Monday Night Bible Study

In this prayer from Israel to God, the nation recognizes their own sin and makes their wishes know to Him. The tone is one of true repentance as Israel’s attitude is evident through their confession and the passion it contains.

Verses 1-5: A Plea from Israel

Israel seems to know by now that God is God and that it is time for them to return to Him and obey Him. The words in this section indicate that they are finished with their wayward phase. Recognition of God’s glory and His power over the earth is described. Israel is, however, hungering for what seems to be pagan representations of deistic power. 

They ask for God to tear the sky and come down to earth and preform natural miracles that will impress and awe them with His power. McGuiggan calls their confession “half-hearted,” most likely owing to these desires that are immature and not necessarily reflective of an understanding of God. 

They do make a mention of what seems to be God’s visit to Mt. Sinai to hand down the ten commandments. And they recognize that nations tremble at His presence, that He blesses those that wait for Him and also that He can save them: “You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned— In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.” Isaiah 64:5

Verses 6-7: Filthy Rags

Israel knows the depth of their iniquity here, recognizing the filth of their sins and how sin has made even their attempts at righteousness inept. The descriptions of sin are memorable and real. They also affirm that their sins have carried them away from God. Their shame is so deep that even in the midst of their knowledge, they are too ashamed to call out to Him. They know that God has turned away from them due to their great sin.

Verses 8-12: Recognition

This plea for mercy is full of respect and supplication to their holy Creator. They ask Him not to be furious with them and to forget their iniquity. Israel makes a plea that is based on the state of their land, their city and their temple. This plea is earnest and forthright. Even though it is not spiritual, it is still representative of a people that know exactly who is in control. 

Israel wants reconciliation and this time they have it right. God is the One that can help them; God is the One that can save. This simple and humble state of spirit imparts clarity of thought, which is an indication of true repentance. 

Isaiah 63 shows us how God punishes and forgives. There is much to consider as we read of God bringing vengeance to Edom and of how He felt compelled to save Israel. Israel’s reaction is satisfyingly humble and will serve us well in terms of how to behave under the visage of the Almighty.

Verses 1-6: Reprisal Against Edom

Verse 1 starts out with a vision of One coming from Edom. Specifically He comes from Bozrah, a city which was perhaps the capital of Edom. This One coming from Edom is described as “…glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength[?—] “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”” It is God, traveling from the land of Edom after having taken vengeance on the nation due to their being adversaries of His beloved Israel. Edom was known for being Israel’s chief enemy and it always stood on the side of whomever was against Israel. Psalm 137:7: “Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Who said,“Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!”” Psalm 137:7

In addition to its opposition of Israel, Bozrah was also known for making wine. In this passage, we have a vision of a lone God (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19) treading on the winepress in Bozrah. Only the juice that stains His garments and robes is not from grapes, but from the bodies of the punished. The two ideas of treading grapes to make wine and God treading on the people of Edom as punishment are presented as a poetic duality.

God waited, yet there was no one to save Israel from her enemies. So, He took it upon Himself. The arm of God makes an appearance here, bringing salvation to Israel for God’s sake. Instead of being overfilled with wine, now the wicked of Edom are drunk with God’s fury, a lethal dose that humbles their strength and lessens their might. 

We would do ourselves a disservice to read this passage and not make reference to Revelation 19. In Revelation 19, we have a similar vision of Christ on a white horse, with a robe that is dipped in blood. Jesus is striking the nations, condemning them with His speech. It is a powerful scene: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” Revelation 19:11-16

Also, in Isaiah 11, there is a messianic prophecy that tells of Christs’s power along the same lines: that it is with His mouth that he condemns: “But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” Isaiah 11:4

What can we take from these visions? God condemns Edom and punishes them in Isaiah 63 while Christ is described similarly, striking down the nations using the force of truth that He speaks. If we are carefully preceptive, it is almost as if we can see two out of the three personalities of God (Father & Son out of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) working together to complete the total will of God.

Verses 7-14: Compassion

In these verses, Israel is recognizing the grace, mercy and compassion that God has had on them. As we read this passage, we get the sense of the relationship of God and Israel from God’s point of view. Let us review the sequence presented:

• God gave Israel great goodness, mercy and lovingkindness (v. 7)
• God takes Israel under His protection, saying they are “children who will not lie” (v. 8)
• God felt sympathy for them when they suffered and He helped them to survive and thrive (v. 9)
• God saw them rebelling, so He turned His face away from them (v. 10)
• God then remembered Moses, and the relationship He had with the people and how much He loves them (v. 11, 12)
• God resumed to watch over them, leading them through danger, so that they may survive and thrive once more (v. 13)

The sequence tells a story of love, patience, punishment and compassion. God loved Israel too much to leave them to die in their sins. Instead His plan all along was to provide for them (and all of mankind) a Savior through which to be reconciled.

