father of 1 great nation Israel. Because of God's vision, Israel was transformed from useless slaves to mighty conquerors. Because of Jesus' vision, 12 ordinary men became men of world conquest. Because of Dr. Lee's vision, God has abundantly blessed UBF in the last ½ of the 20th century. May God bless each of you with God's great vision for world campus mission in the 21st century.

One Word: Conquer the world with God's vision.

See The King in His Beauty (Isaiah 9)

Isaiah 9:1-7; 6-7

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this" (Isa 9:6-7, NIV). [Alternate Titles: A Great Light Shines {Webb}; The Royal Hope {Motyer}; The Glory of God's King; The Child with Many Names.]

Gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and see the king in his beauty. In Isa 9:1-7, the spiritual gloom of Isa 8:22 is dispelled forever by the light of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Isa 9:2). Isa 9:6-7 gives us a glimpse of the king in his beauty (Isa 33:17), as we gaze upon the beauty of the Lord (Ps 27:4). It is one of the most memorable messianic descriptions from Isaiah. The promise is that a child is coming (Isa 9:6; Mt 4:15-16), breaking into the darkness and bringing his life-giving light (Isa 9:2; Jn 1:9-13; 1 Pet 2:9). This coming "child," a "son," is the embodiment of Immanuel (Isa 7:14; 8:8). His character displays his divine identity: he is a Wonderful Counselor (Isa 28:19), the very Might of God (Dt 10:17), an Everlasting Father (a royal one who is like a loving father to his people), and the Prince of Peace (Ps 72:7; Jn 14:27; Eph 2:14; Phil 4:7).

References:

1. The Glorious Messiah and the Messianic Age (Isaiah 9:1-7). Against the background of the prophecy of war and destruction, darkness and gloom in Isaiah 8, Isaiah 9 is this prophecy about the Messiah—the glorious coming king. "Messiah" in Hebrew means "anointed one," the anointed king. In a sense, every king who was anointed in Jerusalem as a descendant of David would be called a "mashiah" (pronounced mah-she-ack), a messiah. But the Bible tells how ultimately a son of David would come who would be known as "the Messiah." We believe that Jesus Christ is that Messiah. The NT word "Christ" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah." This Messianic Prophecy, then, holds out hope for peace and righteousness through the reign of Jesus the Messiah.
1. The dawn of the Messianic age (1-5): Peace will come.
• The change in circumstances will end the despair (1-2).
• The Messiah brings joy and prosperity (3).
• Joy comes through the cessation of war (4-5).
  
2. The righteous reign of the Messiah (6-7): Peace will finally come.
• The Lord will bring about the advent of the Messiah (6a).
• The Messiah will be a wonder king (6b).
1. Wonderful Counselor.
2. Mighty God.
3. Everlasting Father.
4. Prince of Peace.
   
• The Messiah will reign in righteousness (7).
  
2. The Glory of God's King (Isaiah 9:1-7). {Bible Study Questions.}
   
1. The hope of coming light (1-5).
2. The source of comforting light (6-7).
   
3. Exegetical-Homiletical Study of Isaiah 9:1-7.
4. The People Who Walk In Darkness Shall See A Great Light (Isaiah 9:1-7).
   
5. For To Us A Child Is Born (Isaiah 9). Daily bread from Nov 2010.
   

Is God Your Sanctuary or Your Judge? (Isaiah 8)

Isaiah 8:1-22; 13

"The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread" (Isa 8:13, NIV).

Coram deo, not coram hominibus. Christians are called to live their lives coram deo (before God), rather than coram hominibus (before man). To do so, we must always recognize that our ultimate audience is God. The Bible thus calls us to fear God and not man (Prov 1:7; 9:10; 29:25). But this is a great challenge when our circumstances and what we see and feel make us fear what others think and do. Thus, we must regain Isaiah's perspective: "do not fear" what the world fears (Isa 8:12), but "The Lord Almighty is ... the one you are to fear" (Isa 8:13).

