Prefacing Isaiah- Notes on Isaiah 1

On December 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, creating a deadly tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people. It was a terrible tragedy. In one day, millions of lives were forever changed.

But there was one group of people who, although their village was destroyed, did not suffer a single casualty.  The reason?  They knew a tsunami was coming.

The Moken people live in villages on islands off the coast of Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). A society of fishermen, their lives depend on the sea. For hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, their ancestors have studied the ocean, and they have passed their knowledge down from father to son. One thing in particular they were careful to teach was what to do when the ocean receded. According to their traditions, when that happened, the “Laboon”—a wave that eats people—would arrive soon after.

When the elders of the village saw the dreaded signs, they shouted to everyone to run to high ground. Not everyone listened. One elderly fisherman said, “None of the kids believed me.” In fact, his own daughter called him a liar. But the old fisherman would not relent until all had left the village and climbed to higher ground. (“Sea Gypsies See Signs in the Waves,” CBS News, 60 Minutes transcript, Mar. 20, 2005, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/18/60minutes/main681558.shtml.) 

This story perfectly illustrates one reason the Lord calls prophets.  They serve as mouthpieces through which eternal-life saving information, based upon the Lords perfect knowledge and understanding, can flow to us even though- just as the younger villagers- no mortal experience could give us the insight to see and understand on our own.   Two things remain consistent in the pattern of warning through prophets the Lord has given.  1) The warnings start well in advance. 2) Because His only purpose is our happiness and eternal welfare, he, like the elders in the tsunami example, is not deterred by being mocked or called a liar- he continues to warn and call for a return to the safety of His higher ground. 

In one of only two places in the scriptures where the Lord gives a preface to a collections of prophetic words, He says He gave them because He “ know(s) the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth,”  and to be “the voice of warning.”  (D&C 1:4,17)  If you check the footnotes in that one revelation, 39 fairly short verses in length, you find 19 direct, and many more indirect, references to the other book of scripture the Lord dictated a preface for- Isaiah.  In fact the beginning verses of each preface are cross referenced to each other, and each calls for all the inhabitants of heaven and earth to “listen together” or “give ear.”  (Isaiah 1:2, D&C 1:1-2)

Perhaps, this is not such a startling find when you consider Nephi tells us that it is in our day that the prophecies of Isaiah will be fulfilled and that he went to such work to rerecord large chunks of it because he knew “they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore for their good have I written them.” (2 Nephi 25:8 )  But realizing this did help solidify a lens in my eye open to applying the words of Isaiah personally to me. (See “Approaching Isaiah”)  And while the words written in the D&C and Book of Mormon are easier for me to understand, Isaiah provides in words (my favorite thing) something I love almost as much as the written word, pictures!  After all, doesn’t the saying go “a picture is worth a thousand words!”  In Isaiah 1 the Lord outlines, in written pictures, the main themes he will develop throughout the Book of Isaiah.

Theme 1 – Man’s true relationship with God, as opposed to man’s insistence on building his own ‘god’ after his own image. (Cross reference: D&C 1:16)

Word picture:  The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel doth not know , my people doth not consider. (Isaiah 1:3)

I am a dairy farmer’s daughter, so I have personally observed one breed of domesticated cattle.  They are not animals renowned for their intelligence and they are extremely dependent on the care provided by their owners.   They simply do not have the capacity to survive on their own.  Likewise, we can’t create this earth which provides all we need; in fact we are completely reliant on the Lord for our next breath. But the comparison is also a pointed observation and wake up call.  The Lord (who doesn’t seemed to be too concerned with what we now term “political correctness”) is telling Israel they have shown less intelligence than their domesticated animals, because with very few exceptions, these animals readily recognize and become obedient and loyal to the hand that provides food, care and shelter to them. Yet Israel, blessed with intelligence and abilities “little lower than the angels” and treated as beloved “children,” refuses to use those gifts as intelligently as a dumb domestic animal.   Instead they have used it to “laden” or “heavily burden” themselves with “iniquity.”  (The word “iniquity” literally conveys the idea of turning away from a straight path leading to eternal life (or God’s life) into a twisted, crooked, impossible path that leads to nowhere, but is sure a lot of misery and pain to build and maintain. (Isaiah 1:4))

