Week 27 Isaiah 1
Isaiah tells Judah: you act just like the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The verse catches my attention because I already have a niggling question about Sodom & Gomorrah. I’ve been wondering about what specifically bad things S&G did that qualified them for annihilation. The Genesis 18-19 story only comments generally about how awful the two cities were.
So now I see Isaiah comparing Israel to S&G. He says Judah is just like S&G. If Judah is acting just like S&G then I can answer my question about what S&G were like by looking at Judah. If I find out how Judah was being just like S&G then I’ve found out what S&G was like.
Isaiah compares Judah to S&G this way: your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
Isaiah goes on to list five things Judah should be doing (things that S&G should have done too):
Learn to do good
Seek justice
Help the oppressed
Defend the orphan
Fight for the rights of widows.
So I’m discovering some useful specific things about S&G. It’s a good start.
But when I grab a word book I see that even though S&G are mentioned twice in chapter one Isaiah only refers to them two more times in the next sixty-five chapters.
I’m a bit disappointed. I thought Isaiah would helping with my S&G question. But I’m not all that surprised. It’s not my first good question that didn’t get answered.
Note: quotes from Isaiah 1:10 16-17 (NLT)