The final point of this passage is memorable, and it contains an idea that we have visited before in Isaiah. God redeems Israel for the sake of His own name: “So You lead Your people, To make Yourself a glorious name.” 

Verses 15-19: Remorse

Israel is ready to come back to God and is making this known in a very earnest and straightforward way in these verses. It is heartbreaking to hear their confession as they sorrow for the ways they have ignored God. They recognize that God hardened their hearts (v. 17). 

The Israel in verse 14 is Israel Abraham’s son, not Israel the nation. Israel as a nation is saying that Abraham and Israel do not recognize the nation due to the state of their great sin. Their guilt and remorse is almost palpable. Because of their forsaking God and His commandments, they had become just as all the other people in the land. The prayer’s primary purpose is to ask God to return to Israel, so that their progeny does not disappear from the land. Israel’s conviction is highly persuasive in these verses, and it suggests that God has looked into the heart of the righteous remnant and has seen true repentance.

A powerful thing to consider and take away from this passage is God’s power. God’s power has had a profound effect on the subject of all three sections. Among Edom in the first section, God’s power to take vengeance is without equal and should strike fear into the hearts of sinners. In the second section, God’s compassion is so powerful that He controls the fates of nations. And in the third section, God’s power shows us that it is such that it can prove the need for repentance just as it instills a deep guilt into the hearts of those that have willingly disobeyed Him.

Tonight, let us think about God’s power. What has it done in your life?

This chapter assures Israel that they will be saved. There are numerous references to their physical safety and prosperity. Their righteousness and their blessings do not spring forth luckily or by chance; rather they are gifts of mercy from God.

Verses 1-5: A crown of glory

God will glorify Jerusalem as a city and Israel as a people. All of the gentiles, other nations and kings will see their glory and will know them by a new name. God will hold them in His hand as a diadem (crown or a cloth headband representing dignity and authority).

With this new glory, Israel will lose the monikers “Forsaken” and “Desolate.” Instead they will be called “Hephzibah,” (my delight is in her) and their land will be called “Beulah” (married).

The joy of a wedding accompanies these new blessings as God is happy to return His nation to peace and to see them crowned with blessings. This message is reminiscent of the language in Isaiah 54 in which God the Maker was described as the husband and Israel as the beautiful, adorned wife.

Verses 6-9: A praise in the earth

Jerusalem is watched over by prophets who are described here as watchmen. The prophets are encouraged to speak good on behalf of the Lord, and to continue to pray that He will fulfill His promise to the establish Jerusalem as a praised nation.

God has sworn to them: “Surely I will no longer give your grain As food for your enemies; And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, For which you have labored. But those who have gathered it shall eat it, And praise the LORD; Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.” Isaiah 62:8-9

God assures the nation that He will settle them; they will prosper once more by their own hands. The mention of “My holy courts” anticipates the temple rebuilding.

Verses 10-12: Redeemed of the Lord

In the concluding verses of this chapter, God tells the people to prepare for the influx of foreigners while also assuring salvation. Especially encouraging is the reference to Jesus in verse 11, which gives even more hope to an increasingly blessed people: “Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.”

The new names given to Israel: “The Holy People,” “The Redeemed of the Lord,” “Sought Out,” and “A City Not Forsaken” suggest a people that have been called back to their right place with the Lord. Their directive now is to prepare the way for people to come to God. Israel will do this physically, welcoming foreigners to Jerusalem and conversion to belief in God.

But, more importantly for us, their redemption leads to our own as Jesus Christ is born through the remnant of righteous Israel and we wear the name “Christian.”

Although this chapter may not be long, it is very deep with meaning. As we move through verses that describe Jesus, the salvation of Zion and Zion’s praise, we will examine who the speaker is in the three divided sections below. The true speaker is not always instantly identifiable, nor can they always be identified with certainty.

Verses 1-3: Christ or Isaiah?

