Come Now, Let’s Settle This: God’s Settlement Offer Series

Subject: Come Now, Let’s Settle this: God’s Settlement Offer

Text: Isaiah 1: 1-20 These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. 2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.”4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot—covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages.7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see.

8 Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege. 9 If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah. 10 Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Introduction: God’s offer to settle the case between God verses Judah. “Come now, let’s settle this.” "Settling a case" means ending a dispute before the end of a trial. Each side has to take time to investigate the facts of the case and research the law surrounding the case. Initial papers are filed with the court months before trial can begin. All of this time gives the parties room to undertake settlement negotiations. Why settle a case? God filed suit because He has been wronged in many ways, and no other good solution has been found. Settling a case may offer a way to avoid Judah’s destruction while God still gets some compensation for the wrong that was committed. As far as defending parties are concerned, settling a case may also eliminate the costs of a trial and may also be a way to avoid the risk of potentially greater losses via a jury verdict.

The book of Isaiah is one of the most fascinating of all the Old Testament Books of Prophecy. It has 66 chapters, 39 chapters deals with the history and judgment to Judah, Jerusalem, and the surrounding nations. 27 chapters deal with the promised Messiah and His coming kingdom. The Prophet Isaiah was a well-trained and well-to-do statesman. Isaiah means which "Salvation of the Lord." He was a prophet of royal heritage according to Jewish tradition. Not only was Isaiah related to King Uzziah, he had easy access to the kings of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah was designated a seer of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah’s prophecies are filled with instructions, reproofs, and threatening for God's disobedient people. The last 27 chapters deal with god’s promises of comfort and restoration.