The book of the Prophet Isaiah
chapter
1
1. The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 1)
As in the case of all humans the chosen people of God, who wanted to be governed by human kings more than the real King of Kings that is You my God were now subject to the atrocities and sinful acts of such human leaders. However God always prepares us for such moments by means of special people to whom He gives deep insights on such situations in order to encourage those concerned that all is not lost and that even though, we turn away from His ways He is always there ready to save us. God chose to pass on these messages by means of visions which were written down in the form of a scroll which later on were compiled into chapters and eventually books.
During our times that is 2015 we still have visionaries who receive spiritual messages. A case in point are the visionaries at Medjugorie who receive messages in visions from the Holy Mary Mother of God, who appears every day to some of these visionaries and on particular days to others. I invite you to visit the following visionaries on the following page by clicking on this link.
Medjugorje.Homepage
2. Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: I reared children and brought them up but they have rebelled against me.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 2)
Indeed oh God You have created us and formed us by means of Your Gospel and commandments, however many of us have become atheists and have joined other sects and religions, many are aborting children, your sons and daughters are being beheaded and crucified because they have remained faithful to You. Oh if we will not listen it makes sense to address the heavens and all the angels in Your presence.
3. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 3)
Oh God today as a society we have become secular and no longer acknowledge You as our God. I am sorry to say that many of us have decided to become gods themselves and lead their worldly life according to their own twisted values, norms and fabricated belief based on what they feel more than on what and whom they believe in. I pray today to You to have mercy on us both as individuals and more as a world and community because at times I have the impression that we have lost You as our way and we know not in which destination we are heading to if it is heaven or hell. I pray to You my God that I will not also be tempted to become worldly but to keep on meditating on Your Gospel and with Your help even though I am still a sinner, keep on walking in Your ways every day of my life.
4. Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the LORD, who have despised the Holy One of Israel, who are utterly estranged!
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 4)
Oh God I hear an echo of the qualities of the society of my times. With a heavy heart I confess that we have become corrupt and estranged from You. This can happen to me and anybody, therefore we are to be on guard over ourselves and pray to God for the protection of the Holy Spirit.
5. Why do you seek further beatings? Why do you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds; they have not been drained, or bound up, or softened with oil.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 5 to 6)
Oh God indeed we are stubborn like little children who at times merit to be chastised or punished by means of situations in order to keep us on track. This is something that no parent does it from the heart, however when we see our children not obey and even get bruised or hurt because of their sinful actions as parents we feel compelled to take some form of corrective action. As in the case of the people of God we are also sick in both body in soul. We are committing many sins that are having a negative impact on ourselves and even on society. We are meddling in DNA, Nature and many other areas and are committing damage that is not reversible as in global warming and in the production of children according to our specifications. We are playing God. You try to warn us by means of many situations but we are stubborn and reluctant to turn away from our sinful ways.
7. Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your presence aliens devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 7)
Indeed and in truth oh God our world is ravaged by wars. Our selfishness and craving for more power is causing many to have to flee from their homeland in order to seek refuge in other countries where the environment is safer to live in.
With reference to an overview of those countries that are devastated by war in comparison to those that are still not please click on the following link:-
Wars in the World
8. And daughter Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 8)
Oh God when we decide to fight our own wars with our own methods instead of seeking Your help and mercy we are left at our own devices and end up in deeper sin and problems and thus our defences become weakened because we have gone against You during such moments and decided to fend for our selves. Oh God You are my fortress and my salvation. Without You I am lost, am dead meat for the enemy to plunder. I pray to You be always with me and my family. As You know I am facing persecution on account of the car accident that I was involved in. The report of the warden is against me although it is obvious that it is not my fault, and the insurance of the person who collided with me has sworn war against me and my case. However although all seems gloomy and as if lost, I believe that even now You are fighting this battle for me and in the end Your will be done, and we will be triumphant over the situation Amen.
9. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, and become Like Gomorrah.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 9)
For those of us who are seriously worried that in ten years time the world will become Islamic due to factors such as low birth rate rest assured that our God who is in control of such a situation will always leave enough survivors to rekindle the faith and turn the situation in our favour. Our God loves us so much that He will never abandon us.
10. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11. What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 10 to 11)
Oh God You are telling us, that You do not like our feasts in Malta and in other countries, where in the name of a person who really loved You many people make good of the situation and become drunk and lose control of self in revelry where Your name is greatly offended and where our behaviour becomes unacceptable and abhorrent.
