WHEN JUDGMENT BECOMES THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

(A series in the book of Isaiah: Chapter 1)

Do you know what the name Isaiah means?

Isaiah means ‘Yahweh (is) salvation’,

If you notice in chapter one, Isaiah is in a vision from God. This is the work of a prophet in the Old Testament they receive revelations from God in the form of visions most of the time and they then speak on behalf of God.

Chapter 1 describes the great problem of God’s people—rebellious and the ox is even wiser than them. Can you imagine this description? An ox is considered as the dumbest animal in their land but these animals have more common sense for righteousness than God’s people. Yes, in this chapter the rebellion of God’s people is compared to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are these wicked that judgment will surely fall upon them.

But wait, before we focus so much on the people’s wickedness let us notice a significant point on God’s side. Notice that in verse 2 despite the wickedness and the frustration that God must have felt by God towards His chosen people, HE CALLED THEM HIS CHILDREN. Can you imagine the pain God must have felt? But yet, He calls them "you are still my own"

In verse 18, after so many disappointing lines thrown at God’s people, GOD SAYS YOU CAN REASON WITH ME. God is not just putting in judgment blindly but HIS JUDGMENT IS FAIR AND JUST. He has given them chances to come back to their senses and choose God back.

Then, verses 25-27, after revealing the sad fate of His children becoming harlots. God suddenly shifts again and expresses restoration and hope for His people. God expresses His hope amidst their hopelessness.

The nation of Israel’s wickedness is truly going over the boundaries of God’s mercies and justice and with this they are just pronouncing the judgment on themselves. Really? Yes, it is the very case of Isaiah and the rest of the Bible books. At first look at this 1st chapter of Isaiah, we might see a God who is angry at wickedness, sinning, and rebellion. We might see a God who will never tolerate mistakes and will always prepare punishment for the wicked. I grew with this kind of interpretation in mind with the words written by Isaiah. However, as I grew in my understanding of God as loving and ever long-suffering, I see that with Isaiah chapter 1 it was like God telling them the consequences of their choices. The bad things that will happen to them are eventually the results of their idolatry and rebellion against the true God. God expressing that He will allow all this evil to happen to them not because it is what they deserve but because all the evils are just the results of their own actions and choices.

Now, let us see here the aspects of love. Friends, God sees that this earth is claimed by the prince of darkness. That from birth our fate is hopeless, we are sinner from birth. We are not bad because simply we are born bad. Evil has its origin and all this sin present is coming from its originator. From this premise, God never left us without warning, without probation, without entreating, and without the ceaseless invitation to come back to Him. He knows how it is to be tempted, He knows how it is to struggle, He perfectly knows how it is to fall and make a mistake. He knows all that we feel and this is the reason that HE is presenting a ceaseless invitation to choose HIM.

Isaiah chapter 1 presents a horrible description of the horrible mistakes of God’s people but even so, this chapter is also a picture of God’s ceaseless treatment to come back to Him. Israel is God’s children and their sins will never stop Him from calling them His own. He invites them to reason with them because they will win the case with Him. He offers the most impossible metaphor of making the brightest stain in those days—scarlet and crimson red—as white as snow and as wool.

Lastly, He presented them with assurance and hope. Their sinfulness is hopeless of remedy but God assured restoration. God assured His people that their sin will be erased when they come back to Him, as if they had never sinned before.

Friend, who would never love a God like this. He loves you and His judgments are nothing compared to the amount of love He has for you. Because His judgments are actually in favor of His people. His judgments are not to destroy His people but to rebuild them, restore them, and refine them. (We will discover more of these concepts as we journey with Isaiah)

Isaiah's name means God's salvation. God's judgment is indeed to save you and me. You are God's child. God calls you His own. His ultimate goal for you no matter how sinful and rebellious you are now is to save you and give you a new life in Jesus.