The Avenger and Purifier

A Remnant

Isa 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Because there were a few people faithful to the Lord in Judah, God did not destroy them like he did the homosexual cities of Sodom and Gomorrha. God hates this sinful behavior for the people were not seeking God, but their own lusts.

Empty worship

Isa 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

God compares them to Sodom and Gomorrah; listen to God and His law. God is real, not imaginary, not of their making or just a tradition. God lives and he wants a spiritual relationship with us.

Isa 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

1 Sam 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...

Isa 1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
Isa 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
Isa 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
Isa 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Why? Because it was not in truth. They were going through empty rituals and they were not even thinking as they did it. It had become a habit with them and they had blood on their hands. They were guilty of sin, murder, rebellion and they had no concern for their condition.
We must be careful to not make church just empty rituals; with our hearts on other things.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We are to offer sacrifices of praise to the LORD with clean hands and clean hearts. We are not to be the dead, doing dead rituals to please the spiritually dead. Nor should a place of worship become as a public meeting hall, with no order or reverence towards God.

Wash away sin

Isa 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

Wash your hands, cleanse your hands from evil doings. Put away of your doings and your evil heart from God's eyes; stop doing evil. The message of repentance as taught by John the Baptist and Jesus. Turn from your evil ways, not just washing hands before eating, but a change of heart and deeds.

Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Isa 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Learn to do good, learn right from wrong, and do what is required of you as God's people; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Too many who claim to be born-again have not repented or learned right from wrong. Many are self willed and not following God. God hasn't changed, we must change. If we follow the world, the world is evil. The world is accepting evil behavior as normal. We must renew our minds in the word of God and replace our behavior with the will of God.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Sit down and listen, stop running around and take heed to God's word. If you repent and believe in His promises, (Receive Jesus as savior); though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. This is a beautiful promise of what Jesus has done for us.

Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Isa 1:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

A stern warning and reminder of God's covenant with Israel. You shall reap what you sow. Walk by faith and do not turn back and rebel and murmur against God.

Unfaithful City

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

The faithful city was Jerusalem, the place of worship and the temple of God had turned to sin and rebellion worshipping other gods. A city of judgment and righteousness had become a lodging for murderers.

Isa 1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

Silver is become dross, worthless, being used for worthless things; it was not used to help the poor or those in need, The wine weakened with water, wine was no longer pure but diluted.

Isa 1:23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

The princes are as corrupt politicians, rebellious, giving away the country to thieves: everyone loving gifts and bribes: they only help those who will help them. Righteous judgment had left them. They may claim to care for others only to stay in power. This was supposed to be the city of God, but it had become the city of thieves and corruption.
Jesus came to restore righteousness and to heal the sick, even in Jerusalem.

Mat 21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mat 21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Jerusalem in Isaiah's time had fallen into sin. In our time the city leaders in Jerusalem were to host a homosexual invasion, little has changed in Jerusalem. Jesus will return and Jerusalem again will be the place of righteousness.

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Avenger and Purifier

Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Isaiah speaks the three names of God; Lord: Jesus, the Word is Lord; God the Father is the Lord of hosts, "hosts" referring to the angelic armies of heaven. He is the Mighty One of Israel, also the Holy Spirit, the power of God on earth. The three are one God.

Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

God will avenge, removing unrighteous persons and corrupt spiritual leaders whose shine was not pure silver, but tin and dross. These may oppress the people under them or teach from their own imaginations. He will remove the dross, from the silver or the gold, and remove the tin, the mixture, the double-mindedness. We also are to be pruned, and tried in the refiners fire. To be made pure and single minded. Only through Jesus can we be made righteous and pure of sins. We are to trust in the Lord, keep our eyes on Jesus, pray without ceasing, God knows his remnant people. He hates sin, but wishes to restore, more than to destroy.

Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Mal 3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

He will avenge himself of those who are His enemies and restore His elect. Choose restoration, for no man can stand against God Almighty. Better to suffer the heat for a while and come forth as pure gold, than to be cast into the lake of fire forever. Hear the word of the Lord. The LORD wants to purify his church.

1 Pet 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1 Pet 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Be Restored Or Burn

Isa 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

God wants to restore his covenant people. The fallen city of Jerusalem, was the result of sin and idolatry. The first purpose of God is restoration' that's why he sent His Son Jesus, to save the lost. He is the Lord's counselor. He brings us the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God. God will touch the hearts of his spiritual leaders first; the judges and counselors. Judah was a theocracy, the leaders were representing God's laws. Our prayers should go out for our leaders in the church and in our nation. The nations leaders need to be saved. We need godly leadership in our country and spirit filled leaders in our churches.

Isa 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Jesus is the redeemer of the Holy City. In Him we are the righteousness of God; through faith, not by works. By faith in Jesus Christ we are declared righteous and the Holy Spirit in us is the presence and righteousness of God.

Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Isa 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Apart from Jesus, there is the wrath of God.

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

Isa 2:13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,

Tree huggers? Those who worship strange gods under the trees and in the open air gardens were pagans. They were rebellious against the creator, worshipping the creation and made up gods and goddesses, as many do even today.

Isa 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
Isa 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Ye shall wither and die as a branch broken off. Tow is flax cord or string. Linen cloth made from flax was used to wrap the mummies in the early Egyptian tombs. When ignited it burns away as in the story of Samson:

Judg 16:9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The ungodly shall suffer death and hellfire. The redeemed shall live with God forever. Those who are his will be refined and purified. This way they can serve God and others and not be vessels that are full of junk and uncleaness.

2 Tim 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2 Tim 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Tim 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Tim 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
2 Tim 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

Redeemed and purified we are not to be set on a shelf to admire; but we are vessels for the masters use. Here I am LORD, send me.