Isaiah 1

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Isaiah 1

I feel as if I made a mess of 1 Peter, and I hope to do better here in Isaiah.  But I feel at something of a loss to come up with the clever and thoughtful reflections I've occasionally managed on this blog.  I feel dull and plodding.

Perhaps it is the lack of story.  There is no plot to the epistles to capture my imagination.  I am a creature of stories.

Isaiah certainly sets the scene.  The present age (I wrote Israel and then deleted it, for I think the problems described are not limited to that one age and nation) had grown so bad that Isaiah declares their prayers and offerings disgusting to God.

Just...wow.

"13 Trample my courts no more!  Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me...14 Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tired of the load.  15 When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen.  Your hands are full of blood!  16 Wash yourselves clean!  Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; 17 learn to do good.  Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow."

Faith without works isn't only dead, it is offensive to God.  Faith without social justice, prayer without service - it is an affront.

The age had grown so wicked that, unlike with Jonah, sackcloth and ashes would be repulsive to God.

We can't just say we're sorry over and over again.  And God knows - there are some sins that apologies cannot set right or appease.  Only actions can do that.

A fantasy television show I watched is currently tracing a very problematic and often back-tracking road to redemption (presumably) for one character.  Or, at least, this character thinks she's on the road to redemption despite her actions.  Several times in the past season, she has asserted her goodness, questioned her role as the villain, and challenged the other characters for not forgiving her her many and heinous sins against them.  But because she hasn't hurt them recently, she wants a full pardon.  But because she wants to be different, she thinks she should be fully accepted.

You can't just do a mea culpa for everything.  At some point, the tears become an affront to those you have wounded.  At some point, God is not pleased with your prayers and offerings.

Some things require work.