Isaiah stands as a giant in the midst of the 8^th-century BC era of the kingdom of Judah. “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 1:1). His book is complicated, as we shall see; yet his words spoke with a depth of passion and insight as he called to the people of his day – and his words continue to speak to our day as well.

The book begins with a complaint where God calls the leaders of Judah “Sodom” and “Gomorrah” (1:10), and then says: “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” (1:11). This seems odd; as we saw in Leviticus, the whole system of sacrifices and offerings was specifically set up to create a system for forgiveness for the multitude of human sins. But now this people has become laden with iniquity; they have forsaken the Lord, and are utterly estranged (1:4). Yet they keep on making many prayers (1:15); they are present in the court of the temple (1:12), bringing offerings and incense (1:13). What has gone wrong?

Despite the people’s many prayers, their hands are full of blood (1:15). This seems to point to actual murderous violence going on in their society; and along with it there is economic corruption among the elite and hunger for the poor and downtrodden: their leaders love bribes, and fail to defend the orphan and the widow (1:23). “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness” in the body of God’s people (1:6).

Yet as grim as all this sounds, there is hope. “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. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (1:18-20). Like ancient Israel, we today presume that God will always be happy with us as long as we offer a modest level of piety; yet it is doubtful that we pray as well as ancient Israel, and we leave many widows and orphans to go hungry.

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Our sins are indeed scarlet, O Lord: cleanse us by your grace, and transform us by your power, we pray, that we may indeed become once again a community of righteousness before you.