Is. 1: Israel in Rebellion

Isaiah 1:21 "See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her—but now murderers!"

Isaiah was the prophet in office during the reigns of Judah's Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. 3 out of the four were relatively good men, and wise rulers, Ahaz being the scumbag of the bunch.

Israel has been doing wrong, and Isaiah points it out with very vivid language. I imagine him being very upset, yelling and causing a scene. He compares Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah, the utmost example of depravity and sin. Can you imagine fancying yourself as God almighty's chosen people, His partner in covenant, and then hearing Isaiah say this about you?

God didn't even want anything to do with their supposed acts of righteousness, their sacrifices and their feasts. These events were created with very specific purposes, among those being God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt and from famine. Yet Israel went through the motions, on autopilot, not truly knowing why they were doing what they were doing. God, who was after a person's heart and soul, instead got a burning carcass. And he had plenty of those, and was in need of none (v. 11). Not only was this meaningless to God, it was a giant step further...it was detestable...the worst kind of sin.

God did not want their self-righteous acts, undertaken with the wrong attitude. He wanted true righteousness and devotion from Israel, who prostituted themselves to other gods, violating God's command to serve no other god but Him.

Israel had become that fool described in Proverbs...beaten every time they open their mouth, but they never learn.

Their silver became dross, what was purged from the silver. There was no longer any part of value...they were total rubbish.

So what is Israel to do? Isaiah admonishes them to make themselves clean, to repent and turn whole-heartedly back to the LORD. The deal is that they will be made white as snow. They will be purified from their sins. Where there was crimson, there will be wool.

God makes it pretty clear what will happen either way. If Israel repents, they will be restored to greatness, to righteousness. If not, they will be crushed and beaten. They will burn. Let's see...

Dt. 31: I Predict...Uh-Ohs.

Deuteronomy 31:21b "...I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath."

Chapter 31 had to be one of mixed emotions for Moses. On one hand, his death is near. On the other hand, he will rest with his fathers. So...death ushers in rest. On one hand, the people he has been leading for one-third of his 120 years are about to enter the promised land. The big payoff. The fulfillment of everything God has ever promised. On the other hand, Moses got himself banned from the promised land back in Numbers 20. On one hand Moses was telling the Israelites that God would go ahead of them and destroy the current occupants of the Promised land. A few verses later, on the other hand, God reveals how Israel would rebel and great disaster and agony. So...kind of sad.

I think it's interesting that in spite of the untold disobedience and grumbling and commandment-disregarding, all of Israel is still able to enter the promised land, while Moses will not be able to, in spite of his record and rapport with God. Something as seemingly innocuous as striking the rock at Meribah would keep him out of the promised land.

Three times in this chapter is given the command to be strong. Four times to not be discouraged. Is this a harbinger of the adversity to come?

The second half of chapter 31 is God's revelation that Israel will rebel, and it will be a result of their complacency, their self-satisfaction and their outright worship of other gods. God merely says that this will happen. Not that he would step in and stop it. Free will, anyone? God could only offer His end of the covenant. Even before God brought them into the promised land, He knows "what they are disposed to do." I think that is most telling about God. Even though He knows the future...knows what trouble people will get themselves into, He still wants good for them. God still leaves the offering of this great promised land on the table. It's as though... expected...a disposition to sin is not enough for God to break His end of the covenant. God even acknowledges that Israel will place the blame for these disasters on God breaking His promise to them...abandoning them. Even though it is all their fault...their choice...their doing.

Moses reacts with anger to this. Not at God though. He calls Israel a stiff-necked people, and I love how he goes after them fiestily, saying, "I've seen how rotten you can be when I was leading you, how much more evil will you be after I die."

Put yourself in Moses shoes...relief...disappointment...anger...

In the shoes of the tribal leaders...fear?...resolution...resentment?

Joshua...apprehension...fortitude...preparation? But nothing is going to be the way it was meant to be.

God even wrote a song about it...

Dt. 21: Hang 'Em High

Deuteronomy 21:8 "Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for."

What do you do when you find a body of a slain man lying in a field? In Israel's day they went to the town nearest the body (they measured it) and broke a heifer's neck to atone for the shedding of blood. Assuming God knew who killed who at all times, I wonder how He dealt with the person? Was this neck-breaking of this heifer enough for atonement? The way I read it, it serves to absolve a certain city of the crime, not the murderer himself...or herself. I guess chicks could murder dudes.

What happens to the women taken in plunder? I thought orgies, but I was wrong. Verses 10-14 explain that marriage is the deal. Sexual slavery was not recommended. The wife had to go through a purification process, and was actually given a month to mourn mom and dad, but eventually, she was a total wife.

So...you marry a chick, have a son, stop loving the chick, and marry another chick. Chick two bares you a son. Who gets the inheritance? This practice wasn't condoned, but kids had to deal with their parents' screw ups. The first son, the symbol of strength, gets the inheritance.

Parents can stone a rebellious son! They can punish and punish, but if he's that naughty, he can be stoned at the city gate, upon approval of the elders. This was a deterrent to strike fear into the hearts of rebellious sons everywhere. I'd sit up and take notice if this happened to a drin...to a buddy of mine.

If a man does something dastardly enough to warrant a hanging from a tree, he is not to be left there overnight. God's curse is on him. Is this law to protect the tree? Again we see trees/creation subject to man's actions. A tree is a life giving thing. I think this is a lot like the law to not boil a lamb in its mother's milk.