One might read this passage and ask themselves, who’s speaking: Christ or Isaiah? A case can be made for either. Let’s look at the tasks that list the work of the speaker:

1. Preach good tidings to the poor

2. Heal the brokenhearted

3. Proclaim liberty to the captives

4. Free those in prison

5. Proclaim judgment day/God’s vengeance

6. Comfort the mourners

7. Console Israel

8. Replace ashes with beauty

9. Replace morning with joyous anointment

10. Replace the spirit of heaviness with the garment of praise

Many of these tasks are general enough to float from Isaiah to Christ for meaning but there are a few that lean more towards Jesus when we consider the deeper meaning of the statement.

For instance, both Isaiah and Christ proclaim liberty to captives; one physical liberty from enslavement and the other spiritual liberty from sin. Also, both Isaiah and Christ replace the mourning state with a joyous one with their respective messages.

These three verses are meant to come from both Isaiah and Christ on a certain level, but I believe that the more important message is to be had when we read these words as if they came from Christ. A question of audience is to be considered here as well. In Isaiah’s time, as Isaiah’s audience, these words would have comforted and encouraged; but we now see the deeper meaning due to the blessing of our later birth. So one could argue that the answer to the question of “Isaiah or Christ” is both.

But for our experience as living in the final days before Jesus’s return, it is more applicable to read verses 1-3 as the Words of Christ. To compound the belief that Christ is the true speaker, there are other very striking clues in the New Testament such as the attention to the poor, the humble and the meek. Do not the descriptors “poor,” “brokenhearted,” and “those who mourn” suggest the blessed ones mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:3-5

Another hint for our time that Jesus is the speaker is found in Luke 4:16-21. In this passage, Christ visits a synagogue and quotes from verses 1 and 2 of Isaiah 61 by way of referring to Himself:

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”” Luke 4:16-21

Like so much of Isaiah, there is a lot of meaning packed into these verses. It is to our advantage as Christians and Bible students to revisit and reread often.

Verses 4-9: Isaiah or God?

In this section, we have a redemption story. As the Israelites return to Jerusalem, they rebuild and repair while strangers and foreigners work for them. The physical blessings give way to spiritual in verse 6 as Zion is named “priests of the Lord,” and “servants of our God.” Double honor and double blessings abound as they receive everlasting joy.

God is the speaker for this section as evinced by verse 8: “For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant.” Only Almighty God can make such claims. He goes on to say that their blessings and their identity as the Lord’s will be known.

While verses 4-9 deal with the physical redemption of the remnant to Zion, they also retain memorable spiritual undertones. When Zion is rebuilding in verse 4, there is a spiritual connection because as sinners, we are a destroyed house. But with God, we build a strong dwelling in which He lives: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19-20

And there is also callback to Isaiah 28 that perhaps more perfectly makes the spiritual connection: “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.” Isaiah 28:16

Finally, as the people rebuild and are established, it reminds us of how we are truly established when we build our house on the rock of God: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

Verses 10-11: God or Zion?

As we close out this chapter, there is a celebration of joy in the salvation that God has provided. Zion speaks as a nation here, rather than Isaiah speaking for the nation. Zion is releasing a flood of recognition and gratitude. The language goes yet deeper into the figurative as Zion wears a robe of righteousness and is decorated as a bride or bridegroom with ornaments and jewels. Indeed, God will cause righteousness and praise to grow, an exhibition through the blessed to those living without God.

However, if one stops to consider it, these blessings will not come to the people for hundreds of years. So if that is the case, Israel could not yet be acknowledging these blessings because they had not occurred yet. So, from this perspective, it is God speaking, or rather, it is God prophesying.

However we look at this chapter, there are three facts within to remember:

1. God made a way for His chosen people to return to Him

2. God brought the righteous remnant to peace, protecting the path of Jesus

3. Through this plan, the extended hand of Christ invites us to cast our cares and worries upon Him:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:1-6

While we have taken pains to answer who the speaker is in each of these sections, we need to remain sensible by remembering that all of the words were physically spoken or written or dictated by Isaiah. The “speaker” in the Bible is always God, but intricately examining the “speakers” in the way we have for chapter 61 reveals a deep and rewarding meaning.

It is profound and it is the amazing Word of God.

This is a very positive chapter and it lays out many ways that God’s people will be blessed. Particularly as they return to Jerusalem and rebuild, they will experience many unexpected and for them what must have been surprising blessings in light of their troubled history.