Maltese feast is this pleasing to God?
12. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; 13. bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation-I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 12 to 13)
When we appear before You oh God we will have to face our reality. Such festivals that have no spiritual value but are a revelry of emotions, blasphemy of Your name and a good opportunity for social drinkers to become stone drunk is surely not according to Your will. You did not order us to hold such processions or external feasts that have become totally pagan. I agree oh God that whoever gave the go ahead for such things to take place is to be accountable to You Amen.
14. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 14)
In Malta oh Jesus as You know festivals crop up as fast as weeds, pizza festivals, bread festivals, chocolate festivals, which are all a good occasion to satisfy the physical needs, lusts and pleasures, but have no spiritual value whatsoever. This is all vanity of vanity alienation which keeps us going from seeing our reality.
15. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 15)
Even though oh Jesus my Father we raise up our prayers to You they will not be considered for if we have rejected You from our lives, we have created a barrier that hinders the communication. Your people had blood on their hands, we may have many dollar bills, remote controls, property and other sources that hinder our relationship with You. As long as we are alienated by these worldly lures, oh God we have no space for You in our lives.
16. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17. learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 16 to 17)
Oh God even during our times Your message is still the same. This is the plea for conversion. You are constantly asking us to change our sinful ways and adopt a new lifestyle that is based on your Gospel the Holy Bible which contains all that one needs to lead a new life according to Your Holy Will.
18. Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 18)
Oh God even though we are great sinners You are ready to hear our honest and sincere confession which will lead to the confession and forgiveness of our sins, even if they are old sins and bad habits.
19. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20. but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 19 to 20)
Oh God unlike the world You have genuine love for us, and instead of condemning us on the spot You are ready to hear us out. You always give us the choice to make along with the appropriate consequence of either following You and benefit from Your blessings or acting, according to our own will, disobeying Your will and reaping the fruits of the negative consequences according to both the ways of the world and the ways of God.
21. How the faithful city has become a whore! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her but now murderers.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 21)
As in the case of the faithful city that may have been Jerusalem, this can also be our self. During the period in our lives when we were close to You oh Father we were as strong and fortified as a city, however when we open our selves to sin, it crosses our drawbridge and acts as a murderer that of our souls.
22. Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 22)
Oh God when I wonder away from You all my self and personal qualities become contaminated because now it is influenced and even may be controlled by our sinful self. Our thinking,feeling and behaviour may even be influenced negatively by our sins and thus we become different people altogether. Oh God I pray that You deliver us from such moments.
23. Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow's cause does not come before them.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 23)
Oh God at times our leaders have become corrupted by the ways of the world and as has happened there were cases of corruption, where some have been promoted and advantaged at the cost of others. Oh God I pray that You always give me the opportunity to help others and stand up for their rights and needs. Amen.
24. Therefore says the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies and avenge myself on my foes!
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 24)
Oh God You love us so much that You protect us from our enemies. Therefore we do not need to wreck vengeance on those who trespass against us, because You oh God are walking before us and fighting our battles for us. You are my shield and my fortress oh God. You will prove me innocent in this case against the person who crashed into my car and is denying his guilt in order not to pay for the damages that he has done to my car. As in the case of the Pharaoh of Egypt You are making this person's heart hard in order to test my patience and trust in You. However at the right moment, You will deliver me out of this great moment of persecution and together we will stand victorious over my oppressor.
25. I will turn my hand against you; I will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 25)
Oh God when we turn against You we have done a big mistake for You are our lifeline, our only hope for our existence, for it is far better to have a human as an enemy than arouse the anger of God, for as much as God loves us, You are just and able to redo a wrong both in our favour and even against us, for You can never side in favour of an unjust act oh God for You are justice in itself.
26. And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 26)
Oh God there is none like You, even though we trespass against You, You still have mercy on us and forgive us by sins and may even reverse the consequences of our sins by restoring the previous state of order.
27. Zion shall be redeemed by justice and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 27)
Oh thank You Jesus for Your justice for the world is corrupt and even the term justice or social justice has become corrupt for in essence it is no justice at all. You know oh Jesus that I am not guilty of the car accident that I was involved in. You know that the truth is being bent and I am being treated in the most unjust of ways. I beg You to pass judgement and redeem me from this unjust and corrupt situation so that the guilty party will accept liability for my damages and I will be able to repair my car.