Darkness will give way to light. Isaiah 8 is part of the whole unit that runs through Isa 9:7, for the end of Isaiah 8 is a transition into Isaiah 9—the gloom and despair of those walking in darkness in the north of Israel who will see a great light, the Messianic age (Isa 8:22-9:1). Isaiah 8 is the judgment part, the judgment leading up to the coming of the deliverer. The focus is on the destruction of Samaria in 722 B.C., but includes the invasion of even Judah at that time. However, the message centers on the positive note that God will be with them if they trust in His word and fear God instead of man. So even in a passage about judgment there is positive application.

1. Trusting in Man (1-10): Judgment.
2. Fearing God (11-15): Sanctuary.
3. The Difference (16-22): Light (16-18) and Darkness (19-22).
   

References:

1. [Isaiah - 25 sermons.] The Announcement of Judgment (Isaiah 8:1-22).
1. Although judgment for infidelity is certain, there is protection through Immanuel (1-10).
   
1. God's judgment will be swift (1-4).
2. Judgment will be irresistible (5-8).
3. Judgment will only be averted by God (9-10).
   
2. Comfort is only for those who fear the Lord (11-18).
1. God is a stumbling stone to those who don't fear God (11-15).
2. Those who fear God will hope in him (16-18).
   
3. Great despair and devastation comes to idolaters (19-22).
   
2. Webb, Barry. The Message of Isaiah. From darkness to light (8:1-9:7):
1. A name and it's meaning (8:1-4).
2. The rising river (8:5-10).
3. The stumbling stone (8:11-15).
4. The gathering darkness (8:16-22).
5. The coming of the dawn (9:1).
6. A great light shines (9:2-7).
   
3. Motyer, J Alec. Isaiah.
1. Divine judgment (7:18-8:8).
2. The believing obeying remnant (8:9-22).
   
4. ESV Study Bible:
1. The coming Assyrian invasion (8:1-10).
2. Fear God, wait for the Lord (8:11-22).
   
5. God is the One to Fear (Isaiah 8). My daily bread from Nov 2010.
1. What happens when we trust in man (1-10): Judgment.
2. What happens when we fear God (11-15): Sanctuary.
3. The difference between fearing God and fearing man (16-22): Light (16-18) and darkness (19-22).
   

Trust or Bust (Isaiah 7)

Isaiah 7:1-25; 9b, 14

"Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm" "All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us')" (Isa 7:9b, 14, NLT). [A Call for Faith and the Sign of Immanuel.]

How is your faith? Isaiah 7 is a message that challenges our faith. Is our faith strong enough to see us through crises? Are we secure in our faith? If not, perhaps we do not fully understand the Word of the LORD or the confirming sign He has given.

Overview. In Isaiah 1-12 Isaiah states his purpose in writing the book and recounts his calling to be a prophet. They predict and lament the eventual fall of Jerusalem. However the arm of the Lord will protect Judah from the Assyrians who will destroy Israel and later itself be destroyed. Isaiah looks beyond all these things to the coming of Christ and his glorious kingdom. Isaiah 7-12 complete the first major section of Isaiah (Prophecies Concerning Judah And Jerusalem, chs. 1-12). They contain historical narrative and prophecies delivered during the time of Ahaz, king of Judah (ca. 735-732 B.C.). Jerusalem was being threatened by Syria and Israel for refusing to join them in their resistance against Assyria. Ahaz and Judah were tempted to seek help from Assyria in the north and Egypt in the south. God used Isaiah and his sons to encourage Ahaz and his nation to trust in the Lord, not political alliances. Isaiah's prophetic utterances not only looked to the more immediate deliverance from God, but also to the time in which God would provide ultimate deliverance for Judah. This section can therefore be entitled, "Judah's True Hope: The Messianic King (7-12)."