While the message in this chapter is one addressed to Zion, we cannot help but notice the new covenant themes hidden in the descriptions of the blessings. The primary subject matter in the text deals in blessings of the physical variety, but we would be remiss to ignore the spiritual subtext that is present. When the content of chapter 60 is appraised as a whole, the following themes emerge:

 – God’s blessings returning to His people

 – God’s people returning to Him, by way of His providence

 – Abundant blessings and mercies, the likes of which are peculiar and unexpected

When these themes are compared with the prophecies of the coming Messiah, the subtext of salvation through Jesus (available to all the world) is hard to miss.

Verses 1-3: Dark of the world/light of God

These verses constitute an opening for the coming blessings from God. Following the eventual theme of redemption in chapter 59, Zion (or Israel, God’s chosen people), is now suited to receive the blessings of God. The world is mired in corruption and darkness, and the people within are without light. The darkness is the absence of God and God’s commandments and influence, which bring light to the lives of those that love Him. 

Zion comes to know that they are once more approved of by God; His anger has ceased and His blessings return. Within these blessings are some new ideas: chief of which is that gentiles will be drawn to the light of Zion. This light makes the nation of Israel attractive to the other nations, and it has its origins in God.

Verses 4-9: Blessings and exiles

Zion is described as the recipient of great material blessings. Not only will many gentiles come to Zion, but they will also bring their wealth: camels, gold, and incense. The arrival of these blessings is not merely mentioned in passing, but the poetry of the passage yields additional meaning. In other words, the description of these material blessings is interspersed with telling details. For instance, the camels are not mentioned as arriving, but the fact that they will “cover your land” suggests a veritable multitude of the beasts of burden. Gold and incense are mentioned in conjunction with praise to the Lord. 

Perhaps most interestingly, the flocks and rams specified in verse seven do not make up the blessing; they are not an indication of gentiles or exiles bringing animals to Zion for altar sacrifice. Rather it is Kedar and Nebaioth that are the focus of that statement as these were sons of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Sarah’s handmaid Hagar. Kedar and Nebaioth, representative of exiles, are returning to God and Zion. They will be enlarging the tent that we spent time discussing in chapter 54. 

It is also worth noting that in verses 4 and 9, the exiles are mentioned as returning home from afar.

Verses 10-14: Total Reversal

Chapter 60 on the whole is highly encouraging and positive to the people returning to Jerusalem. As God proclaims His blessings; verse 10 holds the only reminder of God’s wrath in the entire chapter. 

Where foreigners had been invading and enslaving, now they come to rebuild the walls, they come bearing gifts, and bowing in respect and obeisance. Where Zion would have felt the need to keep their gates closed continually against invaders and enslavers, now they feel the need to keep her gates open at all times, to allow for the procession of kings, gifts and fealty. 

The cypress, the pine and the box tree will enter through these gates, but their purpose is not to serve the rebuilding of the walls. Instead, they will be brought in: “To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious.” They were to glorify the temple. There is a subtle reference here of the temple as “God’s footstool,” (I Chronicles 28:2). This is a memorable instance of how the physical blessings we enjoy are not the goal; instead they serve to support and uplift the spiritual worship of God.

Verses 15-22: Everlasting Light

Zion’s period as a nation where they had been forsaken and hated is now in the past. Alternatively, Zion will now enjoy rich blessings from God through the gentiles. This peace and prosperity will last many generations and will secure God’s place in their minds as “your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” God will not only increase their wealth and quality of life, but He will also increase justice and righteousness in Zion (verse 17). Violence and destruction will be no more and their habitation will be constructed of salvation and praise. This last point in particular points towards the Messiah as we know that there definitely would be violence and destruction in Zion’s future. The lack of violence and destruction (sin) within their borders (obeying the gospel call) will lead to their salvation (forgiveness of sin through Christ). During this intercourse (verses 17-22), God is speaking these blessings for all of mankind that comes to know, believe, follow and obey Jesus.

Moving forward, God will be their guidance and their “everlasting light”. The natural phenomena of the sun and moon are no longer integral to their prime existence as God will supply their light and glory eternally. This also, is a reference to the Messiah. Undeniably, the final two verses of Isaiah 60 refer to Christ as God reveals the progression and motivation for His plan: He will save them through a work He has made, and it will be for His glory, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed:

“Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”” Isaiah 60:21-22

This chapter takes us through a progression of sin to salvation. It is not an outline of the gospel plan to save, but it does provide the general course of the human heart as it makes its way from sin, to shame, to confession, to salvation, and finally to living under the grace of God.

The tense of this chapter changes often while reading the verses. It seems to serve a narrative purpose as we will see.

