1:1 The kingdom of Judah was failing; it was weak and its people were corrupt. It had once been a strong and righteous place, established, reinforced and blessed by God Himself. It had been a kingdom build by divine intervention for the children of God; that is: the twelve tribes which had committed themselves to Him. They followed God and He led them directly into blessing.
Then they began to falter in their commitment to God. They began to neglect their relationship with Him and consequently reject His commandments, choosing instead the lifestyle of the corrupt nations around them. They were immoral and cruel, stubborn and arrogant. Steadily their values changed and descended until they were unrecognizable to the people they once were.
But God still recognized them; He still claimed them as His own. He still accepted responsibility of them. Knowing that the people had blocked out His voice, God decided to try to reach them through another's: Isaiah.
1:2-3 Judah and the inhabitants of the earth were called to listen to a message sent from God. We were told in 1 Corinthians 10:11, that former things occurred as an example to people in future generations, therefore we listen to the message God had for Judah as instruction for ourselves.
Indeed God raises and nourishes His children. Yet generation after generation, we rebel against Him. We reject the nourishment of God in favor of worldly pleasures. It's ironic, and astounding to God that even simple animals know their master but God's children refuse to recognize their own.
1:4 Judah was called out for its sin. Their behavior was evil and corrupt. They neglected all of God's commandments. They made him angry with their cruel and fruitless behavior. They left their faith and walked opposite of righteousness. Their behavior was not only wrong but also regressive. All progress made by God for them they wasted to live corrupt lifestyles.
1:5-6 God determined that their whole system was corrupt: from head to toe they were sick with corruption.
1:7-9 Their corrupt lifestyle caused their country to become desolate. They did not take care of their blessings. It was desolate in that there was no justice, no righteousness, no compassion within. They had allowed fake, foreign gods into their mindsets. And yet there were a few in the country who remained loyal to God, and for their sake, He sent a warning to this nation.
1:10-11 People were sacrificing animals to God but their heart was not committed to Him. Their depraved behavior was not connected to any spirituality. They were going through the motions, killing animals in rituals not connected at all to God. God stated plainly that He did not enjoy their burnt offerings.
1:12-15 God explained that He would not acknowledge their strange, futile sacrifices. The corrupt and brutal rituals Judah had brought into the region were rejected by God; He hated them and was weary of them. He wanted His children to return to acts of righteousness.
1:16-17 Therefore God called them to cleanse themselves of the iniquity. He called them to cease evil and to do good. To seek justice and reject oppression. He called them to have compassion on the weak and humble and alone among them.
1:18-20 God provided them an opportunity for redemption. He had acknowledge and called out their corruption and sin... yet He promised that if they were willing to change and obedient to the instruction of God, they could be restored to blessing. But if they would not stop rebelling against justice, they would not be allowed to continue as they were.
1:21-23 God compared their disloyalty to their faith to adultery. He called them harlots. They had been just and righteous once... and then became murderers. They were weak and rusted and diluted. They were rebellious, thieves and deceivers. They acted to fulfill selfish desires, even at the expense of justice. They neglected the needy among them.
1:24-26 We have a gentle God... and yet He is also stern. He has to be, in order to guide us, protect us, and keep order. Therefore God determined vengeance against His enemies; He promised to remove His enemies. Once His children, they became enemies and adversaries as they rejected His word and neglected to live with righteousness. God promised to cleanse and bring order.
1:27-31 God's plan is always to restore justice and righteousness; He promises destruction to those who oppose it. Corrupt behavior will face its shame and its end. Desolation is the result of corrupt behavior, God ensures it.
