Isaiah 62:1

Isaiah 62:1 says, For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.  Isaiah was a prophet, and Matthew Henry points out that the purpose of a prophet is to preach and pray. and he said he wasn’t going to rest until righteousness shined with brightness in Zion.  Isaiah may have spoken the wrods, but it was God Who was going to do what he prophesied.  He was not going to do this so he would be praised, but he was going to do it because God had called Him do it and for the sake of the people.  We as Christians need to be at work sharing God’s word today, and we should realize that the primary purpose of preachers is to preach and pray.  God has called other people to take care of the everyday business of the church if they will only answer His call.  Of course, the goal of the preacher should be to reach the lost and strengthen those who are believers in Jesus Christ and should never be to make themselves look powerful nor to make themselves rich materially.  Isaiah also said he would not hold his peace, which I believe means he would proclaim God’s word even if it put Him in danger.  As Christians, we should never allow fear to keep us from proclaiming God’s word.

Verse two adds, And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.  Isaiah said that when the word of God was proclaimed that the Gentiles would see the righteousness of the people of Israel.  This was not their righteousness, but the righteousness of God reflected in them.  When we become a follower of Christ, we should reflect His righteousness to those around us so that they will want to become a part of His kingdom. Isaiah also said they would have a new name.  Some denominations give themselves a new name when they accept Jesus Christ, but I don’t believe that this is what this verse means.  God would give them new name.  To me, it means that we will now be called God’s sons and daughters and not sons and daughters of Satan. 

Verse three continues, Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.  Matthew Henry says this is one new name that those who come to God in faith will be called.  They will be called a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord.  The crown will not be to adorn the one who is called a crown, but will be to adorn God, Who made salvation possible.  We are never to serve God because we expect to be glorified, but we are to serve Him so that He will be. 

Verse four states, Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.  Then, we have two name changes stated in this verse.  The name Hephzibah means ‘ My delight is in her.’  As stated earlier, we will no longer be strangers to God who displease Him, but we will be His child and He will delight in us, not because we have done anything to deserve it, but because we have accepted His gift of salvation.  Isaiah also said that their land would be called Beulah, which Matthew Henry says means married.  As Christians, we are the bride of Christ and are spiritually married to Him. 

Verse five adds, For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.   Matthew Henry says this refers to the people of Israel being married to their own land, or to the kingdom of God that they became a part of.  When they were a part of His kingdom, God would rejoice over them like a groom does over his bride.  God still does this with Christians today.

Isaiah 61:7

Isiaih 61:7 says, For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.  God said that for the shame that the Jews had suffered in captivity, which was caused by their own failure to trust God, that they would be given double what they lost when they returned after repenting and putting their faith in Him once more.  I don’t believe this meant twice the material wealth, since their houses nor the Temple were as great as they were before, but it means they were spiritually blessed so much more than before.  God also said they would rejoice in their portion.  We should always rejoice in the Lord when He meets our needs and never desire what someone else has been blessed with.  This was to be everlasting joy, no matter what their portion might be.  As followers of Christ, we should have everlasting joy, because we have been given everlasting spiritual life with God. 

Verse eight adds, For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.  God said He loved judgment, which I believe means righteous judgment.  Other people may try to oppress Christians, but we don’t need to be their judge.  God is, and one day He will pass His judgment on those who refuse to accept His gift of salvation.  God is the God of truth, so sacrifices made just for show or for ones own glory will never be acceptable to Him.  Then, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, He enters into an everlasting covenant with us.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, God seals us as His forever. 

Verse nine continues, And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.  God said that the Gentiles who saw the Jews would acknowledge that they were blessed by God.  This would be true of their descendants as well.  This was when they had returned to God and were being obedient to Him and not just because they were descendants of  Jewish parents.  God never intended for the nation of Israel to be declared better than other people because of the fact that they were born into the nation of Israel, but they were to be made better because of their relationship with Him.  We as Christians are not better than anyone else based on our own goodness, since we are all sinners saved by grace, so we should never feel that God loves us more than anyone else. 

Verse ten says, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.  Isaiah said that he would greatly rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in his God, and so should we as followers of Christ today.  This is made possible because we are covered by the robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ.  He is the Bridegroom and we as the church are the bride. 

Verse eleven adds, For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.  God said He was going to cause righteousness and praise to Him to spring forth like the seeds or buds that were planted brought forth new life.  As Christians, we are to be rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ and we should bring forth fruit as we reach out to the whole world with the gospel of Christ.

Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah 61:1 says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Though this verse does apply to Isaiah by the Spirit of the Lord GOD being on him to proclaim good tidings and liberty to the captives of Babylon, in its greater context, it applies to Jesus Christ, who Himself said this scripture was fulfilled in Him.  This is found in Luke 4:17-19, 21.  We can proclaim the freedom from sin for those who confess their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, but we cannot free them from the penalty of sin.  Only Jesus Christ can.  Isaiah was anointed by God to be a prophet, but Jesus Christ was anointed by God to be the only One Who could forever set the captives free from the bondage of sin.

