Isaiah 1: A Hollow Religion
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCES us to the society in which Isaiah lived and to which he was called to preach. We discover something which God finds nauseating—a rotten religion. This chapter will help us review our own religious behavior.
Warming Up to God
What, for you, is the difference between being part of a religious group and having faith?
Read Isaiah 1. »
Discovering the Word
- In verses 2-3 the Lord summons heaven and earth to be witnesses of his accusations against his people. What is the force of the two metaphors the Lord uses to describe his people's unreasonable and rebellious conduct?
- Both the nation (v. 4) and the country (v. 7) are in a shocking condition. What vivid pictures of sinfulness do verses 4-9 provide?
- These people who verses 2-9 speak of were religious! How does God react in verses 10-15 to all of their religious commotion?
- Describe the kind of life that God is asking them to lead instead (vv. 16-17).
- Look at verses 21-26. You will notice that these verses are framed by reference to "the faithful city" (Jerusalem or Zion). Life in the capital reflects life in the nation. What picture do these verses give of life in Jerusalem?
- Now return to verses 18-20. Some scholars think verse 18 is cynical, but traditionally it has been understood as a gracious invitation by humanity's Judge. What does this invitation offer?
Applying the Word
- In what ways have heaven and earth witnessed the same sinfulness and the same results in your life and your society?
- From your own experience, explain why it is much harder to fulfill the moral requirements of verses 16-17 than just to go through the ritual activities mentioned in verses 10-15.
- Evaluate your own religious practices in the midst of your own society with all its needs. What reorientation does your life require if your religion is not to be just a burden—to you and to God?
Responding in Prayer
Confess your sins to God, knowing that he will make you pure.
For Further Study
Isaiah by Howard Peskett