SERMON OUTLINE:
Background to the book:
(1). WHO - Who was Isaiah?
(2). WHEN? – when did it take place?
(3). WHERE? – Where did it take place?
(4). WHY? - Why is Isaiah so important?
(5). WHAT? - What's the big idea?
Outline of chapter 1:
(1). God: the judge (VS 2-4):
(2). The accused: Judah (vs 5-15):
(3). The sentence: Judgement or mercy (vs 16-31):
SERMON BODY
Ill:
• It turns out even the experts get it wrong sometimes,
• Art historians have just discovered that a famous painting by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian,
• Has been hanging upside down in galleries for 75 years.
• The 1941 abstract painting by Mondrian, titled New York City,
• Has been on display in galleries since 1945,
• While undertaking research for a new show on the artist earlier this year.
• Curator Susan Meyer-Buser has made a startling discovery,
• She noticed the lines on the picture were thicker at the bottom,
• While the lines on a similar painting had thickening lines at the top.
• The strangest part is that they cannot now turn the picture the right way up,
• Because it has become too fragile!
• And experts believe that the change in gravity would cause damage,
• Potentially causing the adhesive tapes to fall off.
• So, if you want to see the picture as the artist intended it to be seen,
• You are going to have to do a handstand!
• TRANSITION: We start a new series of studies in the Old Testament book of Isaiah,
• He too has some shocking news for his nation.
• He will tell them that things are not as they seem, they too need a turnaround!
Question: Anyone know who this man is?
• Clue 1: He was one of the most widely read authors of the early 20th century.
• Clue 2: He was regarded in the late-19th century as an unofficial poet laureate of the British Empire,
• Clue 3: He wrote children’s book The Jungle Book,
Answer: Rudyard Kipling
• He was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist
• He writes these words in his poem, ‘The Elephant's Child.’
“I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who..”
• TRANSITION: this morning we will look at five of his six ‘serving-men,’
• As we get a bit of background to the book.
(1). Who - Who was Isaiah?
• The book of Isaiah takes its name from its writer Isaiah (the son of Amoz).
• But we now very little about the man himself,
(a).
• In fact, we have to go outside the Bible to other Jewish books to learn about him.
• In particular the historian Josephus.
• Josephus informs us that Isaiah had a good start in life,
• Because he was born in a palace, he grew up in the royal court.
• We might say, “He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth!”
• So materially life was comfortable!
Quote:
• Spike Milligan (was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright.)
• "Money cannot buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery."
• Isaiah came from a wealthy family, he was the grandson of Joash,
• And was therefore cousin of the king Uzziah.
• Which is one reason he was so devasted by Uzziah’s death in chapter 6.
(b).
• Isaiah was married, nothing too unusual about that,
• Most Jewish men were married.
• But who he married might surprise you!
• Isaiah the prophet married a prophetess! (Chapter 8 verse 3).
• Although we do not have any recorded prophecies from her,
• She was part of an exclusive club,
• Only five women in the Old Testament are called prophetesses in Israel.*
__________________________________________________________________
*Several women prophets are mentioned in the book of Ezekiel. There are the female prophets, plural, of Israel that Ezekiel condemns in 13:15-17.
Rabbis taught in Megillah (14a), one of the tractates of the Talmud, that there were seven prophetesses in Israel: “Our Rabbis taught: Forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses prophesied to Israel. . . . ‘Seven prophetesses’. Who were these? – Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther.”
Why the list is different is a whole Bible study in itself!
__________________________________________________________________
(c).
• Isaiah’s wife the prophetess bore him two sons,
• Some scholars say three sons depending on how you understand certain verses,
• But we know for sure that he had two sons!
• Son #1: ‘Shear-jashub’, meaning "A remnant shall return" (Isaiah 7:3),
• Son #2: ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’, meaning,
• "Spoil quickly, plunder speedily" (Isaiah 8:3).
• (Trivia, a whopping 18-letter, six syllable name, the longest in the Bible)
(2). WHEN? – when did it All take place?
(a).
• Isaiah walked on planet earth about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
• His ministry lasted for about 40 years (approximately 740–701 B.C.),
• And Isaiah prophesied under the reign of four Judean kings,
Ill:
• We have recently had three British prime ministers in seven weeks
• Well, the kings that Isaiah prophesied under lasted longer than that!
• The four kings were Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (chapter 1 verse 1).
“The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”
• Three of these kings were good, the exception being Ahaz.
• Ahaz proved to be the master of compromise and religious syncretism.
(b).
• Isaiah probably met his death under a fifth king, the evil King Manasseh.
• Christian tradition as early as the second century,
• Identifies Isaiah as one of the prophets whose death is described in Hebrews chapter 11,
• Specifically, the prophet who was “sawn in two.” (vs 37)
(3). WHERE? – Where did it take place?
• Chapter 1 verse 1 gives us the setting, “Judah and Jerusalem”
• Isaiah lived in Jerusalem, the capital city, also called Zion in the book.