Isaiah 7 describes The Syrian-Israel Crisis in which God sent Isaiah and his son to encourage Ahaz and offer a sign from the Lord. Though rebuffed by Ahaz, the Lord provides a sign related to a son to be born of a virgin whose name would be Immanuel ("God with us"). Some commentators opine that this prophecy had an initial fulfillment during the time of Ahaz, but was intended by God to offer hope for a time yet in the future. This sign finds its ultimate fulfillment in the birth of the Messiah (Mt 1:18-23). While the sign was intended to show that Judah would be safe from the threatened invasion by Syria and Israel, Isaiah does foresee that Judah will later suffer desolation from Assyria and Egypt, the very nations from which Ahaz was seeking help (7:1-25)!

Readings and References:

1. A Call for Faith and the Sign of Immanuel (Isaiah 7:1-25):
1. Only God can provide security amid the terrifying circumstances of life (1-9).
2. The sign of the birth of Immanuel confirms the word of the Lord (10-16).
3. The coming judgment makes belief in the word of the Lord absolutely essential (17-25).
2. The Ultimate Sign: Isaiah 7. In Isaiah 7, God demonstrates His faithfulness to a promise that He made with King David concerning the Davidic dynasty by giving the ultimate sign to the House of David. The sign would be a virgin born Son named Immanuel, God with us.
1. The Distress in the House of David because of Rezin and Pekah (1-2).
2. The Planned Destruction of the House of David by Rezin and Pekah (3-9).
3. The Declaration to the House of David (10-17).
   
4. The Near Destruction of the Land of the House of David (18-25).
3. Isaiah: outline of chapters 1, 2, 3, 4. Isaiah: outline of chapters 5, 6, 7, 8. The first twelve chapters of Isaiah tell us about Isaiah's purpose in writing the book and his calling to be a prophet. They predict and lament the eventual fall of Jerusalem. However the arm of the Lord will protect Judah from the Assyrians who will destroy Israel and later itself be destroyed. Isaiah looks beyond all these things to the coming of Christ and his glorious kingdom.
4. [Executable Outlines: Isaiah]. Judah's True Hope: The Messianic King (7-12). The Syrian-Israel Crisis (7:1-25):
1. Ahaz the fearful (1-9).
2. The Lord's sign (10-16).
3. The coming desolation (17-25).
   
5. Overview of Isaiah. The Book of Isaiah is both majestic and beautiful. In Isaiah we must travel through the valleys of judgment, but we also gain the privilege of walking along the glorious road of redemption.
6. The Purpose of Isaiah.
• The judgment of God is so powerfully witnessed in the first part of the book (1-39), but then slowly but fully unfolds God's redeeming grace in the last part of Isaiah (40-66).
• Isaiah 53 is the focal point of the whole of Isaiah. The 27 chapters are equally divided into 3 sections of 9 chapters, each ending with a marker verse depicting the lostness of mankind. Isaiah 53 stands at the center of the middle section. It is here in Isaiah 53 that God's unexplainable grace is unfolded like a beautiful flower. I. Judgment (1-39). II. Redemption (40-66):

• Isaiah 40-48: God's gracious dealings with man.

• Isaiah 49-58: God's gracious provision of redemption.

• Isaiah 59-66: God's gracious promises of hope.

• 

• In the first 39 chapters we have seen a convincing portrayal of the adulterous Israel running off and making alliances with Assyria, Egypt and Babylonia. God persisted after them, but they resisted.

  God could not use Israel to be a light to the nations but instead revealed how in spite of them He would find an Israelite who would do all of His will. This Servant, though facing great difficulties to accomplish His calling, would again issue forth hope and light springing up from Israel to all the world.
7. God's Encouragement to the Oppressed Remnant: Introduction to Isaiah 7-12.

• Chapters 1-12 can be considered a unit, but the two sub-sections (1-6, 7-12) use separate approaches. 1-6 belong to Uzziah-Jotham's reign while 7-12 belong to the later age of King Ahaz. The messages are different.

  In 1-6 Isaiah rebukes the nation of God's people for their sins. They were not to be surprised by judgment as if God had forgotten them, but on the contrary, they should expect its coming.

