There have been famous cases of children suing their parents, like Gary Coleman of Different Strokes fame due to misappropriation of his earnings. Parents have sued their children, as rapper Eminem’s mom did for damages after he referenced her substance abuse in songs. Money is often a motive, but sometimes such court cases revolve around retribution for abuse or perceived neglect.
The book of Isaiah begins with the perfect Father, Jehovah, bringing a case against His spiritual children. As such, He leads out, “Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me” (2). He labels them, “Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly” (4). He calls heaven and earth as witnesses (2). Certainly, there are other ways the nation of Judah is described here, but that the Lord is making the case against them for their sin and apostasy. What are the charges?
Rebellious Conduct (2-9). Daily life for Judah was characterized by iniquity and corruption (4), which God equates to despising and rejecting Him. He depicts their immorality as leprosy-like spiritual illness. Is there a more graphic depiction than, “The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil” (5-6)? He diagnoses them as a rebirth of Sodom and Gomorrah (9-10), whom He destroyed for their many and gross immoralities. These are the people of God, given His written Word and handed stalwart leaders. They had every advantage and were profusely blessed. Despite this, they rejected Him to serve their own passions and pleasures. They’ve collected so many sins that they are burdened with the weight of them (cf. Heb. 12:1). The people have no case, so they have no choice but to plead guilty to this first charge.
Unacceptable Worship (10-20). Their first crime led to this charge. Because of their daily, rebellious living, God rejected their worship. The problem was not that they withheld sacrifice from Him. They “multiplied” them (11). They gave them in abundance. They brought the right gifts. They came at the right times (13-14). But, when they prayed, He hid and ignored them (15). Why? Their hands were covered with blood (15). They were guilty of evil deeds (16). They were trying to substitute one day of worship for six days of wickedness. They lived like the world, then came to worship and pretended to be righteous before an omniscient and omnipresent God.
General Apostasy (21-31). Apostasy “is the turning away from God in rebellion or apathy” (Jones, Lexham Theological. Wdbk.). Notice its description. Once a faithful city, they are now a harlot (21). Once full of righteousness and justice, they are now murderers (21). Isaiah describes what made this so: bribery (23), materialism (23), and oppression of the helpless (23). Because of this, they made their Father their adversary! He pledges to use His divine resources against them (24-25).
There is something Judah needed to know about these proceedings. Even though God had abundant evidence against them and they had no case, He wanted to find them “not guilty.” He does not want them to continue in this condition and pleads for them to change (5). He had already shown mercy (9). He pleads with them to turn away from their sins. Notice how He phrases it: “wash” (16), “remove” (16), “learn, seek, reprove, defend, plead” (17), “reason” (18), “consent and obey” (19). When has a plaintiff been so merciful and forgiving as God is with His people here?
But, make no mistake about it, as they are living at the time when Isaiah writes, they are His adversaries and foes (24). He was sentencing them (25). Yet, on the other side of that, He pledges to restore and redeem them (26-27). The impenitent will be crushed (28), but with the intent to make them ashamed and resolved to change (29-31). This judgment theme will recur throughout Isaiah’s prophecy, directed not only at His chosen but also their enemies. Notice also the parallel between chapter one and chapter 66, where these many themes are mirrored again in the closing words of this book. That shows that these themes are important to the overall message of the book. The bottom line is that we cannot go to court against God on the basis of our deeds. We will eternally lose under such conditions. We must throw ourselves on the mercy of the heavenly court, ready to confess and change.
Neal Pollard
