God Restoring The World: A Thematic Exposition of the Book of Isaiah

Week 1 Devotions

Gary Campbell Jr.
Aug 28, 2017 · 5 min read

Preaching verses: 2–3, 10–20

Monday- READ- Isaiah 1:1, Isaiah 6 The Vision

Isaiah’s experience reads like that of the Apostle John’s recorded in the book of Revelation (see ch.1:1–3,9–20). Both of these “visions of the Holy” contain similar, if not at times exact, imagery and themes. More importantly though, the message of the supremacy of the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ, unites them throughout, despite their authorship being nearly 1000 years apart. Meditate on the consistency of God’s Word in His message to Isaiah, to John, and to us today, allowing it to encourage your trust in Him.


Tuesday- READ- Isaiah 1 Worship Life

What themes does Isaiah most strongly convey? What does he fault God’s people here for? What is God’s solution? How has Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection provide that answer?


Wednesday- READ- Isaiah 1:3 Known

While perhaps offensive to our western understanding, what is the rebuke in what Isaiah is saying? Are you at times, “as stubborn as a mule” in your lack of trust in God? What about in worship, are the rituals of your Christian life at times inauthentic?


Thursday- READ- Isaiah 1:5–7, 24–26 Removing Impurities

Isaiah prophesies judgement to come for Judah for the purposes of purging, cleansing, and even restoring her. Have you ever looked back on a hard season in your life to see that it was God’s “chastening” or “purging”, of what was ungodly or simply needed to be removed?


Friday- READ- Isaiah 1:11 Cows and Coins

Clearly God didn’t need Judah’s cows, and he doesn’t need our coins either? (see what we did there:) So why give? Why worship through tithes and offerings, or even through generosity and worship in a more general sense? If God is self-sufficient and has all He needs (Psalm 50:9–11), why give Him our material things, or even our focussed time?


Saturday- READ- Isiah 1:16b-17, 23 Least of These

What Isaiah is driving at in this chapter is the heart of God’s people. A worship life of action flowing from a heart rightly devoted to Him. (vs.11, 3) What is the place of social justice in God’s spiritual economy? In other words, what is more important, worship, or action/service to others? How are you worshiping? How are you serving?


Sunday- READ- Isaiah 1:18 Sins Washed White

Despite all that Isaiah (rightly) says about the majesty and glory of God in these 66 chapters, one of his earliest points is here- God is a condescending God. He lowers Himself for the sake of His deep love for His people, even to the point of coming Himself as a Baby (Luke 2), and going to the Cross for us (Philippians 2). As you head to church this week, meditate and marvel on a God who just wants our hearts, and who will “reason” with us, and wash us clean of our sins to get it.


Chapter 1 Extended Notes

Key verses- 3b & 18 “…but Israel does not know [Me], my people do not understand. ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord.’Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”

Isaiah begins his prophetic pronouncement by comparing and contrasting the rebellion of Judah and Jerusalem with the created order, hinging on the idea that Judah does not “know” Him. It is a stark place to begin as the inferred issue is not strict obedience, (as we will see later in the chapter), but it is in knowledge of the Holy One- a relational issue, and therefore an unregenerate heart that is at issue.

Isaiah moves then to categorically lay out the symptoms of the rebellion of God’s people. He likens them to Sodom and Gomorrah, and this provokes a response from them as to their religious life. They likely heard Isaiah’s words and said-

“Wait, we observe all the festivals, sacrifices, religious rites, and prayers that we are required to; in fact we do more than we are required!”.

To which, Isaiah responds by taking them apart in verses 10–17, and in coming to vs.18, he, speaking for the LORD, pleads that they might consider deeply their spiritual state before God. Here he makes his case that they might respond to the LORD to avoid inevitable judgement.

Isaiah ends the chapter with a lament about the city of God’s people, Jerusalem, and predicts the purging judgment of the LORD, while leaving room, and hinting at, the remnant and restoration of His people at the same time.

In all, Isaiah’s opening chapter is one, that like Romans 1–3, levels the readers- God’s people, and quickly pushes through behavior, to challenge the heart of His people, and compel a re-evaluation of motives, behavior, and ultimately, relationship with their covenant God.

Thematically, in the overall aims of this great book of the Bible, Isaiah has, in this one chapter, laid out what is at issue, and what he will develop, and even plead for, the next 65 chapters. Namely, that Judah has rebelled against her God, that she doesn’t get it- (She, fails to see what He has done for her, and what He wants from her), and that because of this, judgment is coming and God will purge the sin from her. Yet, He will preserve a remnant from among her who will be devoted and obedient to Him. Isaiah’s cry is a cry to check our hearts and our lives, and to weigh whether they are in balance- devotion, love, and worship for all that God has done, and who He is, lived out in faithfulness and obedience to His commands and His Word.

Culturally, there is much here to contrast with false religiosity, and there is also the answer of the cry of every heart, namely that fulfillment comes neither in rebelliousness and indulgence of sin, nor in religion and ritualistic obedience to any supposed deity, but rather, fulfillment comes in relating to a Holy, yet loving, covenant God who pleads with us, desires us, and ultimately gives all of Himself for us!

Theme: “Worship Life- Why we do the things we do as Christians?”For us the theme and lesson of this great chapter surrounds the idea of our religious expression. Why do we do what we do? Where is our heart in both our worship life (Sundays) and our everyday life (work, school, neighborhood, etc)?

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