  7-12 describe Ahaz's time. Judgment had crept up and already swallowed up the northern kingdom along with its capital Samaria. So although this second section assumes judgment, it is in this context God sets forth His encouragement and hope to Judah's faithful. God is faithful, and there would be a remnant. The future existence of a remnant, however, first meant a thorough purge of Judah.
8. Immanuel (Isaiah 7). My daily bread from Nov 2010.
   

Honesty

Some quotes on Conscience, Courage and Honesty posted in July 2014. Here are more verses and quotes on honesty.

• "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips" (Prov 24:26, NIV).
  

• "An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies" (Prov 12:17, NIV).

• "An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies" (Prov 14:5, NIV).

• "Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth, so that you bring back truthful reports to those you serve?" (Prov 22:20-21)
  

• "Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt" (Lev 19:36, NIV).

•  "They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty" (2 Ki 12:15).

• "How painful are honest words!" (Job 6:25, NIV)

• "So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter" (Isa 59:14, NIV).

• "If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city" (Jer 5:1, NIV).

Quotes:

• "Truth never damages a cause that is just." Mahatma Gandhi.

• "Anything is better than lies and deceit." Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

• "It is not easy to keep silent when silence is a lie." Victor Hugo.

• "Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery." Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

• "Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom." Thomas Jefferson.

• "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde.

I Saw The Lord (Isaiah 6)

Isaiah 6:1-13; 8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa 6:8, NIV)

Hearing the voice of God calling you. Isaiah 6 towers like a majestic peak over the surrounding terrain and is clearly of central importance for the message of Isaiah. The theme and the topic of Isaiah 6 is the call of Isaiah. It was his encounter with the Lord that Isaiah's understanding of both God and his own mission was crystallized. It is intimately related to what precedes and what follows.

The Holy One of Israel is the title that is used 25 times throughout Isaiah, as compared with 7 in the rest of the OT. Isaiah 6 stands as a microcosm of the whole book:

• The Holy One as the ground of condemnation (3,5) is the theme of chap. 1-37 (12x): God is the righteous Judge.
  
• The revelation of the Holy One as the Savior (6-7) finds its fulfillment in the servant in chap. 38-55 (11x): God is the suffering Servant.
  
• The Holy One as King (1,5) becomes the theme of chap. 56-66 (2x): God is the conquering King.
  

Consider Isaiah 6 as follows:

1. Confronting a vision of God (1-4).
• What Isaiah saw (1-2).
• (740-739 B.C. is the year King Uzziah died. Isaiah's ministry spanned 50 years).
• The glorious majesty of God on his throne ruling the world in that dark time (1b; 5:30).
  
• What Isaiah heard [and saw] (3-4).
• The threefold recital of 'holy' indicates the absolute holiness of Him who sits on the throne.
• Smoke may be part of the "Shekinah" or "glory-cloud," which was often a manifestation of the presence of God.
  
2. Conviction and Confession (5).
• What Isaiah felt (5).
• Ruined. Despair (5a; Eze 1:28; Dan 10:5-10; Rev 1:17).
• Guilt (5b).
• The reason is because his eyes saw God (5c; Ex 33:20).
  
3. Cleansing (6-7).
• A life coal from the altar (6). Approached by a seraphim.
  
• Isaiah's guilt is taken away and sin atoned for (7). Purged on his sin. He could now offer acceptable service (Ps 51:12-15).
  
4. Call, Commissioning and Consecration (8-13).
• God calls and Isaiah responds (8).
• "Us" may represent the triune nature of God (Gen 1:26; Jn 1:1; 12:39-41).
• Free from guilt, Isaiah has no fear in serving the Lord.
  
• His mission described (9-10).
• What to say and what effect it would have on people (Mt 13:13-15).
  
• Isaiah is told how long he must prophesy (11-13).
• Preach until the day of judgment has come and passed. In Isaiah's day, until cities are destroyed and people taken captive.
• The stump shall contain the holy seed (the faithful remnant) - cf. Ro 11:5.
  

