Isaiah 1:2-7
1:2 a heavens ... earth: All of creation is called to witness the trial that God convened against Judah (cp. Deut 31:28 b; 32:1 c).1:3 d an ox knows its owner: Not so with Judah. Yet despite their rebellion, God still graciously addressed them as my people.
1:4 e The expression Holy One of Israel is frequently used in Isaiah as a title for the Lord. God is the righteous and just King of heaven and earth (6:3-5 f), the incomparable God (40:25 g), and the Redeemer of his people (43:14 h). It was a terrible and foolish sin for Judah to reject him.
1:5 i God sent famine, war, disease, and death as punishment. In most cases, however, God wanted to change stubborn behavior rather than simply to punish.
• As a result of their persistent rebellion, the people’s head is injured and their heart is sick. The nation was wounded physically from Assyrian aggression, while spiritually they were defiled and overtaken by sin (64:6 j).
1:6 k without any soothing ointments or bandages: Judah’s national condition was like the body of an injured person who had not received medical care.
1:7 l country ... towns: By 701 BC, the Assyrians had destroyed the infrastructure, taken cities, and ravaged the fields (see 64:10 m). This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophetic word (6:11-13 n). Those who survived this Assyrian onslaught would know by experience to heed later warnings of exile to Babylon (39:6-7 o). God does what he says he will do, so the warning of God’s judgment on all the nations is certain.
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