Prophetic Glimpses -- A Nation's Corruption
Isaiah 1

Sermon Outline From Morning Service - 2 January 2000

I. The background to Isaiah's prophecies

A. Leadership -- some good kings, but the people were bent to sin
B. Material prosperity brought complacency and self-confidence.
C. Isaiah's prophecies centered on judgement and hope

1. Isaiah's name means "Jehovah is salvation." Three aspects of salvation: national salvation future salvation (establishing the kingdom) personal salvation (for individuals who put their faith in the Redeemer)
2. Isaiah has been called a Bible in miniature -- 2 halves (39 & 27 = 66).

II. The problems of the people (1:2-15, 21-23)

A. Rebellion (2-3)

1. They turned against God as if He were nothing to them
2. They no longer "considered" God as relative to their lives

a. "Consider the lilies, the ravens, the heavens" -- God is the One Who, so very evidently in nature, cares for all His creation.
b. They weren't considering: the purpose of their relationship the responsibility of their position & the glory of their destiny

B. Sin sickness (4-9)

1. Their rebellion is not seen in what they said, but in what they did
2. Sickness permeates the body -- this is contrasted with Lk. 10:27
3. The cancer of sin had spread; there was no hope of recovery

C. Religious formality (10-15)

1. They had the "form of godliness" -- all these things that God asked for were good only if they brought their worshipers to God.
2. God loathes those who only play the game -- Is. 59:1-2.
3. Their religion was popular, but not spiritual -- it was not changing the hearts of the people. It made them dirtier, not cleaner!

D. Corrupt leadership (21-23)

III. The remedy for the people (1:16-20, 24-31)

A. Turning from the practice of sin (16-17)

1.. Sincere repentance involves both turning from sin (v. 16) and the practice of righteousness (v. 17).
2. "Wash me" are the words of David (Ps. 51:10) and the thought of Paul (2 Cor 7:1-- let us cleanse ourselves).
3. Applying the repentance of v. 16 is not enough. Ceasing to do wrong and doing what is right will not blot out the stain of our sin.

B. Being cleansed from the stain of sin (18)

1. Anyone can stain his soul with sin, but only God can bleach that stain out of our hearts.
2. The method God uses to accomplish this impossible task is hinted at in v. 27 -- justice means a death penalty for sin; righteousness means not our own, but God's righteousness. Is. 53 elaborates on this theme of Jesus taking our sin.
3. We are called to "reason together" with God

a. This is, however, not a compromise. We will always come up to His standard and see things His way. Is. 55:8-9.
b. What He desires and demands is reasonable. We see how unreasonable it is to turn from Him, to reject His way, His will.
c. It is His love that gives the opportunity to "reason together."

Rev. 3:17 reminds us that God measures us by the heart. He not only sees our worship, sometimes He sees through our worship and rejects it.