“Your land is desolate,” Isaiah says to Judah, “your cities are burned with fire” (1:7). That means they are under the curses of the covenant, such as those detailed in Leviticus 26:33, which warns about the “desolation” of the land and the wasting of cities.
It also means that someone is carrying out herem warfare against Judah. Prior to Isaiah, the only city spoken of as actually being desolate is Ai, “a heap forever, a desolation to this day” (Joshua 8:28). Yahweh of hosts, the Holy One, has turned his weapons against His people.
Isaiah, of course, holds out hope in the end. One day, Jerusalem “shall no more be called Foraken, nor shall your land be claled Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah and your land Beulah,” because Yahweh will be married again to the land (Isaiah 62:4). Jerusalem, once the harlot bride who was burned with fire, will rise from the ashes and again become the Bride of Yahweh.
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