References:

1. Do You See God (Isa 6:1-7). Preached at West Loop in 2012. There are at least 6 glimpses of God in Isa 6:1-3:
   
1. God is alive.
2. God is ruling.
3. God is majestic.
4. God is revered.
5. God is holy.
6. God is glorious.
2. Motyer, J. Alec. Isaiah. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP. Downer's Grove, IL, USA. 1999. The individual, atonement and commission (6:1-13).
   
3. Webb, Barry G. The Message of Isaiah. The Bible Speaks Today. IVP. Downer's Grove, IL, USA. 1997. I saw the Lord (6:1-13)
   
1. Vision of God (1-4).
2. Confession (5).
3. Cleansing (6-7).
4. Commissioning (8-13).
   
4. Isaiah 6 - Isaiah's Conviction, Cleansing and Call.
1. Conviction (1-5)
   
• What Isaiah saw (1-2).
• What Isaiah heard (3-4).
• What Isaiah felt (5).
  
2. Cleansing (6-7)
• A life coal from the altar (6).
• Isaiah's guilt is taken away and sin atoned for (7).
  
3. Commission (8-13)
   
• God calls and Isaiah responds (8).
• His mission described (9-10).
• Isaiah is told how long he must prophesy (11-13).
  

A Worthless Vineyard (Isaiah 5)

Isaiah 5:1-30; 1, 7

"I will sing about the one I love, a song about my loved one's vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill" (Isa 5:1, HCSB). "The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress" (Isa 5:7, NIV). [Alternate titles: The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed; Judah's Sins Condemned; When Grace is Exhausted]

From the heights of hope and glory to the depths of awful and painful reality. Isaiah lives with the tension between what will be and what is; between the glorious destiny which beckons Israel (2:2-4; 4:2-6) and the awful reality of its present condition (2:5-4:1). It is a tension which ultimately only the Lord can resolve. As in Isa 2:5-6, once again we plunge from the heights (4:2-6) to the depths as the prop het returns to the thankless task of exposing the sins of his fellows and warning of judgment to come in Isaiah 5.

Start with a song. But it will not be easy for Isaiah to gain a hearing for such an unpleasant message. So he presents himself as a minstrel and beguiles his unsuspecting audience with a song (5:1-7). It is a striking example of just how creative and skilful the prophets could be in communicating their message (gospel preachers take note!). Isaiah 5 may be divided into three parts:

1. The song of the vineyard (1-7).
2. Bad, stinky fruit (8-25).
3. The vineyard ravaged (26-30).
   

I. The Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7)

Isaiah's song is a love song and a parable. Before long, his entranced listeners find themselves face to face with its hard-hitting message. The one Isaiah loves (his "beloved") is the Lord, and Israel (here represented by Judah) is the Lord's vineyard. Love for God is an important dimension of OT piety, as both Moses and the Psalms testify (Dt 6:5; Ps 42:1; 116:1). Isaiah loved the Lord passionately. So he could identify so closely with both the outrage and the grief that the Lord felt at the willful sinfulness of the nation. In spite of all the patient care he has lavished upon it (Isa 5:2), it has produced only worthless wild stinky grapes or fruit (Isa 5:4). Though God made every provision for his people to be a blessing to the world as he has promised (Gen 12:1-3), the result was horrific. Would God not be fully justified, then, in removing its protective wall and abandoning his vineyard (Isa 5:5-6)? Isa 5:7b shows that God's high expectations of his people were fair. The song concludes by forcefully expressing the demand for social justice as a basic covenant obligation: "He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness" (Isa 5:7b, HCSB).

The song is in four parts:

1. 5:1-2 are an introduction to catch the attention of the audience and set the scene.
2. 5:3-4. The Lord himself speaks and asks the audience for a verdict.
3. 5:5-6. The Lord, as owner of the vineyard, announces his own decision.
4. 5:7. Isaiah the prophet speaks in his own voice and makes a specific application to Israel.
   

