I first studied Isaiah in high school (I attended a missionary kid school after all). I can’t actually remember why I loved the words of this prophet, but it remains one class I have never forgotten and instilled in me an appreciation for this special book of the Bible. Isaiah’s promises of salvation and restoration then became very precious to me when we evacuated from Lombok Island during the January 2000 riots.

Now I am starting a new walk through the book with the ladies in my church Bible study which will last the entire school year.

I am older. I’m in a new season of my life. I have continued to grow, change, and learn new things and Isaiah is striking me in new ways. Uncomfortable ways. I’m not satisfied to simply take whatever I believed in the past without some wrestling, examination of the text, and thoughtful reflection (and of course some good hermeneutics).

I hit my first snag in chapter one.

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the best of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1:19–20 NIV

Here God sounds quite vindictive and conditional. Like he waves his finger at me saying I’ll be devoured if I mess up or blessed only when I obey. But I already tried to obtain the “best of the land” by being an obedient “good girl” and that didn’t pan out.

If we are subject to a “cause and effect” relationship with God, then those who do everything right will expect their lives to progress trouble free (and then become disillusioned when life doesn’t turn out this way).

And those who can’t seem to do anything right will expect God to keep on punishing them (and then give up because they can’t live up to his seemingly impossible standards).

Rather,

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

We who have entered into the New Covenant are the “righteousness of God.” This is our identity. We are¹:

• Blessed
• Chosen
• Holy
• Blameless
• Adopted
• Lavishly graced
• Redeemed
• Forgiven
• Saved
• Purified
• Loved
• Renewed by the Holy Spirit
• Justified
• Heirs of eternal life

As such, we don’t do good things or avoid evil things so that God will accept us, love us, and bless us. That would be trying to make restitution for our own sin.

We do good and avoid evil because God has already accepted, loved, and blessed us. (Remember too that when we fail, we are still accepted, loved, and blessed with every spiritual blessing because Christ became sin for us.) In other words, we live according to the person we are and we represent the one who became sin for us.

Therefore, when we see God’s standards laid out in Scripture (in this case, Isaiah), we ask:

❓How does this passage ask me—the righteousness of God—to represent him?

Stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:16–17 (NIV)²

❓ What actions or attitudes that the author calls out in his audience might also be a part of my life and my church?

When you come before me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this, running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? Quit your worship charades.

Isaiah 1:12–13 MSG

❓ How might what I do not line up with who I am?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming sin for me that I might become your righteousness. I’ve known this since I was a little girl and so I forget how incredibly amazing that is. I don’t need to make my own payment or amends for my sin. Even when I don’t really think I sin. For I lived as a “good girl” hoping to receive your blessing. But you have blessed me already because your blessing doesn’t mean a trouble-free life, it’s a life forgiven, redeemed, set free to not continue to sin. Show me how to represent you well. Reveal the ways in which how I live doesn’t match who you say that I am.

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¹Ephesians 3:1–10; Titus 2:11–14; Titus 3:3–7

²See also James 1:27; 2:17