Verses 1-8: Separation from God

In this first section, God lays out a list of offenses that Israel is guilty of. Because of these offenses, they are separated from God. He is telling them that there are habits they need to break, there are practices they have incorporated into their daily lives that need to stop if they are to be with Him again.

God takes special care to tell them that it is not because of His ineptitude that they cannot be saved. No, it is due to their transgressions.

This passage is ample proof that God does not answer the prayers of the wicked. He hides Himself from those with sin in their hearts, “hands defiled with blood,” so to speak.

The description of the people’s sins goes from the second person (verses 1-3) to the third person (verses 4-8) in an increasingly judgmental and damning list. It is almost as if the sin is so abominable that the speaker wishes for it to be as far away as possible, lengthening the distance through the tense.

Israel has blood on their hands, signifying their guilt of killing. Their fingers have assisted them in doing sinful things. Their tongues and lips have given birth to lies and perversity. They do not seek justice or truth; they trust in lies instead.

There are two powerful illustrations in verses 5 and 6:

1. Lies hatch viper’s eggs that kill people.

These lies are dangerous and have consequences that affect the fate of men. Men that abuse their power, making decisions and proclamations of import can easily tell lies of this kind.

2. Lies weave webs that they will use in an attempt to cover sin.

Lies of this kind are defensive and are of the kind that begin a cycle that never stops. One lie to cover a sin, then a lie to cover that lie, then another and another…

This passage tells a truly sad story of a people corrupted. Indeed, their state has gotten such that they are actually impatient to do evil: “Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths.” Isaiah 59:7

This verse means that sin had gotten such a hold on their spirits and minds that they are caught up in it, wrestling with it every day in an attempt to control it or the results of it. Of course, mankind can never manage sin on their own; they need God. But as the result of this attempt to control their own sinful paths, they have no peace: “The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” Isaiah 59:8

Verses 9-15: Confession to God

Israel speaks in the first person in this section, which is fitting as the theme of this passage is confession. There is not a better tense through which to communicate the admission of guilt; in this manner it is at its most potent.

Israel now understands why they have no justice, righteousness or peace. It is due to their sins. God has provided the laws and the revelation of their state and now they know their true condition of blindness.

Here we have another illustration of sin and this one shows us the blind and the dead walking about during the light of the day, yet unable to find their way. They seek justice and salvation, but because of their sin, they do not find it. It is an accurate illustration even today of how sin deadens us to the goodness and truth of God’s Word. Sin comes to bear a willing ignorance within us that only increases and it hardens our resolve to continue in it the deeper we go.

Verses 12-15 contain the confession. Leaving God, seeking oppression and revolt and creating lies are the items confessed. The mention of lying multiple times in this chapter should remind us of the times in Isaiah that God has said that Israel proclaimed false belief in Him (Isaiah 29:13, 57:11).

As an eye-opening endnote to this passage, we are left with the picture that there is so much corruption that even those that attempt to practice righteousness find themselves the target of the evildoer: “So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.” Isaiah 59:15

Verses 16-21: Redemption to God

God, seeing the state of the people, decided to save man through an intercessor: “He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.” Isaiah 59:16

God created for us this pathway to Him and blesses us so. The strength to complete this comes from God’s righteousness; He will disperse vengeance and justice accordingly. Through God’s plan to save, His name will be glorified and He will come to those that forsake sin and seek Him.

The chapter concludes with a promise from God. His Word endures and it will be known for the rest of time: “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”” Isaiah 59:19-21

In this chapter, God uses two main themes, the Sabbath and fasting, to bring His people closer to Him. These ideas were not new to them. Indeed, they were familiar with them and would have had knowledge on properly carrying out each.

Theme 1: The Sabbath

The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, or Saturday, and was a day that was ordained by God for rest. In the list of ten commandments from Exodus 20, the Sabbath is the second: ““Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

When the Lord commanded that His people observe the Sabbath, it was a very serious commandment and punishable by death if not followed (Exodus 31:14). The Sabbath held great importance in the old law and has its origins in the creation story, when God rested on the seventh day after creating our reality (Genesis 2:2).

Theme 2: Fasting

Traditionally, and in most every biblical context, fasting means going without food. It is associated with repentance and suffering in some applications: “”Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”” Joel 2:12

Fasting makes many appearances in the New Testament. In this example from Acts 10:30-31, it is indicative of spiritual distress as Cornelius seeks answers: “So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.” Also, Jesus warned against “false fasting:” ““Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:16-18. So we see that fasting has its use and its place.

