January 7 - Isaiah 1

Hello and welcome to our daily devotions blog. Hopefully you will join as we seek God's word together.

For Isaiah 1 - (as with all Bible reading) - I recommend reading a few different versions/translations. For this chapter, I really enjoyed the Message. You can find it at the link below.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%201&version=MSG

The following are notes and questions to help guide you. Focus on the verses that particularly spoke to you this time.

Intro: Isaiah is the son of a guy named Amoz and he was a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah.

Isaiah 1:1-9 Rebellion is the main theme here. God is described as a parent who has raised children only to find that they turn their backs on him. "The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manager, but Israel does not know..." (NIV)

Question: If you were a parent and this happened to you, how would you feel?

Isaiah 1:10-20 "I can't stand your trivial religious games...I'm sick of your religion... Go home and wash up. Clean up your act." (The Message) Sometimes we get lost in "religion" and rituals and forget that what comes first is a transformed person. According to one scholar, "Religious actions were to be a symbol of the heart condition...So, why did He require sacrifices? Because we humans need a way of symbolizing spiritual realities" (Oswalt, 2003, p. 80). These worship services, songs, offering rituals are for us - not God. But, some of us might have it wrong -- we go through the motions and do the religious thing rather than begin from our hearts and allow these rituals to be the expressions of our hearts. What is the point of our songs if they are just words being sung? What is the point of our prayers if they are just a bunch of words put together to just get over with?

Question: Where are you? Are you worshipping out of a transformed life or are you just going through the motions?

Isaiah 1:21-31 Even in this sad description we can find this glimmer of hope... Yes, if you repent, I will restore you. God uses the metaphor of silver and impurities (v. 25). Typically a metalworker would remove the impurities by melting the silver. The "dross" would come to the surface and could be removed. When the silver is purged of these impurities and becomes PURE, then the metalworker is able to see his/her image in the silver. It's kind of like - when we repent and turn our hearts towards God - we are able to reflect God's image more. Even when we've totally messed up, God still calls us back to him. But the question is - will you return in repentance?

Maybe you've got some "dross" that needs to be purged. And, maybe that "dross" is keeping you feeling guilty as if God won't accept you - but that's a lie. God desires that you turn your heart towards Him in honest repentance and He will begin that restoring and transforming work.

Question: Will you return?

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