Part 1
Introduction:
1. Review What The People Of Judah Forgot: (Acc. To 1:1-17)
- They Forgot About Their Faithful Father!
- They Forgot About Their Wicked Nature!
- They Forgot About Their Merciful & Undeserved Deliverance!
- They Forgot About Their True Purpose!
- They Forgot About Their Continual Need!
2. We Must Never Forget About These Things In Our Lives Either!
- Especially Our True, Wicked Nature!
- Clearly & Vividly Described In 1:4-6 - “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”
3. What Does God Require From Us? (In Our Wicked Nature!)
- Find In 1:16-17 - “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
- Cleansing - But How Can I Be Clean, Unless Someone Else Washes Me?!
- Repentance - But How Can I Put Away My Evil, Unless Someone Else Takes It Away From Me?
- Righteousness - But How Can I Learn To Do Well, Unless Someone Else Teaches Me?
- Because Of Our Nature, It Is Impossible For Us To Do What He Requires!
4. We Must Be Purified!
- IE: Lived In New York During My High-School Years, Along The Banks Of The Susquehanna River - Beautiful But Dirty - Sewage Treatment Facility Across The River (Sometimes The Smell Was Unbearable) - Even The City Water Was Known To Be Frequently Contaminated - We Needed Pure Water - We Couldn’t Purify It Ourselves (Didn’t Know How), But We Had To Rely On Someone Who Could To Provide Us With Our Clean, Fresh Drinking Water!
- Isaiah, In Chapter 1, Describes That We Cannot Purify Ourselves, Because Of Our Deep Contamination, But That He Can Purify Us!
I. The Availability Of Purification (1:18)
- IE: Some Services Are Only Available Through A Single Source - Customer Called In About Some Stock Certificates His Mother Owned - She Couldn’t Take Them To The Grocery Store To Sell, Or To Her Next-Door Neighbor, Or Even To Her Church - She Would Have To Go Through A Licensed Stockbroker To Sell Them
- There is Only One Source Of Purification For A Sinner! Many Are Looking For Another Source, But There Is Only One!
- To Whom Is Purification Available? (To Those Who:)
- Repent Of Their Sin - “Come Now” - Leave What Is Behind, And Come Before God!
- Recognize Their Sin - “Reason Together” - Not An Invitation To Debate, But A Summons To See Themselves The Way God Sees Them!
- Have Remorse Over Their Sin - “Reason” - Includes Conviction, Sorrow & Anguish Over Sin
- Reveal Their Sin - Through Confession To The Lord
- Rely Upon God’s Ability To Purify Them! - “Reason” - Includes God’s Convincing Them Of His Ability
- Through Whom Is Purification Available?
- Not Through Yourselves! Because You Are Completely Stained! (1:4-6) How Will My Sins Become “White As Snow”?
- Not Through Your Animal Sacrifices! Even Your Pure, Spotless Lambs! Because God Has Already Rejected Them! (1:11 - “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.”)
- How Will My Sins Become Pure “As Wool”?
- Through The “Lamb Of God, Which Taketh Away The Sin Of The World!” (John 1:29)
- This Verse Provides A Glimpse Into The Character Of The One Through Whom Purification Is Available! He Is The Only True, Pure Lamb!
- 1 Peter 1:19 - “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
- He Will Clean Your Sins - “As White As Snow”! He Will Change Your Sins - “As Wool”!
* What About Your Need For Purification?
- Who Is Your Focus On? Your Own Self? Works? God? What Is Your Response? Repent / Recognize / Remorse / Reveal / Rely?
II. The Requirement For Purification (1:19-20)
- IE: Ruth Lilly Is The Sole Heir Of The Eli Lilly Fortune, As The Sole-Surviving Great-Granddaughter Of Eli Lilly - She Is Now 87 Years Old, And Still Lives In Indianapolis - The Value Of Her Estate Is Estimated At One Billion Dollars - Ms. Lilly Is Divorced, And Never Had Any Children - Wouldn’t You Like To Be Included In Her Will? - What Would It Take To Inherit Even A Small Portion Of Her Estate? It Would Require A Relationship (She Wouldn’t Give Anything To Someone She Doesn’t Know), And A Close Relationship At That (She Would Give Much Of Anything To Someone She Didn’t Like!) What Is The Requirement For Purification From God?
- A Relationship With The One Who Can Purify You!
- An Inward Relationship - “Willing” - Submit In Your Heart!
- An Outward Relationship - “Obedient” - Remember: The Outward Is Always Determined By The Inward! Obey In Your Actions! (Resulting From & Revealing That Inward Relationship)
- An Abundant Relationship - “Eat Of The Good” - The Result From Being “Willing” & “Obedient” - Enjoy The Best That God Offers His Children! Blessing!