This twisted path includes doing much more than just not “acknowledging” the “hand that feeds;” it means “biting it,” quite badly. The last three lines in verse 4 are not translated as, um, clearly, as they could be. (Let’s face it, the scribes who worked on King James Version (KJV) had a pretty clear picture of God as a being who would inspire and condone things like the Inquisition and Crusades. Occasionally their word choice shows this bias.)  The word translated in the King James Bible (KJV) as “provoked to…..anger” is just one word.  It is better translated as to “spurn” or “abhor” or “despise.” The way it reads in the KJV it sounds like we are talking about the Lord’s reaction to Israel, but it is still describing Israel’s actions towards the Lord.  “They have spurned (or despised) the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on Him.”  

That last phrase could also be translated as “they have estranged themselves from Him,” but I prefer the first one because it helps me see in myself the things that are putting distance between me and the Lord.  If you look at the footnotes to this verse you will see Isaiah 57:4, which also dwells on this theme, but has a particular visual that when combined with the idea of turning your back on a parent (so they can’t see what you’re doing), brought back some childhood memories. I am in our kitchen and seething inside as my mom lectured and pronounced a punishment for my wayward behavior; and then being dismissed and turning the corner out of her sight and being disrespectful in the same manner Isaiah described.  Fortunately, I was an older child, and circumstances meant I was very involved in the care of my younger siblings, so I also remember coming to realize the “why” of my mother’s loving discipline.  This visual helped me identify how much there is in common between my childhood experiences and my life experiences- a parallel hardening of my ears and heart- a certain childish approach to being corrected and counseled.  It has been very helpful in helping me become… more teachable, I hope.

But just because Israel has “turned their back” or “estranged themselves” from Him, doesn’t mean the Lord hasn’t continued to reach out- keep an all seeing eye on them, so to speak- and he knows exactly the current state they find themselves in.  In the next verses he outlines that, as well as addressing Israel’s unwritten defensive replies to the Lord’s pronouncements.

Theme 2 – Things as they really are- a description of the state of Israel’s people and land.  (Cross reference: D&C 1:2-3,15)

Word Picture:  The whole head is sick, the whole heart faint.  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.  (Isaiah 1:6)

The gift of life is so precious.  And our bodily senses are such an innate part of the joys and sorrows of life.  The feel of the sun on your skin, a beautiful sight, a delightful smell, the sound of a favorite piece of music – and the impossibility of enjoying any of that when you are seriously injured and in pain.  No matter what our spiritual state, we can recognize how consuming it would be to have our entire body covered with open, infected, inflamed wounds.  To have the ideas of sin, evil, or wickedness presented as self-inflicting wounds certainly opened up my lens to entertain more deeply my Heavenly Fathers only motive – my happiness and well-being (as well as that of all his children, of course.) 

There are many scriptures which center on the Lord’s desire for us to “be healed,” but one of my favorites is will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted that I may heal you. (3 Nephi 9:13)   Which is a parallel invitation to the one given in Isaiah 1:18 - Come now let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be like crimson, they shall be wool. (Also see Isaiah 19:22;61:6, Hosea 6:1, Jeremiah 30:13, Ezekiel 18:23, and Matthew 9:12. It might also be helpful to review the origin of the words for good, evil, sin, etc. in the Bible.  I found it very helpful and discussed it a little in the entry “Powerful Good” (2-3-2010.))

Theme 3- The Lord addresses Israel’s accusations that they did so do what he said to do- never mind the modifications and additions they made or why they made those modifications- they did so do what he said to do! (Cross reference: D&C 1:31-33)

Word Picture – Bring no more vain oblations…they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them….Thy silver is become dross, the wine mixed with water. (Isaiah 1:13-14,22) 

All right so I admit it.  It is almost impossible to really “see” this picture without a bit of word study. First, “the root of the word (for “vain”) comes from the Latin "vanus" which means empty and void of purpose….One of the Hebrew words for "vanity" expounds the meaning a bit. It literally means a "flowing away" and indicates a vessel that is "emptied of contents or usefulness." (Believe That He Is, 1-20-2010)  The actual word used here is particularly strong- it doesn’t just indicate waste, but “destruction” or “complete uselessness.” In other words, Israel’s modified version of the Law of Moses is a grotesque, destructive parody of what the Lord intended.

