The Rebellious Nation Isaiah 1: 1-15 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Isaiah prophesied in Judah through the reigns of four kings: Uzziah [2 Ki 15:1, 2 Chr 26:1], Jotham [2 Ki 15:32, 2 Chr 27:1], Ahaz [2 Ki 16:1, 2 Chr 28:1] and Hezekiah [2 Ki 18:1, 2 Chr 29:1]. During this time, the ten northern tribes were attacked by Assyria and led away captive [2 Ki 17:5-23]. So, the two southern tribes in Judah could certainly see that by doing what Israel had been doing, they were going to surely face the same fate. And they did, less than a hundred years after Isaiah finished his ministry [2 Ki 24-25]. Notice what Judah had become:
A Rebellious Nation – v.1-3 – Isaiah prophesied to the heavens and the earth about the condition of Judah. In their rebellion, they didn’t even know the Lord who had nourished and brought them up, unlike animals who know their owners who feed and care for them. Rebelliousness was characteristic of Israel from the time they left Egypt [Deut 9:7, 23-24].
A Sinful Nation – v.4 – Of course, we are all sinners, but Judah, as a nation, had gotten so deep into sin that the whole nation was infected with it. Notice how the sin affected them. They were burdened with sin [laden with iniquity], bred with sin [a seed of evildoers] and burgeoning with sin [children that are corrupters]. As a result they forsook the Lord, provoked him to anger and backslid [gone away backward]. See 2 Chr 27:2; 28:2-4, 19, 23-25; and 29:5-7.
A Sick Nation – v.5-6 – The Lord was through chastening them because they would only revolt more. The Lord promised that they would become very sick if they rebelled against him [Deut 28:60]. Comparing them to a natural body, he said they were filled with wounds, bruises and sores that had not been sutured, bandaged or mollified. They were sick from sin literally from the top of their head to the sole of their foot. That’s why Jesus had to heal them when he came because they were still diseased [Matt8:16-17].
A Desolate Nation – v.7-9 –Judah began to be defeated by her enemies [2 Chr 28:5-8, 16-20]. Their cities were burned, and their land was overthrown and devoured by strangers. They were like a besieged city [compare 2 Ki6:24-29]. Except for a remnant of survivors [2 Ki 19:4], they were like Sodom & Gomorrah. Paul quotes this verse in Rom 9:29 and John refers to Jerusalem as Sodom in Rev 11:8, indicating that what happened to them historically is a type of what will happen again under the antichrist right before the Second Coming of Jesus. A remnant shall be saved [Rom 9:27].
A Forsaken Nation – v.10-15 – Is 2:6, 2 Chr 24:20 – The Lord was sick of their offerings and their incense and so he hid from them and refused to listen to their prayers [Prov 28:9, 1:24-33]. When he said, “I cannot away with” in v.13, he was saying “I cannot go along with” their new moons and Sabbaths and so forth. We would say, “I cannot stand them.” He didn’t want them anymore.