Isaiah 1:1-6 …Condition of the people

Condition of the people…then AND now…

1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah/Azariah (786-758 bc), Jotham (758-742 bc), Ahaz (742-726 bc), and Hezekiah (726-697 bc), kings of Judah.

Uzziah meaning “Yah is my strength”, 786-697 = total years covered. Uzziah took the throne at the age of 16, the first 24 years of his reign were as co-regent with his father, Amaziah. Uzziah was struck with leprosy for disobeying God (2 Kings 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:19-21)

Amos 1;1 “Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.”

Assuming that the prophecy took place after Uzziah became sole regent in 768/767, Amos’ prophecy can be dated to some time after that and some time before Jeroboam’s death in 753 BC, with the earthquake two years after that. The earthquake was at least magnitude 7.8, but likely was 8.2, currently, the stratigraphic evidence at Gezer dates the earthquake at 760 BC.

² Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished (H1431 גָּדַל gadal (gaw-dal’) v. to make large.) and brought up (H7311 רוּם ruwm (room) v. to exalt, enrich) children (H1121  בָּנִים baniym (ba-neem’) [plural] the Hebrew nation), and they have rebelled against me. (H6586 פָּשַׁע pasha` (paw-shah’) v. to break away, trespass (from just authority).)

³ The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (H995 בִּין biyn (bene) v. to separate mentally (or distinguish). 2. (generally) to understand.)

⁴ Oh! sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity (H5771 עָוֹן `avon (aw-vone’) n-m. penalty for depravity.), a seed (H2233 זֶרַע zera` (zeh’-rah) n-m. child) of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked (H5006 נָאַץ na’ats (naw-ats’) v. to scorn.) the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away (H2114 זוּר zuwr (zoor) v. to be a foreigner, strange, profane.) backward. (H268 אָחוֹר ‘achowr (aw-chore’) subv. Become without, empty)

⁵ Why should ye be stricken (H5221 נָכָה nakah (naw-kaw’) v. punish) any more? ye will revolt (H5627 סָרָה carah (saw-raw’) n-f. apostasy, crimes) more and more: the whole head (H7218 רֹאשׁ ro’sh (roshe) n-m. thought process)  is sick, and the whole heart faint. (H1742 דַּוָּי davvay (dav-voy’) adj. troubled, sickness)

⁶ From the sole of the foot (Hebrew idiom for “power of actions”) even unto the head (H7218 רֹאשׁ ro’sh (roshe) n-m. thought process) there is no soundness (H4974 מְתֹם mthom (meth-ohm’) n-m. wholesomeness). in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores (fresh carnage): they have not been closed (suppressed), neither bound up(H2280 חָבַשׁ chabash (chaw-ɓash’) v.made to stop), neither mollified with ointment. (soften the hard heart with the oil of scripture)

Are we ready, in this generation, to acknowledge scripture in totality as authority?