TOPIC: A CALL TO REPENTANCE
TEXT: Isaiah 1:1-17 (NKJV)
- 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
- 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;
- 1:3 The ox knows its owner, And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.”
- 1:4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
- 1:5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.
- 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.
- 1:7 Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour your land in your presence; And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
- 1:8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city.
- 1:9 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.
- 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah:
- 1:11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.
- 1:12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts?
- 1:13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
- 1:14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.
- 1:15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
- 1:16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
- 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.”
STUDY
In this passage, God reveals through the prophet Isaiah the condition of Judah—laden with sin and corruption. Though the people were engaged in religious rituals and offerings, their hearts were far from God. Their actions were not driven by true repentance or worship, but by a self-serving agenda, with no care for justice or compassion for the vulnerable.
God saw through their superficial practices and rejected their sacrifices, telling them that their hands were full of blood. The heart of the message was a call to repentance, not just outward rituals, but genuine change—doing good, seeking justice, helping the oppressed, and living righteously.
In our time, this message still rings true. Many nations, including Nigeria, are deeply religious but lack genuine righteousness. Acts of corruption, injustice, and inequality overshadow religious gatherings and prayers.
We may go through the motions—sacrificing, attending church, offering prayers—but if these are not accompanied by true repentance, love for others, and a commitment to justice, they hold no value in God’s eyes.
The call today is the same—repentance. Let us turn away from sin, seek justice, help those in need, and restore our hearts to God. Only by true repentance can we experience the healing and restoration that God longs to bring.
PRAYER
Dear Father, forgive our sins, heal our land, and restore us with Your mercy. Help us to live according to Your will, seeking justice and righteousness in everything we do. Amen.
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