The word “weary” doesn’t just mean tired, but relates specifically to how one would feel if they kept getting failure instead of successful results after extensive labor.  It centers on the idea of the Lord as our Father and master teacher and us as his children, students, and disciples.  He is doing all the work He promised to do to provide us with the opportunity for growth, knowledge, and success, but we are throwing away most of what he gives, and replacing it with wasteful, destructive, evil replacements.  It is so critical, for our eternal welfare, that we realize how “vain” our replacements are, so he cannot accept an offering which includes these replacements.  Thus he tells Israel He is “weary” (what they are actually offering will lead to failure) to “bear” (accept, lift up, approve of) their offerings. Instead he likens the very best and most esteemed part of their society, the leaders, to silver that has become nothing but dross- the worthless metal that is left over after silver has been refined.

Theme 4 – Sacrificing the welfare of others so you can “own” more of the gifts the Lord has given to all his children is a sure, easily discernible sign you are on the wrong track (wicked) and not uprightly walking the Lord’s path (righteous). (Cross reference: D&C 1:10)

Word Picture – This theme will be explored often and in depth, but here we get one of the most vivid and sobering pictures. Your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:15)  

It can be easy to brush this off as only applying to actual murderers, but what follows indicates that, like the description of Israel’s body in verse 6, this is the Lord’s illustrating Israel’s spiritual state. Remember the whole point of there being a nation of covenant people, Israel, was for them to have the privilege and joy of being instrumental in taking the blessings of the Gospel to all the families of the earth. (Abraham 2:11)   Instead they are not even caring for each other.  One particularly illuminating cross reference is Alma’s description of that pre-repentance moment when he stood in the truth revealing presence of the Lord:  I was racked with eternal torment...I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.  Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction. (Alma 36:13-14)

Theme 5– Even if we decide to permanently leave the Lord and walk another path, he never gives up, never slacks in his efforts, never considers us other than infinitely precious and worth it. As part of that effort He clearly outlines the consequences of staying on any other path.  (Cross reference: D&C 1:7,12-13,24-25,34-35)

Word Picture- All right, we do get the Lord’s promise of Israel being re-refined into silver- a picture I think better explored in depth, when it reoccurs later.  And he likens those who refuse to be refined to a garden with no water, a vivid, easily understood picture.  These images are combined with Israel's being redeemed and restored. Not much of a picture in those words, but let’s remember this chapter is a preface and summary and this particular theme receives more attention than any other so there are lots and lots and lots of pictures in the future. (Isaiah 1:25-27,30)  But for now, experience has taught me it is critical after “seeing” these colorful, corrective pictures, to review what the Lord truly expects of Israel- expects of me.  

At a very young age, I had a friend describe her understanding of God as an all-powerful being who gives you instructions on how to “walk right” and “talk right,” and then watches you to see if you make a mistake so he can “squish you like a bug.”  She paraphrased several scriptures from the Old Testament, including Isaiah’s comparison of people to bugs, to show how the Bible supported that view. I carried a fear that her assessment was at least somewhat correct for years- until I began to really search the scriptures for myself.  Remember, within a few lines after the Lord pronounces Israel’s hands as full of blood, He promises that even sins that are as scarlet, He can make white as snow.  The same God who reveals Israel’s position has heavily “laden” with “iniquity” offers this invitation:  Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.(Matthew 11:28-29) 

 We must keep in mind that Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness.(President Uctdorf, “Happiness, Your Heratige, Ensign, November 2008)  Remember Alma’s radiant testimony immediately following his description of his iniquities. 

And oh what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea…there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains.  Yea…and there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy….Yea and from that time even until now I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.  Yea…the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labor. (Alma 36:20-24)

What Alma describes is what the Lord wants every one of his children to experience- and it is why we have the often brutally honest, vividly illustrated words of Isaiah.