Isaiah 1:2-3 - Homiletics

God's arraignment of his people.

God claims his people's willing obedience on three grounds.

1. They are his children.

2. He has made them great.

3. He has exalted them to eminence among the nations.

I. As HIS CHILDREN , they are bound to love and serve him, to be grateful to him for his manifold mercies, and to yield him entire obedience. He is the Author of their being; he sustains their life; he feeds them, supports them, gives them every blessing which they enjoy. In return, what less can they do than love him unfeignedly, serve him truly, and obey him implicitly? Earthly children are bound to act thus towards their earthly parents: how much more God's children towards their heavenly Father!

II. AS RAISED BY HIM TO POWER AND GREATNESS , they are yet more bound to serve him. Every gift of God to us increases our responsibilities, lays us under a more stringent obligation to make a due return to our Benefactor. Israel was increased from a family into a nation, was multiplied in numbers, given a land flowing with milk and honey, raised from the bondage of Egypt to an independent and commanding position. Each step in their progress constituted a demand on them for greater love, profounder gratitude, more exact observance of every Divine commandment.

III. As EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS , they are at once called upon for additional thankfulness, and required to manifest to the heathen that God's favor has not been bestowed on them by mere caprice, but with some reference to their capacity of profiting by it. "A city set on a hill cannot be hid" ( Matthew 5:14 ). Eminence of whatever kind calls upon us for increased exertion. Noblesse oblige . If men are bound to serve God in the lowest walks of life, still more are they bound to serve him when he has "raised them out of the dust, and lifted them out of the dunghill, that he may set them with princes, even with the princes of his people" ( Psalms 113:7 , Psalms 113:8 ). And as with individuals, so with nations. Eminence among the powers of the earth calls on them to set a good example—to "let their light shine before men, "to make a decided profession of religion, and to carry out their profession in their acts.

Israel, however, had acknowledged none of these obligations. They had "rebelled against God , "turned away from following him, cast his words behind their back. More dull than either ox or ass, they had refused to "know God, "to have him in their thoughts, to "consider his operations" ( Isaiah 5:10 ). Have not multitudes of Christians also followed their example? They too are God's children ( Romans 8:16 ; 1 John 3:1 , etc.), created by him, regenerated by him, adopted by him in his beloved Son, Jesus Christ. They too have been raised by him to greatness, increased from a "little flock" to hundreds of millions, "carried on eagles' wings" ( Exodus 19:4 ), borne safely through the storms of centuries. And they have been exalted among the nations of the earth, given the chief place, manifestly elevated above both Jews and heathen. Must not Christians, if they rebel, if they refuse to "know God" or "consider 'him, expect the same terrible punishments as overtook the Israelites, or others similar to them? "If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" ( Hebrews 10:26 , Hebrews 10:27 ). "It is fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God' ( Hebrews 10:31 ).