- Deuteronomy 11:26-28 - “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”
- Not Rejection Of The One Who Can Purify You!
- Those Who Have The Opposite Responses To God Will Experience The Opposite Result - Curse!
- An Inward Rejection - “Refuse” - Resist In Your Heart! (Versus Submit)
- An Outward Rejection - “Rebel” - Remember: The Outward Is Always Determined By The Inward! Rebel In Your Actions! (Versus Obey)
- A Dangerous Rejection - “Ye Shall Be Devoured” - The Result Of “Refusing” & “Rebelling” - Instead Of Devouring, You Will Be Devoured! By The “Sword” - Swiftly / Violently / Destructive - IE: Ever See A Fencing Bout? Quick Movements Of The Swords, Looking For That Open Moment To Thrust And Score! Imagine If Real Swords Were Used & With No Protective Gear - Dangerous Game!
* What About Your Need For Purification?
- Are You Rejecting The Only One Who Can Purify You? Do You Have A Continuing Relationship With Him?
III. The Need For Purification (1:21-23)
- Further Reminder Of Our Need!
- IE: Children Are Told Over And Over Again: "Just Look At Those Hands! Wash Them!" - They Get Tired Of Hearing It, And Tired Of Doing It So Often - But If They Knew, And We Knew, Exactly Why It’s So Important, Handwashing Would Be A Priority On Everyon’es List Of Things To Do - Hands Can Pick Up Dirt And Germs - In The Lines, Cracks And Wrinkles - If You Used A Magnifying Glass, They Would Almost Look Like A Sponge - Even When You Don’t See Any Need To, There Is Always A Need To Wash Your Hands - Keeps You Healthy - Keeps Your Food Safe - Keeps Others Healthy - Just Like A Child Needs A Reminder Of The Need To Wash Their Hands, Isaiah Explains Again Our Need For An Even Greater Purification!
- The Description Of Their Need For Purification: (v. 21)
- Once Faithful - Now Unfaithful! They Were Established In & Obedient To God’s Law! Now They Are Like Someone Committing Adultery, Cheating On Their Spouse! A Picture Of Idolatry - They Were Having An “Affair” With A “God” Of Their Own Making
- Once Righteous - Now Unrighteous! They Were Righteous In Their Judgments! They Were Righteous In Their Actions! Now They Were Committing Even The “Worst” Kind Of Unrighteousness
- The Results Of Their Need For Purification: (v. 22)
- Their “Silver” Became “Dross”
- IE: Take Away Silver Coins From A Coin Collector And Melted Them - Remove The Other Metals Found In The Coin (Nickel Worth $3.00 Per Pound, Zinc Worth $.75 Per Pound) - Give Those Back, But Keep The Silver (Worth $4.85 Per Ounce) - This Is What Happened To Their Silver! What Once Was Valuable Became Worthless! What Once Was Rare Became Common!
- Their “Wine” Became “Mixed With Water”
- IE: Filled Glass With Ice & Can Of Pop - Let It Sit Too Long & The Ice Melted - What Happened To The Pop? It Is Diluted - And Tastes Terrible! This Is What Happened To Their Wine! What Once Was The Best Became Inferior! What Once Was Useful Became Useless! Because Of Their Sin Of Unfaithfulness To God!
- The Desperation Of Their Need For Purification: (v. 23)
- Even Those Who Were Responsible For Spiritual Oversight Were Themselves Tainted With Corruption! “Princes” - Political Officials / But Family & Religious Heads As Well!
- They Were Corrupt In Their Hearts - “Rebellious”
- They Were Corrupt In Their Associations - “Companions Of Thieves” - Instead Of Worshiping God, They Worshiped The “Gods” That The Thieves Worshiped - Money & Materialism! These Are A “God” In The Lives Of Many Professing Believers!
- They Were Corrupt In Their Influence:
- “Everyone Loveth Gifts” - Accepted Bribes - Bribery Influenced Their Decisions More Than God!
- “Followeth After Rewards” - Forced Bribes - Extortion - Because They ARE Thieves!
- They Were Corrupt In Their Judgment - They Gave No Protection - “Fatherless” - They Gave No Hearing - “Widow”
Conclusion:
1. Review:
- These Verses Again Show Our Great Need For Purification! It Is A Desperate Need! IE: Like An Explorer Wandering Through A Desert With No Water! The Incredible, Desperate Thirst!
- These Verses Show The Solution For Our Desperate Need! A Relationship!
- These Verses Show The Availability Of That Relationship! Through The Spotless Lamb Of God!
