Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
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)
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)
In the verses that precede Isaiah 1:16-17, the Word of the LORD condemns Israelite sacrifices, offerings, and prayers. Why? Their worship is hypocritical. They profess to know, love, and worship God, but they do not follow God's way. According to God's way, Israelites are instructed never to oppress anyone. According to God's way, orphans and widows must be defended and supported. Apparently the Israelites aren't going God's way, for the Word of the LORD above emphasizes seeking justice, defending the oppressed, taking up the cause of the fatherless and pleading the case of the widow.
Someone has said that the health of a nation is revealed in the way that it treats its most vulnerable citizens. If that is so, then Judah and Jerusalem (reference Isaiah 1:1) are not very healthy at the time of Isaiah's vision.
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