Fundamentally, fasting is an aid that helps us to come closer to God in our thoughts and eventually our actions as well. If I am constantly hungry, it can be a persistent reminder of how God provides for me. Also, denying myself even the basest of human needs establishes the humble and self-sacrificial mindset of true religion before God. Fasting in a modern sense also exists, and it is not restricted to food. It can be a very rewarding, yet personal, practice to deny yourself food, television, reading – anything valuable yet temporarily expendable in the effort to grow closer to God in thought and prayer.

As we move into Isaiah 58, we see that God sets up a conversation where Israel is asking Him why He has forsaken them; after all they are fasting and observing the ordinances of God…? But God reveals to them that they are not properly honoring Him with their fasting. Instead they are using their fasting to be seen, to make a display, and not with the properly contrite heart and resulting attitude that God requires.

Therefore God is counseling them on how to properly fast and how to observe the Sabbath. He does so with a series of three if/then statements:

1. Verses 7-9

If: You care for the poor, the needy (your own fellow Israelites)…

Then: The light of God’s blessings will shine on them, healing them and dispelling the darkness of corruption. Their righteousness will also increase.

2. Verses 10-12

If: You assist the hungry and satisfy their needs…

Then: The light of righteousness will bloom, banishing the darkness of godlessness as if it were noon. The Lord will provide guidance, strength and fortitude. They will be restorers of the practices of worshipping God and will be recognized for it.

3. Verses 13-14

If: You properly honor the Sabbath, giving God His rightful honor and not engaging in self-seeking…

Then: God will increase their delight in Him and will bless them.

Instead of the false fasting they have been engaging in, God wants them to fast from their wickedness. If they fast in this way, God will bless them: “Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 58:14

Let us take a few moments today to learn these same lessons that Israel endeavored to learn so long ago.

Let us not honor and obey God only in name and appearance. Let us prepare our hearts as a beautiful presentation of sacrifice, love and honor. Almighty God is worthy of our praise and deliberation.

This chapter addresses Israel before the period of exile in verses 1-13, and in the latter verses the subject matter is of God reaching out and healing the relationship between man and himself. 

Although seemingly diverse in themes at first, this chapter on the whole communicates the concluding idea that even with all of mankind’s faults, God will save those that receive the free gift of salvation. Those wicked that remain so and resist the life-giving Word of God will not receive His blessings; they will have no rest.

Verses 1-2: The Righteous in Death

These two verses seem cryptic at first, but when we take them as somewhat apart from the rest of the context of the surrounding landscape of idolatry, prophecy and salvation, they make perfect sense. They describe the blessings to be had when a righteous person dies.

When a righteous man, a man who has lived his life approved of by God, passes away, other men barely notice. Even though no one notices, the loss of the righteous man’s influence on the people close to him and the world that had been around him remains. This is an unnoticed negative consequence of the righteous man’s death.

An unnoticed positive of the righteous man’s death is that the righteous man is now free to enter into peace. The language in verse 2 is that the righteous man rests and walks, living on in his uprightness.

These verses force us to think about death for the righteous as a joyous occasion to celebrate. It is a reason to deliberate and consider death in different terms. We do often attempt to reach a state of happiness when a faithful Christian dies, and this is good, but to consider them fortunate because they are taken away from the evil of the world forever is not a concept that is consistently sustained in the funeral home. We will mutter that the deceased is “in a better place,” and express gratitude that their “suffering is over,” but we rarely rejoice that they will never again have to contend with temptation, corruption or filth. When a righteous person dies, they are set free in many ways.

Verses 3-13: The Products of Idol Worship

We have seen idolatry spoken against again and again in this book. The second part of this chapter hones in on Israel’s idolatry and specifies how all manner of sin flourished under the tutelage of idols. 

Idols (the “parents” of God’s corrupted people) have given birth to sorceresses, adulterers and harlots. The Israelites here are known by God as ridiculing the righteous when they themselves are “children of transgression,” and “offspring of falsehood.” When we consider how the corrupted of God’s people are treating the righteous, a heavier weight is granted to both this passage and verses 1-2. A righteous man’s value in such a society is far too great to be ridiculed.

God continues to list their abhorrent practices, laying bare their idolatrous activities of giving power to the creation of God, as well as the abomination of child sacrifice. What is the payoff of these things? The sinning peoples’ future will be with the place of the idols, amongst smooth stones of the stream, reaping the benefits of empty and false gods, which is nothing. Deepening the offense is that they gave offerings to these idols that were due to God. Their lot after all of these things is to be just as empty and decrepit as the idols themselves.