II. Bad Stinky Fruit (5:8-25)

This part as a whole is structured by the word "Woe" and "Therefore." There are six "woes" (8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22) which lament the bitter fruits of Israel's character, and four "therefores" (13, 14, 24, 25), which anticipate the harvest of inescapable consequences. Woe introduces the denunciations of particular sins. Therefore introduces the judgments which either have been or will be visited on the offenders. This is a passage of powerful denunciation, but also of deep pathos, for the cry of "Woe" is capable of expressing both. Isaiah is no self-righteous, detached observer. The final woe he pronounces on himself (Isa 6:5). The six woes of this passage specify the "bad fruit" in the song (Isa 5:2, 4). The list is damning:

1. Greedy real estate expansion and land-grabbing (Isa 5:8). This expresses the corrupting power of riches (1 Tim 6:9-10).
   
2. Drunken partying and debauchery (Isa 5:11-12). They are marked by a visceral refusal to think.
   
3. Arrogant defiance of God while sinning and deceiving others (Isa 5:18-19). They are daring God to punish them.
   
4. Self-justifying sophistry by regarding negative values positively and positive values negatively (Isa 5:20). They are so blinded in their moral judgment that their evaluations of good and evil are the exact opposite of God's true perspective (Mt 12:24; Jn 8:44; 2 Th 2:11).
   
5. Conceit based on their groundless high estimation of themselves (Isa 5:21).
6. Perversion of justice by acquitting the guilty and convicting the innocent (Isa 5:22-23).
   

In contrast to all this stands the God of justice and righteousness (Isa 5:16).

III. The Vineyard Ravaged (5:26-30)

God is sovereign over history. The destroyer of the Lord's vineyard is to be a foreign invader. He is to come at the Lord's express command (Isa 5:26). Their armies on the move, swift, disciplined, equipped and ruthless, inspired terror (Isa 5:27-30). With frightening realism Isaiah describes the approach of invading military forces. [The invader is not named here, but is almost certainly Assyria.] But the message of Isaiah and other 8th century prophets was that it was the Lord, not these nations, who called the tune. Isaiah was absolutely certain of the Lord's sovereignty over history. He was using the nations to accomplish his purposes and would continue to do so. It is a theme that will be developed more fully as the book proceeds.

Having rejected the light of the Lord that was offered to them (Isa 2:5), Judah and Jerusalem find that the light they chose turns to darkness (Isa 5:30). Because they have refused God's grace (Isa 5:4), his wrath engulfs them. The rest of Isaiah reveals that God's purpose of grace is still greater than his disciplinary wrath.

The Ideal and The Reality (Isaiah 2-4)

Isaiah 2:1-4:6; 2:2

"In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship" (Isa 2:2, NLT). "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" (Isa 2:2, NIV).

Alternate titles could be "Glorious Hope, Painful Reality;" "Hope in the Midst of Judgment."

The scope and content of Isaiah--Judgment (chap. 1-39) and Salvation (chap. 40-66)--is outlined in Isa 1:1-2:5. It moves from Zion under judgment (1:1-31) to Zion restored (2:1-5). It anticipates the movement of the book as a whole from the Zion that is (1:1-31) to the Zion that will be (2:1-4), through purifying judgment. This basic theme is then elaborated on and dealt with at much greater length in Isaiah 2-4, especially the judgment aspect:

1. Judgment (2:6-4:1) {1:1-31} [chapter 1-39].
2. Salvation (4:2-6) {2:1-5} [chapter 40-66].
   

Inclusion or bracket. Isa 2:2-4 and Isa 4:2-6 are also two beautiful poems which are regarded as an inclusion ('inclusio' meaning 'bracketing') or bracket that are like bookends that bracket 2:5-4:1. It expresses God's glorious hope for Zion, the city of God, beginning with what Zion was meant to be (Isa 2:2-4) and ends with what Zion will yet be (Isa 4:2-6). In broad strokes Isaiah 2-4 match Isaiah 1 in that the work of man inevitably leads to destruction. Objectives like making money (Isa 2:7ab), or security through armaments (Isa 2:7cd) contribute as much to the coming of judgment as do making and worshiping false gods (Isa 2:8). Isaiah's review of the contemporary scene (2:5-4:1) covers much of the ground surveyed in 1:2-31:

• 2:5-21 concentrates on the religious situation and the failure of the false gods;
• 3:1-4:1 reviews the collapse of ordered society because of underlying moral failure.
  

