Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they ___________ are gone away backward. There are so many condemnations packed into this verse that it is a little shocking to read it. God condemned the nations actions as sinful. Now sinful is a transgression against divine law. The Creator of man has the right to give laws that govern men in their relationship with each other. Any violation of these laws is considered sinful. He condemns people laden with iniquity. What is iniquity? Iniquity is a violation of the right or duty that mankind is under obligation to do. An iniquity can also be a wicked act and immoral conduct or practice. These are harmful or offensive to society and, especially to God.
He condemns the seed of evildoers. John Wesley describes it like this. The children of wicked parents, whose guilt they inherit, and whose evil example they follow. This is a sad but true statement. Raised in a home of wickedness, it is hard to be anything other than what your parents were as you were growing up. Wickedness passes from father to son.
He condemns children that are corrupters. John Wesley described them as children that corrupt themselves, or others by their counsel and example. It is the old adage of “one rotten apple spoils the entire barrel”. It is extremely difficult for children not to be influenced by a forceful leader. There is always one that most children look up to and if that person is corrupt, then his followers will soon be as corrupt as he is.
God explains what caused them to go wrong. They forsook the LORD. In short, they knew what was right but chose to do what was wrong. Somewhere along the line of their growth they were influenced to lean toward ungodliness, which is simply living for self with no consideration of God or others.
He also explains what happens when they choose this life. They provoke the Holy One of Israel. Our Creator first built a world from nothing. He added trees and animals. He developed an eco-system that is still a marvel today. Scientists, after years of study, still have not come to a complete understanding of how it all works together. After the creation of everything to make the world function properly, the Creator made man in His image. That means that we are a triune being just as God is. We have a body, soul and spirit. When we corrupt our actions (which is to violate the laws of the Creator) it provokes the Creator into anger. What man fails to understand is Gods Holy Hatred for sin. God’s anger surpasses the foolish anger of men. Man cannot totally destroy the earth. He who created it can. Man cannot destroy the Universe. He who created it can.
Over 90% of mans problem is his failure to recognize that he is created being, that God Almighty gave him life making him subject to God for his well-being. Man would rather believe that he came from a pool of slime that somehow without even a brain evolved into the complex being he is today. How absolutely foolish!
The last condemnation is that they are gone away backward. John Wesley describes it as Instead of proceeding forward and growing in grace. This presupposes that they understood grace in the first place. No, they have never known God in their life other than a swear word. They were raised in an ungodly home and are passing the ungodliness to their children and those children are passing it on to their friends, which by the way, angers God. Nations have been wiped out by God’s anger, yet we thumb our nose at the Creator of all life choosing rather to live a life of corruption.
I would like to explain a simple principle found in Proverbs. Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” God has given man the absolute right to choose his direction in life. As the verse tells us, man’s heart deviseth his direction whether toward God and righteousness or away from Him into unrighteousness. One direction pleases God and the person receives blessings as he follows his chosen path. The other displeases God and his path becomes hard, his life difficult.
What the writer of Proverbs wanted to tell you is simple. You get to choose your direction and the way you desire to go, but after you make that choice, God will direct your steps. If you are going away backward then your life will be more and more difficult until in the end there awaits a place of everlasting punishment. It is completely your choice. What do you want in your life? Blessing or cursing? Choose wisely, my friend.
