Isaiah 1:2-3 English Standard Version
The Wickedness of Judah
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
1,2,3 is a reminder of order and our God is a God of order.
Who is listening? Heaven and earth is the inclusive term which should indicate to us that we have lessons to learn from the behaviors of others listed here. The terms owner and master in verse three are clear indicators. We belong to God. We follow the commands of our Lord. Do we know Him in relationship to those truths? Has He imparted understanding to us as His children?
First truths are important. Hear the Word of the Lord. “Hear O heavens, and give ear, O earth.” Is He speaking to you of His plans for us? Nothing can be gleaned of His plans by understanding just one or two lines of scripture. It takes much more to reveal God’s plans.
The word theme comes to mind. In literary terms it is carried throughout a book, a story, or article in which there is a transition from one event to another that are all linked together using a common theme. In this sense the mistakes of those kings in those times indicate a historical context. History repeats itself over and over again if left unchecked.
The historical context of Isaiah 1 has repeated itself over and over again throughout history with little if any attention to how those passages indicate how things will turn out for any given time period if the warnings provided are ignored.
Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
One cannot remember what one does not study.