Isaiah 2 opens with a glorious promise. Judah was meant to bring hope to the nations by being a light to them, providing a powerful vision of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, Judah was not displaying the beauty of God's law and love, and thus they were often indistinguishable from the other nations. But in "the latter days," God's home would be established and exalted so that all would see God's house, as if it were on the "highest of the mountains" (Isa 2:2). Consider Isaiah 2-4 in the following parts:

1. Hope, the future glory of Zion (2:1-4): The mountain of the Lord (What might have been).
2. Judgment, shame and guilt (2:5-4:1):
   
1. Pride and self-sufficiency makes its own gods and idols (2:5-21).
2. Immature oppressive leaders and vain ostentatious wives (3:1-4:1).
3. Hope, the future glory of Zion (4:2-6): The branch (What is yet to be).
1. The Branch of the Lord (4:2a).
2. A fruitful land (4:2b).
3. A holy city (4:3-4).
4. A canopy of glory (4:5-6).
   

I. Glorious Hope: The Mountain of the Lord (2:1-4; Mic 4:1-3)

Where heaven and earth meet. Isa 2:1 is an abbreviated version of the book's title in Isa 1:1. Mountains played an important part in the religions of Israel's neighbors. Mythologically, mountains were the homes of the gods. They were points where heaven and earth were thought to meet and were therefore highly favored as sites for altars and temples. The Canaanites worshiped their gods at the "high places." Isaiah here foresees the day when one holy mountain will stand supreme, reducing all others to utter insignificance (Isa 2:2a). The supreme exaltation of his mountain home also expresses the Lord's triumph over all the so-called gods on their mountains. Isaiah's vision is exclusive. But it is also inclusive because it sees all nations and many peoples coming to Zion to share with Israel in the blessings of the Lord's rule (Isa 2:2b-3). It is also a vision of universal peace, described in terms which have reverberated down through the centuries (Isa 2:4).

Though drawn supernaturally, people come voluntarily. The mountain of the Lord, is a symbol of the coming of the kingdom of God, following a purified and restored Zion. Isaiah speaks of the Lord's house (not temple) (Isa 2:2). A temple is primarily a place of worship. A house is primarily where the Lord has come to live among his people (Exo 29:42-46). The natural impossibility of a stream flowing upwards is intentional (Isa 2:2b). A supernatural magnetism is at work. What makes them willing to seek the God of Jacob is a hunger for revealed truth. They come to learn and to obey and to receive what cannot be found elsewhere (Isa 3:3). Where the Lord reigns, nationalisms are gone and weapons of war are made into garden tools (Isa 2:4). Eden has returned.

II. Judgment (2:5-4:1)

By contrasting this glorious hope of an exciting ideal (Isa 2:2-4), Isaiah now faces the harrowing actual! The exhortation (Isa 2:5) implies that the Lord's people are not walking in his light.

III. Glorious Hope: The Branch (4:2-6)

Salvation, which will be fully realized when Christ returns to draw history to its triumphant conclusion, is represented under four images:

1. The Branch of the Lord (4:2a).
2. A fruitful land (4:2b).
3. A holy city (4:3-4).
4. A canopy of glory (4:5-6).

A Complete Comprehensive Failure (Isaiah 1)

Isaiah 1:1-31; 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" (Isa 1:18, ESV).

God is my salvation. Isaiah is often regarded as the apostle Paul of the OT and the Shakespeare of the prophets. The name Isaiah means "the salvation of the Lord" or "the Lord is salvation" (Isa 12:2). Isaiah is the second most frequent quoted book in the NT. The NT quotes Isaiah 66 times, surpassed only by Psalms (79 times).

