Isaiah 7.4, 58-59 (2)

Prayer Requests

Nelson Krouse—

Arlene—praise, June9th, Christy’s next scan, praying for good results

Pam—Gaylene and Suzanne

Mike—Joann

Gordon—Laura and Linda

Jean—cousin, Laurie and Bruno, declining in health, pray that they’re willing

Judy—bob, pain relief

Cathy—Case’s new job

Polly Henning,

Laura—US military

Isaiah 59:1–12 ESV

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. 4 No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. 5 They hatch adders’ eggs; they weave the spider’s web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. 6 Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. 8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

First, we start with this incredibly clear statement about the nature of sin and what it does to us, especially between us and God and in our relationship with him.

Isaiah 59:2 ESV

2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Our sin has separated us from God. There is hardly a clearer statement in all of the Bible on the matter. This is why we must take sin seriously, because it has an impact on us, it separates us from God. We cannot be tempted to simply think of our sin as a bad thing we’ve done, or some way that we’ve hurt our neighbor or something like that. No! Our sin actually separates us from God. This is a great evangelism verse too, to remember that we all have this need for forgiveness because of what our sin does to us.

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Despite this, despite this sin of the people, look Isaiah 59:1 “1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;”

God’s power to save has not been dulled, though sin has created this chasm, God can still save.

But the problem runs deep, look at the language here: the people’s hands are defiled with blood, their lips speak lies, utter wickedness. Nothing they do has integrity, their legal system is a sham, their schemes are compared to a nest from a venomous snake, so wicked is their thinking, scheming, and doing.

Isaiah 59:1–12 ESV

8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

Do you see? There are two ways—two paths, the way of life or the way of sin and oppression. Once again, this is Deuteronomy language, this is Psalm 1 language, this is Jesus language. You go this way, and what do you get? Destruction and no peace, say that to a people desperate for peace as they live in exile from their land.

But let’s look at the next passage. Isa. 59:9-15

Isaiah 59:9–15 ESV

9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. 10 We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. 11 We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: 13 transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. 14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

And look at Isa 59:10

Isaiah 59:10 ESV

10 We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

It reminds me of Isa. 9:2

Isaiah 9:2 ESV

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

The same darkness, the same deadness, the same despair and hopelessness. We’re brought again to this place of hopelessness, but it is preparing us for the good news that is to come.

Notice to the perspective of the language: “we, us” is inclusive, 1st person plural language. It is as if the people are acknowledging their sin and transgressions and their need for light and restoration. This is growth!

Let us be people like this, that we can look at ourselves, see in a mirror that which needs to be changed or fixed and then own it. To admit our failures and transgressions, to admit the temptations we struggle with and confess those things to God or another trusted person. Confession and lament for our sins bears the fruit of a contrite heart, a repentant spirit.

Finally though, there is yet good news today:

Isaiah 59:15–21 ESV

15 Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. 17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. 18 According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment. 19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives. 20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. 21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

The Lord observes that no one exists to help or intervene, so He acts Himself.2 Wearing the breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation, He comes as divine Judge to repay His enemies according to their deeds.2 The chapter culminates in God’s redemption of the repentant remnant—He comes to Zion not as Judge alone but as Redeemer, approaching with grace and mercy rather than anger.2 God renews a new covenant with His people, giving them His Spirit and His words to enable obedience where the old covenant required it but could not empower it.2

So we get the promise of a messiah who is able to save and the promise of the Spirit who is able to bring us into repentance and obedience.

The passage promises a divine covenant with them (plural) but then immediately addresses you (masculine singular) as endowed with the Spirit and word of the Lord, sharing this endowment with your (masculine singular) ‘children’/’seed’—a remarkable change from plural to singular that careful exegesis must account for.1

This grammatical shift is the crux of identifying a covenant mediator. The covenant is made with the people collectively, but its mediation and perpetuation flow through a singular individual. The Spirit who effected the work of rectification in verses 14–20 now indwells the world Israel through this mediatorial figure.2

From the promise of this covenant mediator, we flow right into chapter 60, the future glory of God’s people. Remember, what we had been reading, as they were critiques of Israel, condemnation of sin, or we might say their “present reality,” the promise of a saving messiah allows us to look ahead to the a brighter future.

It makes me think of a a long and difficult hike. Last year a group from the Men’s Ministry hiked a trail at Lake Berryessa, which was a pretty good climb, followed by a pretty technical and difficult hike over a series of ridges. It was hard. But one we got to the end of the ridges, and we’re coming back down hill, we still had many miles to go, but the end was in sight so to speak. Because of what was ahead, we were able to overcome more easily in our present circumstance.

So let’s look at that future glory in Isaiah 60:1-9 READ IT

Isaiah 60:1–9 ESV

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

The Lord will come! The picture is of the presence of the Lord—the light and glory of the Lord, coming to His people in the Holy city. And this Holy City is one empowered by the presence of the Spirit of the Lord, a people empowered by the Spirit to be a light to the world, like a city on a hill, as Jesus said, shining to a world that is lost in darkness.

But what is their hope? One commentary put it this way: the only hope for Israel, indeed the only hope for us, the only hope for all humanity is this: the coming of God! That He would come, and he did in Christ Jesus!

Now, we’ll come back to Jesus in a moment, but what does it mean by the glory of the Lord? Kabod is the Hebrew word, referring to the Lord’s heaviness, that’s what kabod means. Glory in this sense is characteristic of God appearing to His people. But the amazing wonder of this chapter is that the glory of God, the heavy weight of his presence, is to be reflected in His people. His glory will be seen upon you and the nations shall come to your light!

Do you see what a change this is from earlier in the book of Isaiah. One of the most prominent themes that we’ve tracked as we’ve studied Isaiah is the way that Israel sought glory for itself by associating with high and mighty nations of the earth, the other nations! Egypt, Assyria, etc. They were coasting of the “glory” of these other great powers. And did that work out for them?No they were humiliated and brought into exile. Glory belongs only to the Lord and, despite their failures, God is now bringing Israel into to share His glory with the world!

Now the other main image, well there’s two, that these passage should bring to mind is that of the plagues in Egypt! When darkness covered the land, and it was only among the Israelites that light would dawn. The conclusion then is the same as it is here in Isaiah: the world is covered in darkness, God has revealed Himself to His people and now His glory shines as their light. Now look at v. 3, what will be the result? The nations will be glad, they’ll come to the light of Israel, in fact, the outcome is different:

there’s an image of darkness that reminds of the plague in Egypt, however here the nations are glad of the light in Israel for them come to this light highlighting a different in outcomes. In Egypt, their hearts were hardened by the light of the Israelites, here thought, under the new covenant and by the Spirit, the nations come to the light of God’s people and want to receive it.

Your point about the new covenant and the Spirit is the interpretive key. Under the old covenant, Israel’s light provoked Pharaoh’s hardening; under the new covenant mediated by the Spirit (as established in Isaiah 59:21), that same light draws nations willingly. God intends to bless and restore Jerusalem so its task is to let that blessing be seen by other peoples, drawing them to share in it3. The Spirit transforms what was once a sign of separation into an instrument of reconciliation—not through force, but through the irresistible attractiveness of divine restoration.

Isaiah 60:1–9 ESV

4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will beautify my beautiful house. 8 Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? 9 For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful.