“But if you refuse and rebel ………”zion-voice refection

Torah portion                    Deuteronomy 1:1 to 3:22

Haftarah portion             Isaiah 1: 1-27 

                    

Listen to the Prophets

Isaiah was from a respected family. He grew up in Jerusalem, and in addition to being well educated, was both familiar and maintained contact with, the royal court.

Isaiah’s prophetic writings extend for about 60 years from 740 b.c.e. He wrote at a time of great testing for his fellow Judeans. And Israel, their ‘cousins’ and Northern neighbours, were in desperate trouble due to idolatry and their wanton disregard of their covenantal responsibilities.

Our parashah opens with a tirade of judgment against Judah. There is not a comforting word on his lips. (well, perhaps one!) His education and his royal contacts ensured that he was well versed in the situation in the broader community in which he lived. He was certainly aware of the calamity about to visit Israel in the form of their Assyrian enemies. He also knew, from God, why these things were happening, and was commissioned by God to bring the warning voice to his own people, Judah.

The Temple which Solomon had built was now about 200 years old and was being seriously neglected. It was as though no-one cared. The priests were slack in their responsibilities, both to the people and to their care for the Temple. There was an outward appearance of ‘religiosity’ but inwardly they were self-seeking and neglectful. Then God visited Isaiah with a remarkable vision. He saw it all clearly. The light of God’s Spirit shone in to the dark corners of their life. Everything was exposed. God spoke, and still speaks, powerfully through this faithful man Isaiah.

“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” And more, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear, your hands are full of blood.”

Such devastating condemnation from the Lord God Himself.

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away your evil doings from before My eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow”.

Then, for any with a modicum of decency, the words which may bring comfort. These words could be spoken by the Apostle Paul in the course of his evangelical missions to the Gentile nations, three quarters of a century later, but they were penned by Isaiah.

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

 “But if you refuse and rebel ………”

The message contained in this Scripture for us today?

God was inviting His chosen ones to review their lifestyle. Over many years, they had slipped into bad practices. There was a lackadaisical familiarity to their pretence at worship. O, they turned up alright, they brought the sacrifices, even going through the motions of praying. So what was the problem? They had lost sight of the basics of God’s intent when He gave them those instructions on how to live righteously with each other and before Him. They were selfish and self-centred, even self-seeking. They lacked sincerity in their worship. God saw it as a sham.

Their attitudes had become a barrier to communion with a Holy God. Is it possible that we may be similarly found wanting? The call of God, through the prophet is as relevant today as it was then. 

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

It is a precious characteristic of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He does not cast us away. We may choose to leave Him, but He does not leave us. He gives us opportunity, as He did these Israelites in Isaiah’s day, to turn around so as once again to head in the right direction.

Moses said in Deuteronomy 30:19,                                                                  

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life”

Shabbat Shalom

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