Isaiah 1:18 “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.
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
Isaiah 1:20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:21 How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
Isaiah 1:22 Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water.
Isaiah 1:23 Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
Isaiah 1:24 Therefore the Lord declares, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes.
Isaiah 1:25 I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
Isaiah 1:26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”
Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
Isaiah 1:28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
I sometimes find it difficult to read through the Old Testament prophets and understand the personal application of each message being delivered to the nation of Israel.
Questions that rise in my mind follow a trajectory as follows.
No Application
Could the message the prophet delivers to the covenant nation of God, prior to Christ’s appearance, be a limited message, a message that is dated and not to be applied to the believer at all under the New Testament faith?
As one who was deeply committed to the OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved) teaching for much of my life as a believer, this was the stance I took when I read the Old Testament, especially the harsh judgements of the prophets on the apostate nation of Israel.
It was for me, a convenient and easy method to avoid a very sticky situation.
Body Application
Might the message the prophet delivers to God’s people be best understood as a message to the body of God’s people and not necessarily an individual believer?
This approach to understanding the message of the prophets provides a common type of audience for the message. We are the nation of God today.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (Italics mine)
What I mean is that the nation of God in the New Testament – the Body of Christ, may find application in messages God has delivered to the nation of God – Israel – in the Old testament.
This approach seems reasonable to me, given that we filter the message through the higher privileges and responsibilities of the New Testament nation of God. Yet, the New Testament provides numerous warnings of apostacy within the church. I suggest Isaiah’s passage this morning, along with multiple other Old Testament prophets, may find direct application to the New Testament age.
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
As a foil to this teaching, we must remember that no matter the age, the remnant of God will continue. In the New Testament, we find the Lord speaking of this truth in His teaching to the disciples.
Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The remnant of Israel, even as the nation fell into grave apostacy, continued before God. An example of this remnant may be clearly seen in the days of Elijah, as he thought he stood for God all by himself.
1 Kings 19:18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
There is also a remnant, if you would, in the visible church of our day. The visible church, in the acceptance of many ungodly and deceptive teachings, seems to be chasing after apostacy before God, heading for judgement. Yet there are many individuals that are remaining faithful to the Word of God in the midst of this rebellion.
Might the application of Isaiah’s message to those headed for destruction be directed to the visible church that has walked away from God?
Individual Application
Is it correct to understand the prophet’s message to a falling nation, the apostacy Israel was living in, as something that is applicable to the individual believer?
I think Paul may provide instruction regarding this issue in the book of Romans. As we read Romans 15, consider who Paul is writing to. Is it to the individual believer within the church at Rome, or is Paul’s intended audience the congregation of believers in Rome?
Romans 15:5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
Romans 15:6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I have included verse 6, when Paul’s refers to them (individuals) being together (as a congregation), to help in the determination of Paul’s intended audience. It seems to clarify for myself that his targeted audience is the individual. If my understanding is correct, the verse prior to the passage above provides the clarification I referred to earlier
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Paul is indicating that the message of former days – the days prior to the cross – were written for our (individual) instruction.
Though the body application seems very apparent, the personal individual application also seems to be a correct understanding.
If you are still with me after that extended introduction to our passage this morning, let us consider the text of the passage. Isaiah speaks throughout the passage of national apostacy, and of the future redemption of Zion.
Note that the prophet ends his message to the nation by speaking to individuals within the nation, who through repentance and godly living, will be redeemed. Their departure from the covenant may be healed through repentance – accepting the truth of a departure from the covenant – and godly living – living a life of faithful obedience to the known will of God.
Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
Isaiah 1:28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
Rebels and sinners will simply be broken and consumed. No salvation for those who continue down the road of apostacy.
As I close, I cannot help but provide an exhortation as Paul did for the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
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