Today, we begin the Book of Isaiah. We will complete this book in a few installments, taking a break on a few occasions. Isaiah ben Amoz lived during the latter half of the 8th century before Christ, during a time when Assyrian invasions of Judah and Israel were always at risk. Isaiah lived before Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The book of Isaiah is centered around four pivotal moments in the history of Israel. Briefly, they are:
- The Syro-Ephraimite war (Syria and Ephraim against Judah) where Ahaz turned to Assyria to fend off Israel and Syria.
- The Assyrian invasion when the cities around Jerusalem were conquered, but Jerusalem itself was not conquered.
- The conquest of Jerusalem and the exile of its people as a result of the Babylonian empire invasion.
- The Return, when the returning exiled Israelites rebuilt the temple.
There are rich stories centered around a lot of history. Let’s remember these are daily devotionals, not Bible commentaries. Allow the scripture to give you a message as you soak in a word or phrase from the stories. Supplement this with the devotionals written by the authors. Let’s begin!
Today’s scripture: Isaiah 1:1-20 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Sue Robinson):
Isaiah is recounting a vision he had concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Reading this passage is like stepping from the pages of the Old Testament to today’s world. Listen to the words: “Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers.” This brings to mind Paris, Ferguson, Mo., and all the numerous other problem areas in today’s newspapers.
God goes on to say that even all their sacrifices and offerings do nothing to appease God. What good are these things when their hearts are unchanged?
I remember feeling like the only way to be in good with God was to follow ALL the rules. Quite the ambitious undertaking, indeed! But I tried. My understanding of the rules included “prayer without ceasing,” so I tried to pray many times per day. Should I wear certain clothes to appear holier? I’ll do it! Outward changes with an unchanged heart are not what God wants.
God is revealing in these verses that none of those things are pleasing to God. What Godwants is for us to come with clean hearts. As verse 16 says, “Wash yourselves clean (meaning your heart attitude), put away the evil of your doings from My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good.” These are the things that will heal our land and please our Lord.
The burning of cities, the evilness of racism, and the hurt that is happening to human kind will continue if good people don’t seek God’s healing peace.
Prayer for the day: Dear Lord, we see the many signs of unrest and hate. Please help us to seek Your best for this world. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.