There are many ways to outline Isaiah. A simple way is to consider this large prophetic book of 66 chapters in 2 parts:

1. Judgment from the Holy One of Israel (1-39): The Assyrian period. Conflict and victory.
2. Salvation from the grace of the Suffering Servant (40-66): The Babylonian period. Hope in troubled times.

The vision of Isaiah (Isa 1:1-2a). Isaiah 1-5 is like a preface to the entire book. Isa 1:1 stands as a title for the book as a whole. It describes the contents of the entire book as a single vision. It expresses whose vision it is, and the period in which Isaiah exercised his prophetic ministry.

"The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken..." (Isa 1:1-2a)

These opening lines are like the first stirring chords of the overture to a great oratorio. They summon us to listen and give us the first indication of the character of the work we are about to hear. In the days of the four kings named here, especially after the death of Uzziah (Isa 6:1), when Judah and Jerusalem lay under the ever-increasing threat of destruction by Assyria, Isaiah saw, by divine revelation:

• what God was doing with the nation,
• why he was doing it, and
• where everything was heading under his sovereign control.

Though the vision concerns a specific city and nation in the 8th century BC, the vision is in fact breathtaking in its scope (Isa 2:1-4), embracing all nations and reaching to the very end of time. It is a vision which will deliver us from spiritual myopia and small-mindedness if only we can grasp it, or, better still, allow it to grasp us.

In his commentary, OT scholar J. Alec Motyer titled Isaiah 1 as "A comprehensive failure," which is a bleak but appropriate title. Judah and Jerusalem failed completely in three ways:

1. Nationally (2-9).
2. Religiously (10-20).
3. Socially (21-31).

What can they (we) do? Isaiah spells out:

1. 9 commands (16-17).
2. A promise they can experience (18).
3. A blessing they can find (19) or lose (20).

I. The 9 commands fall into three groups of three:

1. Make yourself clean (16a)
• wash,
• make yourselves clean,
• take your evil deeds out of my sight.
  
2. Reorder your personal life (16b-17a).
• stop doing wrong,
• learn to do right,
• seek justice.
  
3. Reform society (17b).
• rebuke the oppressor (Isa 1:17, NKJV), correct oppression (Isa 1:17, ESV), correct the oppressor (Isa 1:17, HCSB),
• take up the cause of the fatherless,
• plead the case of the widow.

II. An invitation and a promise

Grace instead of judgment. Isa 1:18-20 is deservedly one of the most famous expressions of the grace of God in the Bible. The theme of rebellion has been progressively developed through 2-17. Their sins are scarlet, red as crimson. Scarlet is the color of guilt (Isa 1:15). A point of crisis is reached. But at the very point when judgment is expected, grace intervenes. Reason (sometimes used of arguing a case in court) is where the Lord calls his people to the bar of his justice, where they can only be found guilty. But it is there that they amazingly hear the words of free pardon. The divine judge reasons with the accused, and makes an offer which is truly amazing in its generosity. It is nothing less than total pardon (Isa 1:18)! The promise of being like snow and wool (both naturally white) is of a new, holy nature, not just the cleansing away of the past.

III. Obedience is a means of grace

In response to God's grace and free pardon they must obey willingly (Isa 1:19), not just offer conformism.  The commands of Isa 1:16-18 are backed by serious divine sanctions: obedience is the key virtue of God's people (Isa 1:19) and disobedience their worst enemy (Isa 1:20).

Isaiah 1 is an awfully bleak chapter that depicts not only Judah and Jerusalem, but is also descriptive of every civilization in history. Mankind truly has no hope, despite their best efforts. Man's only hope is found in the magnanimous generosity and grace of God (Isa 1:18).

References:

1. Motyer, J. Alec. Isaiah. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP. Downer's Grove, IL, USA. 1999.
2. Webb, Barry G. The Message of Isaiah. The Bible Speaks Today. IVP. Downer's Grove, IL, USA. 1997.