Isaiah 1

The Book of Isaiah has a reputation for being difficult to understand. It draws on an ancient form of Hebrew poetry, and much of it is deeply symbolic.  However, Jesus Christ has commanded us to study it: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi: 23:1).

So with that, I’m jumping into Isaiah. While I’m not a scholar and don’t speak or read Hebrew (yet), I do love the Book of Isaiah. For several years I’ve been reading the work of Margaret Barker, which has helped me understand more about what Isaiah teaches. I hope this walk through Isaiah will be helpful.

A bit of groundwork first. The prophet Isaiah lived in Jerusalem roughly around 740 BC, during the reign of King Hezekiah. Solomon’s Temple had been in operation for about 300 years, and would be destroyed about 150 years later.

Understanding this context helps us understand Isaiah. He was writing in a time when there were massive changes going on in Israelite politics, temple practices, and theology. He warns against rejecting the Lord and His ways. This is clear in the first chapter of Isaiah. As with much of Isaiah, this falling away applies to the Israelites living during Isaiah’s time and to others who have claimed to follow the Lord throughout history. It also applies to us individually, here and now.

Verses 1-9

-The Lord has nourished Israel, the children of God.
-His children have forsaken the Lord and His ways
-v. 6: They have open sores that haven’t been healed with ointment. This is interesting atonement-related imagery. Oil and ointment are symbolic of Christ (more on that later). He heals our wounds and sins, but only if we let Him. This verse points out that the children of God have rejected the God who could have healed them.
- v. 7: I may be going out on a limb here, but given the reading and studying I’ve done, I think it’s likely that Isaiah is here referring to a rejection of true temple practices, including rejection of a Heavenly Mother.

Verses 10-15

-We can offer all the sacrifices and do all the “works” we want, but they are meaningless if our hearts aren’t truly set on the Lord. While sacrifice and ordinances are necessary, and God has commanded them, they are insufficient to salvation. We must have charity, the pure love of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Verses 16-20

-The way to happiness and salvation is to turn our hearts to the Lord and become as He is: separated from evil, relieving the oppressed, helping the poor, and obeying the Lord. As Christ submitted His will to His Father’s we should also submit entirely. Rebellion will bring destruction.

Verses 21-31

-v. 21: There are two archetypal women in the scriptures – Wisdom and the harlot. Wisdom is associated with the tree of life, righteousness, and rebirth. The harlot denotes worldliness, evil, death, and destruction. The Israelites have chosen the harlot.
-Israel has become corrupted, mixing water with wine, ignoring the plights of others, seeking riches (sound familiar?).
-v. 25: The Lord will purify the world (and you, if you let Him), and restore things to their original, perfect state. The purification process won’t be much fun for those who remain transgressors and who forsake the Lord.
-vs. 29-30: More wisdom imagery here. Israel has rejected the true tree of life, becoming like a dying oak, withering like an unwatered garden. I believe that losing “water” is losing communication with the Lord and denying His power, revelation, and miracles.

Final Thoughts

The Israelites at this stage kept all the outward trappings of religion, but denied God’s original covenant, watered down their theology, justified themselves in doing wrong, and became self-centered. They stopped believing in God’s ability to communicate with them and reveal Himself to them. Essentially, they lost their faith in God.

Do we assume that because we do the “outward” things like generally being nice people, going to church on Sunday, and living what the world deems to be an upstanding life that it will be enough? Or have we truly been changed, converted, lost desire for sin, and become like Him?