The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.
Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
Comment: I sincerely doubt that the picture here is of Isaiah! But I have no doubt that he was a real man who lived in the eighth century before Christ was born! This passage gives us history and that he was at least in this passage given a vision that he received from God. I am not going to spend time discussing all that theologians talk about concerning who the author was etc. I am interested in the fact that Isaiah was a real person and we need to learn from what he had to say to Judah and has to say to us!
God is obviously very upset with the people of Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem. God calls them His children no doubt because He was their Creator but even honing it down more because He has ‘given birth’ to the nation when He rescued them from Egypt. They have become rebellious. Isaiah uses a number of examples to illustrate how far they had wandered into rebellion! 1. Even a work ox or donkey knows how to get to its master’s home! 2. They act as if they belong to another ‘god’, they are the offspring of really evil people – in fact they despise God who should be their True God. 3. Some disease has fallen on them and they are, as if, covered with terrible sores oozing pus – the sores unattended to and undressed for all to see! 4. Their land looks as if a huge wildfire has swept across it, leaving the beautiful city of Jerusalem like a mere hut in the centre of what was a productive field, no doubt after all the cucumbers have been harvested – now dry and unproductive! I suspect that God may think similarly about our culture today!
Proverbs 3: 7-8 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Prayer: You love me, I know. Please help me to understand Your diagnosis of me and ask You for the appropriate treatment. (in Amharic the word for Saviour means ‘our medicine’.
As I read it! 