Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
When I first read this verse I thought, “How in the world does this verse apply to me?” While I understood what each phrase said, I couldn’t grasp the spiritual meaning for me. Hmm… what do I do? I decided to read the entire chapter. Maybe that would help my understanding. Nope, not really. So I decided to read a few commentaries on the verse. The commentaries said that this verse was probably meant for magistrates or those in power to judge. Well, I’m not a judge, so again, what was I supposed to get from this verse? Finally I decide to pray about it. (I know… why didn’t I pray first? I guess I’m still in the infancy stages of “learning to do well”!)
After asking God’s Holy Spirit for help in understanding, here is what I gleaned.
- “Learning to do well” – The only place from where I can learn what is righteous and true is from the God’s Word. I must submit myself to solid Biblical teaching from godly teachers, such as my pastor and Sunday school instructors (2 Timothy 2:15). I must make time to read and meditate upon the Scriptures on my own and allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate its words for me as I study it.
- “Seek judgment” – I must search for what is right in the sight of the Lord in all situations. I must be wise in my actions and understand how they can influence others. Good judgment comes with wisdom, and wisdom comes from the fear, or reverential awe and respect, of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), and the Bible tells me that I must abstain from even the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22), so I must continually evaluate my own actions and align them with the Word of God.
- “Relieve the oppressed” – Where there is a need, I must step up to help if I am able. God Word tells us to reach out and help others whenever we can (Romans 12:10, 13). Our testimony for Christ shines forth when we love one another as He loved us (John 13:35). The needs could be financial, emotional, physical, or spiritual, but I must have a willing and available heart for those who are burdened.
- “Judge the fatherless” – How poignant in today’s world that there are so many children that have no fathers in their lives. To offer justice to these children is to give them what a father should provide… protection, teaching, and love. As a Christian, I must share the gospel with them and teach them that they have a heavenly Father who loves them (Proverbs 22:6). Jesus desired children to come to Him, and I must help facilitate that in places like Sunday school, AWANA, and missions. It also means taking a stand for the unborn babies who have no earthly fathers to protect them (Psalm 82:3-4).
- “Plead for the widow” – Statistics show that women have a greater life expectancy than men, so many times a husband precedes his wife in death. To those women left behind, I can befriend and visit (1 Timothy 5:3). Maybe it’s in their homes, a retirement facility, or just a time of one-on-one fellowship at church. It could even be as simple as a card in the mail reminding a lady that she is thought of and loved.
Wow! When I first read this verse, I couldn’t see any application to my life. What a difference it made when I asked God’s Spirit to open my eyes to Scripture! Next time, I’ll be sure to make that my first step in my devotional reading!
“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” – 2 Timothy 2:7
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I’d love to hear about a time when God’s Spirit opened your eyes to the truth of His Word!