Forgiveness or judgment: It’s your choice
Isaiah 1:1-20
This morning we are beginning a brand new series in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah the book
-in terms of number of words, it’s the longest book in the Bible
-it contains for us the fullest revelation of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament--- so much so that it has been called the “gospel according to Isaiah”
-it can be divided into 2—Isaiah 1-39, 40-66
Isaiah the man
-a prophet, highly educated, ministry lasted thru 4 kings and for almost 50 years
-charged by God to announce to the nation the consequences of their rebellion against God
-ministered first in a time of national affluence and power and then during years of incredible hardship for the nation
-lived some 700 years before Jesus came to the earth
-tradition tells us that Isaiah was martyred during the reign of Manasseh, one of the most wicked kings recorded by the Old Testament. The story is that he hid in a hollow tree to escape Manasseh, and the king’s soldiers, knowing that he was in the tree, sawed the tree down. Thus, he was sawn in half. This may or not be true.
Today: Isaiah 1:1-20 READ
All of us have parents. Some parents are excellent. Some are so-so as parents. Some people shouldn’t be parents and yet are.
1. God is the perfect father
Regardless of what your earthly parents were or are like, God is the perfect father. He is the best father that there is.
Creatively God is the father of all. By His choice became the father of Israel, choosing her from amongst the nations to be his special people and channel by which the world has been blessed. By His choice He has become the special father of us who are in Christ. Between us and Him there is a most special bond that can never be broken.
As our perfect Father, he tenderly cares for us, he provides for us, he blesses us, he disciplines us, and he loves us with a perfect love.
2. I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that one of the hardest things that some parents face is rebellious children.
-rebellious children have a tendency of breaking their parents hearts
-rebellious children often leave, in their wake, a trail of destruction and hurt
-sometimes children rebel because their parents rules are too strict
-sometimes they rebel because their parents are too lax
-sometimes children rebel even though their parents have done everything right
-ultimately all our rebelliousness is due to our sinfulness.
3. In Isaiah 1 the people of Judah and Jerusalem are likened to as rebellious children. 1:2
This is despite having the perfect Father! This is despite the love of God being lavished upon them. This is despite the blessings that God had poured out upon them. This is despite his care and provision and gentleness with them.
Despite having the perfect Father in God, the Israelites rebelled, like senseless animals they decided to go their own way.
More than just drift away from God and ignore Him, the Israelites did everything they possibly could to break all of God’s laws. They were skilled in doing evil. They were inventors of different ways of doing what is wrong in the eyes of God.
Application
The people of this world are in a state of rebellion against God…
Sometimes, we who profess to love him, enter into a state of rebellion against him.
When you think about it, it’s inexplicable, it’s senseless, it’s just dumb (note Isaiah 1:3). God is amazing. He is so full of love and grace and mercy and blessing and yet how often is that we say “I don’t want any of that, I want to do my own thing. Who needs God?”
4. WHAT DO REBELLIOUS CHILDREN NEED?
Discipline. Correction. Punishment.
This is exactly what Israel got. God, as the perfect Father, disciplined his son. According to the covenant that he established with Israel in the wilderness at Mount Sinai, he poured out his judgments upon Israel and laid waste to her land.
If you’ve forgotten, while in the wilderness God had come to the people with this: If you obey me I will bless you. If you disobey me, I will curse you and judge you. If you return to me, I will restore you.
In verses 5-8 of our text (READ) Isaiah draws quite a picture of what happened to the people of Judah and Jerusalem because of their wickedness and rebellion.
5. The discipline and judgment that Judah and Jerusalem experienced was completely deserved. Ditto for us! READ v.9-10
Who remembers what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? When Isaiah addresses Judah and Jerusalem as Sodom and Gomorrah- it means they were incredibly wicked.
6. While Judah and Jerusalem--- and ditto for us-- deserved every bit of what they got and more, instead of being on the receiving end of more judgment they received mercy v.9
While most folks mistakenly think that God is too hard on people, the truth is: He’s incredibly merciful.
Here in v.9 Isaiah point blank says “You got mercy. You probably don’t think you’ve received mercy, but you’ve experienced mercy big time.”
I think that sometimes we forget how merciful God is towards us. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. My and your being here alive is a testament to God’s mercy—for does not the Scriptures say “The wages of sin is death…”?
According to Ephesians 2:1-10, we who are the followers of Jesus are trophies of God’s grace and mercy. We are on display for all the world to see—as visible evidence of the mercy of God—for in and of ourselves we deserve his wrath.
Thoughts:
1. Never charge God with being too heavy handed. i.e Hurricane Katrinna in New Orleans, Tsunami of 2004, Earthquakes, the drowning of the Egyptian soldiers in the Red Sea, etc.
His mercies are what we need to constantly sing of.
7. Instead of changing their ways and repenting of their sin, Judah and Jerusalem- for a time- ignored God’s judgments and foolishly kept on rebelling. V.5
Why do parents discipline their children? What’s their goal?
Sadly, not all children respond as they ought.
Sometimes we are like this. The Lord disciplines us and yet like a dog with a choke chain around it’s neck we keep on going and pulling and fighting and we get hurt.
8. What must a rebel do to get right with God?
In v.11-15 Isaiah tells us what not to do (READ)
Compartmentalized, external, empty, ho hum, religious practice does not please God. Sadly, too many have signed up for this.
In v. 16-17 Isaiah tells us what one must do (READ)
Repentance. A total change in our behavior—which starts in the heart- is what’s needed.
Doing exactly what God says—and not inventing our own ways of “pleasing him”—which is what most people do.
What does God say one must do: Turn to Jesus as the only mediator between God and man. Acknowledge Jesus’ Deity and resurrection. Commit to following and obeying Jesus and his teachings.
9. Forgiveness or judgment: It’s your choice.
In v.18-19, God, by way of Isaiah, set before his people/ his children a choice. (READ)
God likewise sets before us and the people of our world the same choice.
What are the choices:
Option A: Forgiveness, peace with God, cleansing, a new identity in Christ, blessing, a complete washing away of all sin
Option B: Judgment
It’s an amazing thing that a choice even exists. The offer that God makes in v.18 is incredible- because it’s totally unmerited, it’s totally undeserved. What an amazing and merciful God we have.
If you are not a follower Jesus, where are you at? Are you going to carry on in your rebellion against God or does peace with God interest in?
If you claim that you are a follower of Jesus, where are you at? Are you cooperating with the Holy Spirit and cleaning out the spiritual garbage that’s in your life or is there some pet sins that you are refusing to give up?
The text is clear: If we or anyone persists in rebelling against God, suffering and pain is what is to be expected. If on the other hand we repent, acknowledge our sin, change our ways and do what is right in the sight of God, we will be blessed.
CONCLUSION
God is the perfect Father
Despite this mankind has rebelled against Him and even we who say that we love Him, rebel against Him. How dumb
God doesn’t ignore rebellion. He disciplines and judges
Peace with God and blessing hinges upon repentance, learning to do what is right, a turning to Jesus- who died on the cross that all who believe on him might come to have eternal life.
A choice has been set before us: Come to God in faith and repentance or rebel and die in our sins apart from God.
