Old Testament: Isa 1.24–26
To read the Bible in a year, read Isaiah 1–3 on September 24, In the year of our Lord Christ 2024
By Don Ruhl
Isaiah began his prophetic book by talking about Israel and how the nation had become repugnant to the Lord God of hosts.
The situation had become so abhorrent that the loving God of Israel had to consider his own people as his enemies: “Therefore the Lord says, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, ‘Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city” (Isaiah 1.24–26).
Israel paid a heavy price for turning away from the living God, but when they returned from captivity, which was the final form of punishment, they learned never to commit idolatry again, although they committed other sins later.
Questions from today’s reading and devotional:
- What would God restore among them as at the first?
- What would Jerusalem be called later?
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Don preaches with the Savage Street Church of Christ in Grants Pass, Oregon.
Listen to his sermons here: GrantsPassChurchOfChrist.com
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I found the words dross and alloy interesting in this text; that God used them in describing Israel. Both definitions include the idea of metals. Dross is a film that covers metal, taking away its beauty, and alloy is when multiple metals are mixed together. Both convey the idea of something (Israel) becoming less than it could be or used to be, and compromising its purity. That was a great description and illustration of what Israel had become.
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Great insight! Thanks!
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