• Today we think of Israel was one location,
• But at the time of Isaiah the country was split.
• The northern kingdom was called Israel.
• The Southern kingdom was called Judea.
• Isaiah lived in the south, in Judea,
• Whose capital city was Jerusalem, also called Zion in this book.
(4). What? – What Is the book all about?
• The big idea in this book might be summarised by a simple statement,
• Found in chapter 12 verse 2.
• “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
• Those words also echo the meaning of Isaiah’s name,
• Which means, “God is Salvation” or “Salvation of Yahweh.”
• The book of Isaiah is sixty-six books, just like the Bible.
• And it is divided into two main parts - 39 chapters and 27 chapters,
• Sound familiar? It divides like the two Testaments - old and new.
• The first 39 chapters talk about judgement.
• And this judgment indicates its necessity for salvation to occur.
• Before we cannot have salvation, unless we have a need for it!
Ill:
• True prophets are like good doctors,
• They diagnose the case, prescribe a remedy,
• And warn the patient what will happen if the prescription is ignored.
• In these chapters Isaiah the doctor.
• Examines the patient – the nation of Judah,
• And he will diagnose their symptoms and show their present situation.
• And he will give them a prescription, which is passionate plea to return back to the Lord.
• TRANSITION:
• The presence of judgment shows the nation the need for salvation.
• That salvation will be found in God’s promised Messiah.
Isaiah Summary:
• Isaiah the Prophet is called by God to preach repentance to the Israelites
• The Israelites are a ‘stubborn people’ and refuse to repent.
• Isaiah preaches the coming of a future Messiah who will be called Emanuel.
• Ultimately God’s people will be restored after a period of Judgement.
(5). WHY? - Why is Isaiah so important?
• Isaiah is the most quoted of all the prophets,
• And the second most quoted Old Testament book after Psalms.
• Jesus favourite book and also, Paul, Peter, and John (in his Revelation),
• Quote this book more than any other Old Testament prophet.
• Isaiah provides us with,
• The most complete prophetic picture of Jesus Christ in the entire Old Testament.
• It includes the full scope of His life:
• e.g., The announcement of His coming (chapter 40 verses 3–5),
• e.g., His virgin birth (chapter 7 verses 14),
• e.g., His proclamation of the good news (chapter 61 verses 1),
• e.g., His sacrificial death (chapter 52 verses 13 to chapter 53 verses 12),
• e.g., and His return to claim His own (chapter 60 verses 2–3).
• Because of these and numerous other christological texts in this book,
• It has been nicknamed the gospel according to Isaiah!
• The book stands as a testament of hope in the Lord,
• The One who saves His people from themselves.
• So, that is Mr Kipling’s ‘serving-men,’ finished with for now,
• So, let’s look briefly at the book – chapter 1
Chapter 1:
Joke:
• The stranger approached the pastor after service and said,
• “I’d like you to pray for my hearing.”
• The pastor placed his hands on the man’s ears and said a passionate, earnest prayer.
• The pastor asked the man, “How’s your hearing now?”
• Looking surprised, the man said,
• “I don’t know because my court hearing is not until tomorrow!”
• TRANSITION:
• This first chapter describes a courtroom scene.
• The judge is Almighty God,
• And the accused is the nation of Judah.
• This first chapter divides neatly into three sections:
(1). God: the judge (VS 2-4):
Now God as the judge is very much the word picture here (vs 2-4):
• The court is assembled, and the charges stated,
• Verse 2:
“Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
‘I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.”.
Ill:
• J.I Packer, in his book Knowing God,
• Instructs his readers on the characteristics of God as a judge.
• The following points are excerpts from his book.
• Readers who are interested in this subject,
• Would benefit from reading Packer’s entire chapter, God the Judge.
• Paraphrase Excerpts taken from Knowing God, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press), 143, 147.
• The judge is a person with authority.
• In the Bible world, the king was always the supreme judge,
• He had the supreme ruling authority.
• It is on that basis,
• According to the Bible, that God is judge of his world.
• As our Maker, he owns us, and as our Owner, he has the right to dispose of us.
• He has, therefore, a right to make laws for us,
• And to reward us according to whether or not we keep them.
• The judge is a person identified with what is good and right.
• The biblical idea of a judge is he is expected to love justice and fair play,
• And to loathe all ill treatment of one person by another.
• The judge is a person of wisdom, to discern truth.
• The judge’s first task is to determine the facts in the case that is before him.
• There is no jury; it is his responsibility, and his alone,
• To question, and cross-examine, and detect lies and pierce through evasions,
• So that he can establish the truth of the situation.
• When the Bible pictures God judging,
• It emphasizes his omniscience and wisdom.
• God is the searcher of hearts and the finder of facts.
• Nothing can escape him; we may fool men,
• But we cannot fool God. He knows us, and judges us, as we really are.
• The judge is a person of power to execute sentence.
