Isaiah 1:21-31--The Unfaithful City

Isaiah 1:21-31
English Standard Version

The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city
    has become a whore,
    she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
    but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross,
    your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
    and the widow's cause does not come to them.

24 Therefore the LORD declares,
    the LORD of hosts,
    the Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
    and avenge myself on my foes.
25 I will turn my hand against you
    and will smelt away your dross as with lye
    and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,
    the faithful city.”

​27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
    and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks
    that you desired;
and you shall blush for the gardens
    that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be like an oak
    whose leaf withers,
    and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become tinder,
    and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
    with none to quench them.

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Jerusalem used to be thought of as "The Faithful City," but God is going to make the argument that they have become "The Unfaithful City."  She used to be full of justice, but now all God sees when He looks at her is a city that has whored itself after other gods (see the book of Hosea which is a contemporary of Isaiah).

God doesn't want the things that the people value--their silver and gold and wine and oil. He doesn't want their tithes and offerings if He doesn't have their hearts and their obedience.  "Obedience is better than sacrifice."  The people praise the LORD with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.

The leaders of the people have given themselves over to bribery and corruption.  There is no justice for those who are unable to grease the palms of the kings, princes, and judges.  They are even willing to bring false charges against the innocent if someone pays them a large enough bribe to do so, even being complicity in knowingly putting innocent people to death.  Abusing the power of capital punishment in this way makes them murderers, and the blood of the innocent cries out to the LORD just like it did in Genesis 3.

The LORD says that it's his turn to get justice and execute judgment and put to death all of His enemies, and these evil leaders seem to be at the top of His list.  He will restore justice and put judges in that were like the first ones before there was corruption.  The poor, the orphans, and the widows will have justice again.  He will do this for the sake of His Name and for the benefit of the people called by His Name.  He will purify His people like smelting ore to get rid of the dross (it will not be comfortable, but the refiner's fire makes the metal even more valuable).

The city of Jerusalem (also called Zion) will be a place of faithfulness and justice once again because the LORD will make it so.  All the enemies of the LORD--the sinners, the wicked, and the rebellious--will all be judged (making me think this prophecy is speaking of the New Jerusalem in the New Heavens and the New Earth).

The people desired their groves and orchards where they practiced paganism and idolatry, but the LORD would cause all these trees to be cut down and the forests and groves and orchards to waste away (only when the LORD brought His people back into the Land did the trees and crops start to grow again).  This was a sign to the people that without the blessing of the LORD, they were like these trees that were without water that would shrivel up and die.  They needed to return to the LORD, as He could even take that which was dying or dead and make it alive once again.

Those who thought they were strong and powerful will have no power or strength in front of the LORD on the Day of Judgment.  They will be like dried up wood suitable to be kindling in the fires of hell.  They will be burned up and consumed if they remain as part of the wicked, sinners, and rebellious.  The people have a chance during this time of judgment to be purified (if they are part of the good metal that is to be saved) or consumed (if they are part of the dross that is to be burnt away by the refiner's fire).  The same fire that purifies also consumes depending on if the one being put through the fire belongs to the LORD or not.