This section continues in verses 7-10, with God explicitly describing the depravity of Israel’s idol worship. They have offered sacrifices in unholy places, they have set up worthless idols in their homes, they have entered into a covenant with the idols, the intimacy of which is comparable to marriage. They trusted in idols and earthly kings rather than God. This life gave them a surface satisfaction, but deep within they knew that they were walking the wrong path. They believed the lie and carried on to their own destruction.

In the midst of their sin, idolatrous Israel feared earthly kings and the imagined reprisals of the nonexistent deities represented by idols. But God has let them suffer so, even though they have not remembered Him and they have falsely professed that they believe and follow Him. Even though there may have been some righteous among them, this would not save them. Instead God plainly gives them up to the salvation offered by their idols, a weak breath of which carries them all away.

This section ends with the subtle yet strong reminder that deserves no explanation due to its factuality and simplicity: “But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land,

And shall inherit My holy mountain.”

Verses 14-21: Healing

The healing described in this section is general enough to envelop the following concepts:

 – Forgiveness for the remnant as they return to Jerusalem

 – Forgiveness for mankind as a whole, under Christ

 – Personal forgiveness for the sinning individual

The “one” mentioned at the outset is Cyrus once more, but he is mentioned in passing; the true focus of this section is the healing. The “stumbling block” is most likely the idolatry that faded from Israel’s culture as the people moved back into Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and reclaim their faith.

As God speaks to His beloved people, He contrasts His dwelling place (eternity) with that of the idols (slippery stones of the stream). He also makes it known that humility is valued and those who are humble will be revived. God’s anger was at the fore, but it will not remain present and active forever because mankind will always fail before Him. His answer to this problem is Christ.

God was angry, but now He has “seen [mankind’s] ways, and will heal him; [He] will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.” We are a creation that needs to be led; this is imperative. God loves us so that He dearly wants there to be peace in our hearts and in our lives so He will bless us with that leadership. 

Through His blessings, He creates the “fruit of the lips,” which is a way of saying that He causes us to praise Him: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15. God offers peace through salvation to those afar off and those near. This means that salvation is offered to those souls removed from the event of Christs’s resurrection by time and those close to it by time. 

But the conclusion of this chapter is a warning. God’s gift of salvation is free, but a gift must be received in order to be possessed. If we do not hear, understand, know and obey God’s message, we leave the gift and walk down our own path. And the path that man determines for himself, without the providence and guidance of Almighty God, will eventually lead to wickedness, where there is no peace: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”” Isaiah 57:20-21, and also an echo of Isaiah 48:22.

This chapter addresses the ability of all to come before God as His salvation is coming. There is much emphasis on the idea that all are welcome.

Verses 1-8: All Can Come

God encourages the people to maintain justice and pursue righteousness.

The tone of this chapter and some of the clues within suggest that we interpret it as being addressed to the dispersed remnant that will return to Jerusalem. Mentions of the Sabbath and burnt offerings imply that this microcosm Invitation (compared with the macrocosm invitation of chapter 55) is meant for those foreigners that are returning to Jerusalem with the dispersed Israelites.

Especially mentioned here are eunuchs, or castrated men. Being castrated as a captive was common, and not only for those that served in palace courts. As eunuchs, men felt the loss of status acutely, with no marriage and no family, but God will make up for the Eunuch’s loss. Isaiah 56:3-5: “Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, “The LORD has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” For thus says the LORD: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.” The eunuch, perhaps one of the most deplored members of ancient society, is given the unmistakable assurance that they will have a place in God’s house. This is likewise a precursor to the upcoming glory and accessibility of the gospel plan.

Of course, we would be foolish not to recognize the thematic similarity of inclusion with the ideas of welcoming foreigners back to Jerusalem and salvation for all through Christ. Together, they represent God’s love for all His creation. What came to ultimate fruition through Jesus Christ gets an official endorsement from God in these verses as foreigners and eunuchs are welcomed to Jerusalem and encouraged to follow the one true God.

Verses 9-12: Blind Leaders

These four verses describe a degenerate leadership that fails to lead and protect. The leaders are described as ignorant, dumb, lazy, greedy and selfish. They would have led Israel errantly away from God and into slavery and idolatry. They were very poor leaders that should have heeded God’s commands but decided to follow their own desires instead. When all one is doing is pursuing the satisfaction of their prurient desires, there is no room to understand God’s plan.

