I open with a brief mention that today completes 7 years of daily blogging: January 6, 2019, through today, January 5, 2026. 2,567 blogs in 2,557 days.

And, as promised, we launch our year’s journey through the prophets.

As I wrote yesterday, Isaiah’s historical setting is pre-exile.

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. (Isaiah 1.1, ESV)

He starts with a bang:

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. (Isaiah 1.2 – 4, ESV)

Now, here’s the kicker. Rebels, sinful, laden with iniquity, corrupt, forsaking the LORD and despising him. These people…are still practicing their religion! He says they are like Sodom and Gomorrah and calls them that:

If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.

Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! (Isaiah 1.9, 10, ESV)

And here’s their religious piety:

• “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings;
• incense is an abomination to me.
• New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
• Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.(Isaiah 1.11 – 14, ESV, bulleted for clarity)

Application to us?

• We practice the Lord’s Supper / Communion / Eucharist “the right way.” Is God impressed?
• We love our church services. Does God?
• We celebrate all the Christian holidays: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost. Are we worshiping God…or wearying God?
• What does God think of my 7 years of daily blogging?

Serious questions. Isaiah is clear. God wants more than religious piety and religious activity:

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

• Wash yourselves;
• make yourselves clean;
• remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
• cease to do evil,
• learn to do good;
• seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1.15 – 17, ESV, bulleted for clarity)

It goes on and on, and that’s just chapter 1! 65 chapters to go!! (Here’s Isaiah 1 in its entirety.)

I close with God’s offer through Isaiah:

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 1.19, 20, ESV)

I don’t write this stuff – I just report it. Join me for a year in the Prophets. It might just change our lives.