Read
1 I am Isaiah, the son of Amoz.
And this is the message that I was given about Judah and Jerusalem when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah:
A Guilty Nation
2The Lord has said,
“Listen, heaven and earth!
The children I raised
have turned against me.
3Oxen and donkeys know
who owns and feeds them,
but my people won't ever learn.”
4Israel, you are a sinful nation
loaded down with guilt.
You are wicked and corrupt
and have turned from the Lord,
the holy God of Israel.
5Why be punished more?
Why not give up your sin?
Your head is badly bruised,
and you are weak all over.
6From your head to your toes
there isn't a healthy spot.
Bruises, cuts, and open sores
go without care
or oil to ease the pain.
A Country in Ruins
7Your country lies in ruins;
your towns are in ashes.
Foreigners and strangers
take and destroy your land
while you watch.
8Enemies surround Jerusalem,
alone like a hut
in a vineyard
or in a cucumber field.
9 Zion would have disappeared
like Sodom and Gomorrah,
if the Lord All-Powerful
had not let a few
of its people survive.
Justice, Not Sacrifices
10You are no better
than the leaders and people
of Sodom and Gomorrah!
So listen to the Lord God:
11 “Your sacrifices
mean nothing to me.
I am sick of your offerings
of rams and choice cattle;
I don't like the blood
of bulls or lambs or goats.
12“Who asked you to bring all this
when you come to worship me?
Stay out of my temple!
13Your sacrifices are worthless,
and your incense disgusting.
I can't stand the evil you do
on your New Moon Festivals
or on your Sabbaths
and other times of worship.
14I hate your New Moon Festivals
and all others as well.
They are a heavy burden
I am tired of carrying.
15“No matter how much you pray,
I won't listen.
You are too violent.
16Wash yourselves clean!
I hate your filthy deeds.
Stop doing wrong
17and learn to live right.
See that justice is done.
Defend widows and orphans
and help the oppressed.”
An Invitation
18I, the Lord, invite you
to come and talk it over.
Your sins are scarlet red,
but they will be whiter
than snow or wool.
19If you willingly obey me,
the best crops in the land
will be yours.
20But if you turn against me,
your enemies will kill you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Reflect
Isaiah knows cows. He knows the habits of oxen and donkeys too. The ox, the emasculated version of an adult cow, knows its master and its stall.
From personal experience I know the truth of Isaiah’s words. I grew up on a farm and every one of our twenty milk cows knew exactly where their stall was. When the barn door opened, they all filed in and walked directly to their stall – their particular place – their assigned place. There in the manger a ration of rolled oats was waiting for them.
Isaiah begins his sixty-six chapter, prophetic discourse with this analogy of an ox knowing its master and its manger. It’s a testament to the intelligence of the ox and the donkey. But by contrast, this analogy serves as an indictment of the people of Israel. In their stupidity they have turned their backs and walked away from the LORD, their Master and Provider.
It’s easy for us to smack our lips in disgust. Stupid people! Stupid Israel!
But are we any different? On many occasions we know what is right – what is required of us – but we walk away. We know our place. We know there’s a nourishing meal waiting for us, but with a haughty sniff we turn the other way.
To the stupid and wayward – I’m included in that herd – the LORD calls out offering forgiveness. “I, the LORD, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
Respond
LORD God, forgive me for my waywardness. You are my loving Master and my daily Provider. I yield my will to you. Amen.
David Kitz
David Kitz is an actor, an award-winning author, and teacher. For more than thirty years, he has served as an ordained pastor. His love for drama is evident to all who have seen his Bible-based performances. He has toured across Canada and United States with a variety of one man plays for children and adults. Raised in Saskatchewan, David now lives in Ottawa with his wife Karen. Books in print: The Soldier Who Killed a King, Little Froggy Explores the BIG World, Psalms Alive!, Tunks on Tongues