Isaiah 1:18-31.  Well I’m still working on the reading schedule and the other pages.  But they are coming.  Today’s reading starts with God appealing to the people of Judah.  The phrase “let us reason together” translates a word that has the ideas of correction and deciding or judging.  In this case it looks like the Israelites need to do the deciding, they need to figure out or judge what they want, if they choosee poorly though the results will be a disaster.  God is offering to remove their sins but they must allow it and then they must follow Him, obey Him.  If they choose to follow their own way (rebel against God’s) they will be destroyed.  This is a serious offer so they were told that it was a sure deal right from God’s own mouth.

The facts of their guilt, their disobedience are listed in verses 21-23.  They have cheated on God and been self-centered.  The faithful city, Jerusalem, has become faithless and filled with idols; idols of self and of wood (see verse 29 where the trees and gardens are references to objects and places of false worship (See also Isaiah 44:14-15)).  The city is called a prostitute.  This is actually a way of saying the people of the city are cheater, they have sold themselves for whatever they think they could get out of worshipping these self made gods and by disobeying the true God, Yahweh.

Verses 24-26 are pretty interesting.  Did you notice that God changes who he is talking to or about between verses 24 and 25.  In verse 24 he tells us that He will be comforted about His enemies by avenging himself.  When we think of vengeance we think of getting angry and hurting someone or getting even.  Probably that second idea is closest.  In Deuteronomy 32:41 we see the idea of vengeance linked with repayment or paying back.  Interestingly the word for payback is shalam, peace.  How is vengeance peaceful?  In Hebrew thinking peace is always linked with completeness or wholeness.  To be at peace things needed to be finished or dealt with.  In this case god is going to deal with the those who have been disobedient.  Twice in the New Testament we are told tht vengeance belongs to God and he will repay (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30).  The New Testament was written in Greek not Hebrew but the words and their ideas are the same.  Theses words have kind of a formal feeling like a trial in a court room.

In verse 27 we see that kind of idea too; justice.  God’s enemies will be crushed and come to an end.  But don’t think the end is an end to their existence, verses 31 tells us that the “strong” man (You know a person who can do it on his own his own way.) will be burned by his own work.  And the fire will not be able to be put out.  This reminds me of Revelation 20:12-15 where those whose names are not in the “Book of Life” were judged by their own dees and cast into the “lake of fire”.  Revelation 20:10 tells us that this is the very same place the devil will spend eternity.  Matthew 25:41 tells us this punishment is forever, eternal.  So those who are judged by their deeds are rightly condemned and put out of God’s presence forever.

The picture is not completely dark, though, there is hope.  Remember God asked us to reason with him and decide.  But what is there to decide?  Remember he said we could be cleansed from our sins.  But only if they allow it.  Verse 27 tells us that those who turn back to God (repentant ones) will be bought back (redeemed) with righteousness (a life lived according to God’s rules).  But we are not righteous, our lives are not right with God.  Even if the rest of our life is right we already have a long list of disobedience.  The key is in that “book of life”.  In Revelation 21:27 we learn that it is the Lamb’s book of life.  The lamb is a reference to Jesus (see “The Old Testament Connection” for more about this).  Most of the “book” of Romans in the New Testament is about Jesus’ righteousness being given to us.  It’s like we are “painted’ with Jesus’ right relationship with God.  That is how you get “redeemed with righteousness”, Jesus buys you back.  But you must decide.  Lord thank you that I do not have to get to heaven by what I can do because that would never happen. Thank you for using your life to save mine.  Help me show my appreciation for what you have done by serving others.  Let reprove the ruthless and defend the widow and orphan.  Thank you for hearing my cry for help.  Thank you for your mercy.   Let me hear others and be merciful.