• The modern judge does no more than pronounce the sentence;
• Another department of the judicial executive then carries it out.
• The same was true in the ancient world.
• But God is his own executioner. As he legislates and sentences, so he punishes.
• All judicial functions coalesce him.
(2). The accused: Judah (vs 5-15):
• In these three verses God presents his case.
• And pronounces the accused (the nation of Judah) as guilty.
Question: What were they guilty of?
Answer: Scan through the chapter and see.
• Verse 2: Disobedience.
• Verse 3: Refusing to acknowledge their Creator.
• Verse 4: Rejecting the Holy One of Israel.
• Verse 13: Bringing the Lord "meaningless offerings".
• Verse 13: Turning their sacred meetings into "evil assemblies".
• Verse 15&22: Committing murder.
• Verse 23: Engaging in theft and bribery.
• Verse 29: Ignoring the pleas of women and children who lacked adequate support and legal representation.
• Verse 29: worshiping at pagan shrines.
• And sadly, if you keep reading the list just goes on and on and on and on!
Quote:
“The most disgusting thing about this rebellious people is that they were also a religious people. They attended the temple services and brought a huge number of sacrifices to the Lord; but their hearts were far from God, and their worship was hypocritical.”
Ill:
• A policeman who beaks the law is worse than an ordinary person,
• Because you expect better, higher standards!
• And from the so called, ‘people of God’
• You would have or should have expected better!
(3). The sentence: Judgement or mercy (vs 16-31):
• Because of their sin,
• The people were already experiencing God’s hand of judgement
• e.g., Verse 6:
• They were suffering like a sick man, covered with " Wounds, bruises & running sores"
• e.g., Verse 7:
• The fields and villages of Judah were being burned & plundered by foreigners.
• e.g., Verse 8:
• The mighty & glorious Jerusalem, was “Like a tumbledown shack on a dead-end street,”
• e.g., Verse 9:
• Only God's mercy had kept her from being overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah.
• e.g., Verse 21:
• At one time she had been "the faithful city," but now she was no better than a prostitute.
Isaiah points out to the people of Judah:
• That there are only two options available to them,
• And they must decide which option to take! The positive or the negative.
Look (scan through) at the options:
• Verse 19: is positive.
• If the people obeyed the Lord, they would "eat" the best from the land.
• Verse 20: is negative:
• If they disobeyed, they would be "devoured" by the sword.
• Verse 25: is negative:
• Their deliberate habitual sinning would cause God to "turn" his hand against them.
• Verse 26: is positive and contains hope:
• If they trust the Lord, then God’s grace would "restore" their leaders as in days of old.
Note: I would guess that the best-known verse of this chapter is verse 18:
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool”.
Ill:
• If wool had been died it is impossible to make it white again,
• We even have the expression, ‘dyed-in-the-wool’.
• Meaning, someone who has strong opinions that do not change:
• TRANSITION: But what is impossible for men is possible with God.
• God can make the scarlet white again!
Note: God gives us a choice regarding our sins.
• God says to the people; “You can remain as you are”
• Their sins were red because their hands were "full of blood" (vs 15),
• Or if were willing to repent, God would transform their lives,
• And make them as pure and white as the driven snow
• He goes on to say that their beloved and beautiful Jerusalem would also be restored.
• And once again deserve to be called "the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City" (vs 26).
Isaiah's mission was to warn the people:
• That they will reap what they have sown (Galatians chapter 6 verse 8),
• That God, the "Judge of all the earth" (Genesis chapter 18 verse 25),
• Would sentence them to destruction UNLESS they turned from sin and turn to him.
Ill:
• If you have ever seen a court proceeding in England,
• You will have noticed that British judges and lawyers,
• Still wear Victorian era wigs at certain times in the proceedings.
• Most important,
• A judge will put on a long white wig prior to announcing the verdict to a defendant.
• There is a reason for this ritual that goes beyond mere tradition.
• The white wig is a symbol of the law.
• When a judge pronounces a verdict,
• It is the law that condemns the guilty,
• Not the judge.
• The white wig covers the head of the judge,
• So that everyone knows that it is the law that condemns, not the man!
Ill:
• The people of Judah were under the Law and condemned by the Law of Moses,
• But a loving, gracious God offers a way of escape, if only they will take it!
• And we too are condemned by the Law,
• Our sins “are as red as scarlet”
• Yet to all who believe in Jesus, “God’s salvation”
• In Christ we can be, “As white as snow!”
Quote: Lou Nicholes - Missionary/Author.
• ““Wash me!” was the anguished prayer of King David.
• "Wash!” was the message of John the Baptist.
• "Unless I was you, you have no part with me,” said the towel draped Jesus to Peter.
• Without our being washed clean by the blood of Christ we will all die in our sin “
SERMON VIDIO:
https://youtu.be/UkODiUAiWOI
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=NrHwnZ1fHa54ypCPJSRA6iH00H8EujUt
