Charles Spurgeon Commentary Isaiah 1

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (Isaiah 1:1–2)

The good and gracious God, having been treated ungenerously, makes his appeal not to men who themselves are guilty, but to the very heavens and earth, calling on the silent stones of the field, and the trees of the wood, and the stars of heaven, to judge between him and his rebellious children. I have nourished and brought up children — taken a nurse's interest in them, shown a parent's love to them — and they have rebelled against me (Isaiah 1:2).

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. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

"If they were simply my subjects, I could bear their rebellion better than I can now, for they are my children. I have nourished them, and brought them up; and after long and persevering kindness towards them, I might have expected some affection from them in return: but they have rebelled against me."

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.

During the time in which Isaiah prophesied, the worship of God was, upon the whole, maintained in Judah; yet, prosperous as the times appeared to be, there was visible to the eye of the Lord much iniquity. He who sees not as man sees, but who looks beneath the surface, and into the hearts of men, saw that the condition of the people was exceedingly unsatisfactory. Do not forget that these upbraiding words were spoken during the reigns of comparatively good kings, and try to imagine how the Lord must have felt towards the people who lived in the reigns of bad kings.

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos, which he saw— (Isaiah 1:1)

Prophets were called seers; they saw what they were called to say, and every true preacher of Christ must first be a seer of Christ.

He must see, that is, realize for himself; and then he must tell others what he has seen. This Book is about "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. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (Isaiah 1:1–2)

It is an appeal of God to inanimate creation to bear witness to the ingratitude that he had received, as if it was of no use any longer to speak to men. The appeal is stated very solemnly and impressively, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord has spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, cared for them, loved them, fed them, and they have rebelled against me.

The ingratitude of a child is something shocking; and the ingratitude of man to God is of that character.