Isaías 1
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Isaías 1:2-4
Henry comments that God… charges them with base ingratitude, a crime of the highest nature. Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse. Let heaven and earth hear and wonder at, 1. God's gracious dealings with such a peevish provoking people as they were: "I have nourished and brought them up as children; they have been well fed and well taught'' (Dt 32:6); "I have magnified and exalted them'' (so some), "not only made them grow, but made them great-not only maintained them, but preferred them-not only trained them up, but raised them high.'' Note, We owe the continuance of our lives and comforts, and all our advancements, to God's fatherly care of us and kindness to us. 2. Their ill-natured conduct towards him, who was so tender of them: "They have rebelled against me,'' or (as some read it) "they have revolted from me; they have been deserters, nay traitors, against my crown and dignity.'' Note, All the instances of God's favour to us, as the God both of our nature and of our nurture, aggravate our treacherous departures from him and all our presumptuous oppositions to him-children, and yet rebels! Application - Don't go to the next verse without at least being open and willing to personally apply this passage. What is it that God has clearly told me to do (either recently or in the distant past) but which I have failed to carry out and/or which I have willfully rebelled against? (cp Pr 28:13, 1Jn 1:9) Unruly Children - READ: Isaiah 1:1-9,16-20 - I once had a pet raccoon by the name of Jason. Having affectionately cared for this "little bandit" for several months, I was amazed and frustrated when he forgot my friendship and turned on me. In fact, there were occasions when he sank his teeth into the very hands that fed him. The prophet Isaiah emphasized the unruly behavior of the people of Israel in the first chapter of his book. He said that a dumb ox recognizes his owner, and the stubborn donkey knows enough to come home to his own stall (Isa 1:3). But Israel ignored God's tender care and eventually provoked Him to anger (Isa 1:4). The people of Israel turned away from the Lord like rebellious children. Their worship and sacrifices became a stench in the nostrils of God, for their hearts were far from Him. They resisted His gracious warnings and finally experienced divine judgment. The land of milk and honey was looted and ransacked before their very eyes. "We love You, Lord Jesus," we often may say, But are we as ready His will to obey? Let's heed what God's Spirit would have us to do, For that's how we show Him a love that is true. --DJD Respond to undeserved blessing with unreserved obedience. Isaiah 1:3 An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel does not know me, and the people has not regarded me. Amplified: The ox [instinctively] knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib, but Israel does not know or recognize Me [as Lord], My people do not consider or understand. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. NET: An ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; but Israel does not recognize me, my people do not understand." (NET Bible) NJB: The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; Israel does not know, my people do not understand.' (NJB) NLT: Even the animals--the donkey and the ox--know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still do not understand. (NLT - Tyndale House) Young's Literal: An ox hath known its owner, And an ass the crib of its master, Israel hath not known, My people hath not understood. An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand: Proverbs 6:6; Jeremiah 8:7 Isa 5:12; 27:11; 44:18; Deuteronomy 32:28,29; Ps 94:8; Jeremiah 4:22; 9:3, 4, 5, 6; 10:8,14; Matthew 13:13, 14, 15,19; Romans 1:28; 2Peter 3:5 Isaiah 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries An ox knows its owner - The ox recognizes and/or is submissive to the owner. Remember that this is God Himself making this pithy assessment. God's indictment of Judah's rebellion is made all the more striking with a vivid illustration (cp Is 8:7) which contrasts His own people with "dumb" animals who are actually "smarter" than Judah. He says that even these dumb animals know their owner or their master's manger because of the owner's care for the animal. God says with what seems a sense of amazement that His people have behaved worse than these dumb brute beasts of burden! How sad that Judah did not have as much devotion to their Holy Master as animals do for their human masters! Jeremiah makes a similar allusion (speaking of Judah) writing that "Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration, but My people do not know the ordinance of the LORD (to not know His ordinance is not to know Him). (Jeremiah 8:7) THOUGHT - Beloved, do you know your Owner? Do your choices validate or substantiate your answer? Do your thoughts, words and deeds demonstrate who is your real master? (cp Mt 6:24-note) If you are a believer, are you daily denying self (Mk 8:34, saying "No" to your will) and seeking to live in submission to the will (good and acceptable and perfect - Ro 12:2-note) and authority of Jehovah? We rebel against the Lord's authority when we refuse to submit every area of our life to His Lordship. Is there some area you have reserved just for you? Then beware and remember Judah's example which demonstrates that it’s only a matter of time, unless there is recognition and repentance, that sons become rebels and rebels become harlots!
Isaías 1:2-4
Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)