Question 1

Who is Isaiah son of Amoz in this passage and when did he speak?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah is introduced here as a prophet who received a vision from God about Judah and Jerusalem. He is called the son of Amoz and was likely connected to the royal family. His ministry covered the reigns of several kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. That means he spoke over many years during a time of outward religious activity but deep inner corruption. In this opening section, he begins to show how God sees the nation’s spiritual state, not just its outward success or failure.

Question 2

What does it mean that God nourished and brought up children who rebelled?

Accepted Answer

When God says, “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me,” He is speaking like a father who has raised His children with care. He chose this people, provided for them, and protected them. Calling them “children” shows closeness and kindness. Their rebellion is not just breaking rules but turning against the very One who raised them. The pain in these words helps us feel how ugly ingratitude is when it comes from those who have received so much.

Question 3

Why does God compare Israel to an ox and a donkey that know their owner?

Accepted Answer

God says that even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its master’s crib, but His people do not know or consider. The point is simple and sharp: even dull animals recognize who feeds and cares for them and return to that place. Israel, who has received far greater care from God, lives as if it has no idea who its true Master is. This shows how foolish and stubborn sin is. It is not just weakness, but a refusal to recognize the One to whom we owe everything.

Question 4

What does “sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity” tell us about Judah?

Accepted Answer

Calling them a “sinful nation” and “a people laden with iniquity” shows that sin was not just a few bad acts here and there. It weighed on them like a heavy load they carried everywhere. They are called a “seed of evildoers” and “children that are corrupters,” meaning their pattern was to pass on and spread sin, not fight it. This language tells us that the problem reached across the whole community and from one generation to the next. It is a picture of deep, settled rebellion, not just momentary slips.

Question 5

What is meant by the whole head being sick and the whole heart faint?

Accepted Answer

The picture of the whole head being sick and the whole heart faint shows that the nation’s condition is spiritual and total. The “head” suggests leaders and thinking, the “heart” speaks of inner life and will. From top to bottom, from thoughts to desires, something is badly wrong. God has already struck them with troubles to bring them back, but they have not turned. The following words about wounds and sores not being treated stress that their sin has left them hurting and weak, yet they still refuse the healing God offers.

Question 6

Why are Judah’s wounds, bruises, and sores described as not bound up or healed?

Accepted Answer

The wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores are a picture of how sin and God’s discipline have affected the whole nation. Saying they are not closed, bound up, or softened with ointment means no real healing has taken place. They have been judged, but they have not sought God’s mercy in a humble way. It is like a person with serious injuries who will not let anyone clean or dress them. The image underlines how stubborn they are and how much they need true repentance and God’s restoring grace.

Question 7

What was happening in the land when Isaiah said the country was desolate?

Accepted Answer

When Isaiah says, “Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire,” he is describing real disasters that had struck the land, likely through invading armies. Foreigners were eating the land’s produce while the people watched, and cities lay in ruins. This showed that God’s covenant warnings were coming true. Their outward ruin matched their inner state. The once-protected land now looked like it had been overthrown by strangers, because the people had turned away from the One who gave them the land.

Question 8

What does the image of the daughter of Zion as a cottage in a vineyard mean?

Accepted Answer

The “daughter of Zion” is a way of speaking about Jerusalem and its people. Saying she is left like a cottage in a vineyard or a lodge in a cucumber field gives a picture of a small, lonely shelter left standing in an empty field after harvest. It feels exposed and fragile. Calling her a besieged city adds the sense of danger and pressure. Together, these images show how reduced and threatened God’s people had become, surrounded by trouble and far from the strength they once knew.

Question 9

What is the small remnant God left, and why is it important here?

Accepted Answer

The “very small remnant” is the small group God kept alive when many were judged. The passage says that without this remnant, they would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah, wiped out completely. This shows both judgment and mercy. They deserved total destruction, but God chose to spare some, keeping a people for Himself. This remnant is a sign that God is not finished with them. Even in the middle of hard words and real losses, God’s purpose of grace is still at work and will not fail.

Question 10

What does this passage teach about God’s character toward a rebellious people?

Accepted Answer

These verses show that God is both patient and holy. He has acted as a father, feeding and raising His people, yet He does not ignore their rebellion. He speaks clearly about their sin, compares them to beasts that know more than they do, and explains that their suffering is a result of their turning away. At the same time, He has not wiped them out. By keeping a small remnant, He shows mercy and faithfulness to His promises. God cares enough to confront sin and kind enough to preserve hope.

Isaiah 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.

Judah’s Rebellion

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Isaiah 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.

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Judah’s Rebellion

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