Les 2 -- 19 March 2014

After spending quite a bit of time on background material, we'll spend our time in the text this week.  You can be better prepared if you will spend some time working through the three questions below--all of which apply to chapter one.   Before you do, I want you to consider the setting of chapter one.  It is meant to bring to mind a courtroom.  Look carefully at the first phrase in vs. 2.  It is very close to the "All rise for the honorable judge so and so. . ." that we use in our day--except that the Lord is the presiding judge.   With that background in mind, read through chapter one with an eye toward answering the following questions:

1. What are the primary charges brought against the Jews of the southern kingdom?


2.  What evidence is brought forth to support the charges?  (At this point you might have to go back and re-think you answer to the first question.  For we need to make a distinction between the sins of the people, and the bigger issue between God and His people.  The big issues are the "charges" of question #1.  The sins of the people are then the evidence of question number 2.)


3.  Some say the Old Testament teaches law and the New Testament grace.  I disagree--for grace can be found throughout the Old Testament including in chapter one of the book of Isaiah!  Can you find it?  It consists of God's proposed solution to the charges against His people.  Another way of asking this is, "What does God want His people to do?"  Isn't this an amazing thing for the Holy One of Israel to propose?