ISAIAH 1- 6: DAY 6 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
January 6, 2023
ISAIAH 1- 6
DAY 6 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
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Focus Verses for today: Isaiah 1:10 – 20; 2:22
Today, we begin our journey through the book of Isaiah. Isaiah, the man, was a prophet during the reign of four kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; a period of approximately 28 years, assuming he began his ministry toward the end of Uzziah’s reign and died approximately 14 years before the death of King Hezekiah’s reign. The duties of a prophet are not easy, Isaiah’s ministry was no exception. His ministry was comprised of two themes: (1) telling the people of Judah that they had chosen a sinful life over a righteous life, for which judgment was coming, and (2) announcing the forgiveness of sin through the coming of The Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Take some time to seek God’s guidance and understanding for our journey through Isaiah 1-6 today. Read Isaiah 1-6. Let’s journey!
Isaiah 1-6: The first 39 chapters of Isaiah, including our reading for today, chastise Judah for accepting the ways of an unrighteous world while pointing out that only God is truly righteous. “..the final twenty-seven chapters of the Bible (like the twenty-seven books of the New Testament) declare a message of hope. The Messiah is coming as a Savior and Sovereign to bear a cross and wear a crown.” (Isaiah 1:1-6:13)
The focus verses for today:
Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
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 like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
(Isaiah 1:10-20, NIV)
Stop trusting in mere humans,
who have but a breath in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?
(Isaiah 2:22, NIV)
It is apparent that God is distressed over his chosen people turning from righteous ways, God’s ways, to the ways of unrighteous people. As you read through chapters 1-6 of Isaiah take it a little slow and take note of how similar the culture of sin, which upset God then, persists now. How do we live lives pleasing to a righteous God?
Godspeace!
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