Isaiah 1:1-9

Isa 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.

Isa 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth:

• God is calling heaven and earth to attention. he is about to layout the charges against Israel.

for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

• Charge #1 - Rebellion

Isa 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

• Charge #2 - Without Understanding
  

Isa 1:4 Ah sinful nation,

• They should have been a Holy Nation, God's chosen people
  

a people laden with iniquity,

• They had agreed to a covenant and had a system of sacrifices for atoning for error.
  

a seed of evildoers,

• Not just one generation deep. God previously described them as his own children.
  

children that are corrupters:

• They were to testify and bring Glory to God. Instead of sanctifying other, they corrupted them.
  

they have forsaken the LORD,

• left God
  

they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger,

• despised, blashphemed, rejected
  

they are gone away backward.

• turned away
  

Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

• Great news, Jesus bears this for us:
  
• Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
  (Isaiah 53:4-6)
  
  

Isa 1:7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
Isa 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

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.

• Thank God, he preserves a remnant. And you can be part of it by faith.
  
• And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
  (Romans 9:29-33)