28. But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 29. For you shall be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. 30. For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31. The strong shall become like tinder, and their work like a spark; they and their work shall burn together, with no one to quench them.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 28 to 31)
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I would like to thank You for reminding me of the consequences of sins. Indeed I will have to face the shame of my sins if I do not turn away from them. I also thank You for being active in my life in the sense that we have a relationship together, even though at times I sin against you. I pray that You give me humility to admit my guilt and a strong motivation to repent from my sins and seek repentance and Your forgiveness Amen
2. Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: I reared children and brought them up but they have rebelled against me.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 2)
Indeed oh God You have created us and formed us by means of Your Gospel and commandments, however many of us have become atheists and have joined other sects and religions, many are aborting children, your sons and daughters are being beheaded and crucified because they have remained faithful to You. Oh if we will not listen it makes sense to address the heavens and all the angels in Your presence.
3. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 3)
Oh God today as a society we have become secular and no longer acknowledge You as our God. I am sorry to say that many of us have decided to become gods themselves and lead their worldly life according to their own twisted values, norms and fabricated belief based on what they feel more than on what and whom they believe in. I pray today to You to have mercy on us both as individuals and more as a world and community because at times I have the impression that we have lost You as our way and we know not in which destination we are heading to if it is heaven or hell. I pray to You my God that I will not also be tempted to become worldly but to keep on meditating on Your Gospel and with Your help even though I am still a sinner, keep on walking in Your ways every day of my life.
4. Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the LORD, who have despised the Holy One of Israel, who are utterly estranged!
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 4)
Oh God I hear an echo of the qualities of the society of my times. With a heavy heart I confess that we have become corrupt and estranged from You. This can happen to me and anybody, therefore we are to be on guard over ourselves and pray to God for the protection of the Holy Spirit.
5. Why do you seek further beatings? Why do you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds; they have not been drained, or bound up, or softened with oil.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 5 to 6)
Oh God indeed we are stubborn like little children who at times merit to be chastised or punished by means of situations in order to keep us on track. This is something that no parent does it from the heart, however when we see our children not obey and even get bruised or hurt because of their sinful actions as parents we feel compelled to take some form of corrective action. As in the case of the people of God we are also sick in both body in soul. We are committing many sins that are having a negative impact on ourselves and even on society. We are meddling in DNA, Nature and many other areas and are committing damage that is not reversible as in global warming and in the production of children according to our specifications. We are playing God. You try to warn us by means of many situations but we are stubborn and reluctant to turn away from our sinful ways.
7. Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your presence aliens devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 7)
Indeed and in truth oh God our world is ravaged by wars. Our selfishness and craving for more power is causing many to have to flee from their homeland in order to seek refuge in other countries where the environment is safer to live in.
With reference to an overview of those countries that are devastated by war in comparison to those that are still not please click on the following link:-
Wars in the World
8. And daughter Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 8)
Oh God when we decide to fight our own wars with our own methods instead of seeking Your help and mercy we are left at our own devices and end up in deeper sin and problems and thus our defences become weakened because we have gone against You during such moments and decided to fend for our selves. Oh God You are my fortress and my salvation. Without You I am lost, am dead meat for the enemy to plunder. I pray to You be always with me and my family. As You know I am facing persecution on account of the car accident that I was involved in. The report of the warden is against me although it is obvious that it is not my fault, and the insurance of the person who collided with me has sworn war against me and my case. However although all seems gloomy and as if lost, I believe that even now You are fighting this battle for me and in the end Your will be done, and we will be triumphant over the situation Amen.
9. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, and become Like Gomorrah.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 9)
For those of us who are seriously worried that in ten years time the world will become Islamic due to factors such as low birth rate rest assured that our God who is in control of such a situation will always leave enough survivors to rekindle the faith and turn the situation in our favour. Our God loves us so much that He will never abandon us.
10. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11. What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 10 to 11)
Oh God You are telling us, that You do not like our feasts in Malta and in other countries, where in the name of a person who really loved You many people make good of the situation and become drunk and lose control of self in revelry where Your name is greatly offended and where our behaviour becomes unacceptable and abhorrent.
Maltese feast is this pleasing to God?
12. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; 13. bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation-I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 12 to 13)
When we appear before You oh God we will have to face our reality. Such festivals that have no spiritual value but are a revelry of emotions, blasphemy of Your name and a good opportunity for social drinkers to become stone drunk is surely not according to Your will. You did not order us to hold such processions or external feasts that have become totally pagan. I agree oh God that whoever gave the go ahead for such things to take place is to be accountable to You Amen.
14. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 14)
In Malta oh Jesus as You know festivals crop up as fast as weeds, pizza festivals, bread festivals, chocolate festivals, which are all a good occasion to satisfy the physical needs, lusts and pleasures, but have no spiritual value whatsoever. This is all vanity of vanity alienation which keeps us going from seeing our reality.
15. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 15)
Even though oh Jesus my Father we raise up our prayers to You they will not be considered for if we have rejected You from our lives, we have created a barrier that hinders the communication. Your people had blood on their hands, we may have many dollar bills, remote controls, property and other sources that hinder our relationship with You. As long as we are alienated by these worldly lures, oh God we have no space for You in our lives.
16. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17. learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 16 to 17)
Oh God even during our times Your message is still the same. This is the plea for conversion. You are constantly asking us to change our sinful ways and adopt a new lifestyle that is based on your Gospel the Holy Bible which contains all that one needs to lead a new life according to Your Holy Will.
18. Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 18)
Oh God even though we are great sinners You are ready to hear our honest and sincere confession which will lead to the confession and forgiveness of our sins, even if they are old sins and bad habits.
19. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20. but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 19 to 20)
Oh God unlike the world You have genuine love for us, and instead of condemning us on the spot You are ready to hear us out. You always give us the choice to make along with the appropriate consequence of either following You and benefit from Your blessings or acting, according to our own will, disobeying Your will and reaping the fruits of the negative consequences according to both the ways of the world and the ways of God.
21. How the faithful city has become a whore! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her but now murderers.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 21)
As in the case of the faithful city that may have been Jerusalem, this can also be our self. During the period in our lives when we were close to You oh Father we were as strong and fortified as a city, however when we open our selves to sin, it crosses our drawbridge and acts as a murderer that of our souls.
22. Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 22)
Oh God when I wonder away from You all my self and personal qualities become contaminated because now it is influenced and even may be controlled by our sinful self. Our thinking,feeling and behaviour may even be influenced negatively by our sins and thus we become different people altogether. Oh God I pray that You deliver us from such moments.
23. Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow's cause does not come before them.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 23)
Oh God at times our leaders have become corrupted by the ways of the world and as has happened there were cases of corruption, where some have been promoted and advantaged at the cost of others. Oh God I pray that You always give me the opportunity to help others and stand up for their rights and needs. Amen.
24. Therefore says the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies and avenge myself on my foes!
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 24)
Oh God You love us so much that You protect us from our enemies. Therefore we do not need to wreck vengeance on those who trespass against us, because You oh God are walking before us and fighting our battles for us. You are my shield and my fortress oh God. You will prove me innocent in this case against the person who crashed into my car and is denying his guilt in order not to pay for the damages that he has done to my car. As in the case of the Pharaoh of Egypt You are making this person's heart hard in order to test my patience and trust in You. However at the right moment, You will deliver me out of this great moment of persecution and together we will stand victorious over my oppressor.
25. I will turn my hand against you; I will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 25)
Oh God when we turn against You we have done a big mistake for You are our lifeline, our only hope for our existence, for it is far better to have a human as an enemy than arouse the anger of God, for as much as God loves us, You are just and able to redo a wrong both in our favour and even against us, for You can never side in favour of an unjust act oh God for You are justice in itself.
26. And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 26)
Oh God there is none like You, even though we trespass against You, You still have mercy on us and forgive us by sins and may even reverse the consequences of our sins by restoring the previous state of order.
27. Zion shall be redeemed by justice and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 27)
Oh thank You Jesus for Your justice for the world is corrupt and even the term justice or social justice has become corrupt for in essence it is no justice at all. You know oh Jesus that I am not guilty of the car accident that I was involved in. You know that the truth is being bent and I am being treated in the most unjust of ways. I beg You to pass judgement and redeem me from this unjust and corrupt situation so that the guilty party will accept liability for my damages and I will be able to repair my car.
28. But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 29. For you shall be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. 30. For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31. The strong shall become like tinder, and their work like a spark; they and their work shall burn together, with no one to quench them.
(Isaiah Chapter 1 verses 28 to 31)
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I would like to thank You for reminding me of the consequences of sins. Indeed I will have to face the shame of my sins if I do not turn away from them. I also thank You for being active in my life in the sense that we have a relationship together, even though at times I sin against you. I pray that You give me humility to admit my guilt and a strong motivation to repent from my sins and seek repentance and Your forgiveness Amen
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