“Revealed—Righteous”
Life Group Lesson
Isaiah 1:1—20
March 29, 2020

OPEN: Word association? What words come to mind when you hear the word “righteous?”

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.
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.
3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib;
but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.
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!
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.
7 Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence aliens devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And daughter Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
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.
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.
14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.
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.
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.
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.
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 1:1-20

DIG: Read Isaiah 1:1-20
• In what general time frame did Isaiah minister? To whom was we speaking?
• Who does Isaiah call upon to serve as witnesses to his charges against God’s people?
• What images does the prophet use to describe the sinfulness of Israel?
• What specifically were the people guilty of?
• What does Isaiah say about the performance of religious ritual?
• What remedy does Isaiah recommend? What does he call on the people to do?

REFLECT
• To say that God is a righteous God means. . .?
• As you read these verses, what feelings do you experience?
o Dread
o Hope
o Fear
o Guilt
o Penitence
o Confusion
o Other

• Does Isaiah negativity about religious ritual mean he is anti-church or anti-worship?
Why or why not?
• Has there been a time in your life when you substituted church for faithful obedience?
• Have you had, as Chris mentioned in the sermon, a “as God as my witness” moment?
• What lessons or insights have you had over the last two plus weeks? Has God been
teaching you anything?
• Any silver linings to the last two weeks?

PRAYER TIME:
Lord, during this trying time, give us spiritual insight. Teach us your ways. Show us where we
need to make corrections. Help us to see the needs of others. In Jesus we pray, Amen.