Isaiah calls out the terrible influence of alcohol for the third time when he mocks the use of it in verse 12. He had also warned against it in Isaiah 5:11 and Isaiah 28:7-8.

It is telling that despite generations of awful leadership, God still chose to save them and to save us. Such is mankind’s state: so helplessly lost to sin that we can never find our way out alone.

We need God, we depend on Christ and we yearn for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. Sin is so intoxicating, deceptive and easy that man falls prey to it time after time after time.

We should pray to God always and continuously, not in vain, but in deep gratitude that He has gone to such lengths to save us.

After reviewing chapters 53 and 54, this chapter progresses past the ideas of Christ coming and the “tent” expanding. With chapter 55, we have the invitation to all to come and receive the free gift of salvation. The progression is notable as it continues past the crowning point of Isaiah 53 and builds on the description of the aftereffects that was begun in chapter 54.

The invitation here is not limited to Israel, but it encompasses the future when all nations and all people can access God through Christ. Recall the analogy of Israel as the bride and God as the husband in chapter 54. When we consider that idea and compare it with the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14 and the Jerusalem council decision in Acts 15:6-11, the invitation in this chapter takes on a deeper and more expansive meaning.

Verses 1-5: An Invitation

Everyone who thirsts is invited to come and “buy” life-giving water, wine and milk. The word “buy” is used to emphasize the fact that the blessings are free; they can be bought “without money and without price.”

The blessing represented by these three life-giving liquids is that of God’s grace and mercy pouring over mankind through the sacrifice of Christ. The water refreshes the spirit, the wine “makes glad the heart of man,” (Psalm 104:15) and the milk is the purity of God’s Word that helps young Christians grow (I Peter 2:2). The mention of wine here reminds us of the New Testament commandment to observe the Lord’s supper and partake of the fruit of the vine to remember Christ’s blood as the sacrifice for our sins. Its’ mention as a life-giving liquid is supported by the commandment to observe the Lord’s Supper in I Corinthians 11:23-26.

The delivery of this blessing in the form of water meets the need established earlier in Isaiah 41:17-18 where exiled Israel was in need of natural resources to survive: “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.” With the application of these verses in a world that knows Christ, free water for all now retains the deeper meanings of salvation and perhaps even baptism.

The people are admonished to think spiritually and seek righteousness. Why should we work so hard for material possessions that do not last and fade away? Instead we should listen to God, enjoying and working for His blessings and our souls will delight in abundance.

At last, all are called to hear and listen: souls will live and thrive under the new law, now established through Jesus and originally promised by God to David in II Samuel 7:12-16: “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” In verses 4-5, we understand the fruition of God’s promise to David.

Verses 6-9: Striving Towards God

These verses contain a beautiful plea and a profound revelation. God is inviting the righteous and the wicked to come to Him. The wicked will, of course, experience the blessings of forgiveness when they hear, believe and obey. Now is the time to be reconciled because through Jesus, God is made near: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Now that the blessing is open and available to all, all are called to seek pardon, even those that have a copious amount of sin in their life.

Verses 8 and 9 make a memorable statement that tells us that God is an altogether different being than we are. The ways we think, exist and act are wholly different from how God thinks, exists and acts. Since the human condition is all we know, we hit a metaphysical brick wall when we attempt to understand God’s ways or God’s thoughts. In our current physical state, we see the end result of salvation in Christ and we enjoy the wondrous blessings. But we cannot comprehend the deep things of God that bring it all to bear. Seeking knowledge of God is a journey that pays off in myriad ways, but we will never in this life be able to fully understand Him in all His might, power and glory. What an awesome God we have:

““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Verses 10-13: God’s Water

In terms of salvation, Isaiah has dealt with the dual themes of physical salvation for the remnant of Israel and spiritual salvation for all mankind. This duality is mirrored in these verses as God describes how He sends bread and water to physically provide for man while also sending spiritual bread and water to provide salvation from sins.

The blessings that God sends that surround Christ: salvation, new covenant teaching, forgiveness, repentance, grace, etc., all come down to us on earth and they bear fruit. Just as a mustard seed can make a towering plant, the implanted Word of God spiritually grows men and women into powerhouses of faith and righteousness: “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21

Likewise, the lives of God’s followers under the new covenant will be blessed with joy and peace. This is God’s plan and God’s desire for us: reconciliation. God’s planet Word and His blessings on this earth produce beautiful things.

When we listen to and obey God’s Word, we are His masterpiece. We are a sign to all of His greatness, His goodness, His mercy, His love.

Is there any greater purpose for which to live?