Verse two adds, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;  The acceptable year of the Lord was when Jesus Christ came too set people free from the penalty of sin and to bring comfort to those who mourned.  Of course, for this to be true, people had to accept the gift of salvation that God gave everyone when He sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins.  Now, we await the acceptable year of the Lord God for Jesus Christ to return to call His people home forever.

Verse three continues, To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.  God said this was done to bring them joy and rejoicing in the Lord for the freedom that He gave them over the penalty of sin.  Though the people of Israel were freed from bondage in Babylon, this was a temporary freedom.  When we are freed from the penalty of sin by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, it is an everlasting freedom, and we should rejoice and give all the praise to Him.  We are then to be trees of righteousness, and this not our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  We are to proclaim the gospel to all people, and we are to do so for the glory of God. 

Verse four states, And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.  This verse applies to the people of Israel when they returned from captivity in Babylon.  They were to rebuild the Temple and the cities that had been destroyed.  This also applies to what happens in the life of an individual when they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Until a person accepts Him, their life is in spiritual ruin, and only by faith in Him can it be rebuilt. 

Verse five adds, And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. Isaiah said that when the restoration took place people from other countries would be working for them.  When we become a follower of Christ, the things of this world should not be our primary concern. We should not be entangled by the things of this world as Matthew Henry states it.  This did not mean that the people of Israel were sit back and have others do all their work for them, nor should we expect to do so today as Christians. 

Verse six continues, But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.  God said that the people of Israel were to be priests of the Lord and ministers of their God, Who is the only God.  The Levites had been the priests, but now every Israelite was to serve as a priest of God.  We are set free from the penalty of sin if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, but we are set free to serve God and proclaim the gospel to all people. Matthew Henry said eating the riches of the Gentiles didn’t mean that the people of Israel were going to seize them.  The Gentiles would become a part of God’s people if they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and this would bring their riches into the kingdom.  The glory that they were to boast about was the glory of God in redeeming them, and this should be the thing that we boast about today.  We don’t boast to bring honor and glory to ourselves, but we boast of the mercy of God in redeeming us. 

Isaiah 60:17

Isaiah 60:17 says, For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.  God said He was going to bring the people of Israel much better things than they now had.  Brass would be replaced with gold, iron with silver, brass with wood, and stones with iron.  He also said that their leaders would rule with peace and righteousness.  I don’t believe that this was a call to the people of Israel to serve God for material blessings, but it was a call for them to obey God, and then spiritually at least, these greater blessings would come.  We should never come to God through faith in Jeus Christ because we expect Him to bless us materially if we do.  This was also a promise that their leaders when they were following God’s will would always be looking out for the good of the people and not just for their own gain. 

Verse eighteen adds, Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.  Though there may have been times when there was no violence, wasting or destruction in the land of Israel, I believe this refers to the coming kingdom of God when Jesus Christ returns to claim those who have put their faith in Him. There will never be a time in this present world when there will be no violence, wasting and destruction in this lifetime since the majority of people refuse to obey God if they even acknowledge Him at all.    

Verse nineteen continues. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.  This verse makes it even clearer that God was referring to a time after Jesus Christ returns.  The sun and moon at that time will not be our source of light, but Jesus Christ Himself will be.  He will be an everlasting Light Who brings honor and glory to the Heavenly Father.  Even as we walk the earth today as followers of Christ, He should be our spiritual light, and we should never look to the sun and moon or stars for spiritual guidance.  For example, horoscopes should never be thought of as the guiding force in our lives, since they are based on the sun, moon and stars. 

Verse twenty states, Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.  God said that when Jesus Christ, the Light, returns that there will no longer be the darkness of night in the world.   I believe this also refers to spiritual darkness that sin brings into the world.  Also, in the coming kingdom of God, there will be no reason for mourning. 

Verse twenty-one adds, Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.  God said that when this day comes that people would live in righteousness and inherit the land forever.  When Jesus Christ returns, those who have put their faith in Him will go to heaven forever. 

Verse twenty-two continues, A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.  This verse refers back to the growth of the nation if Israel, but it also refers to the growth of God’s everlasting kingdom.  The kingdom of God started with one man believing and it exploded from that man’s belief to form a great nation.  Still, the people often failed, and the nation of Israel fell, but when Jesus Christ returns, those who are His people will go to an everlasting kingdom that will never fail.  In the meantime, we need to be sharing the gospel so that His kingdom can continue to grow until He does return.

 

Isaiah 60:9

Isaiah 60:9 says, Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.  The people of Israel were very poor at this time, having been captives in Babylon, but God said He was going to provide for their needs by the gifts of those who were not Jews.  This seems to refer to when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls and city of Jerusalem and other people who weren’t Jews being ordered to help them financially.  God will always provide a way for those who are doing His will to do so if they remain faithful to Him.

Verse ten adds, And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.  Continuing with the thought of other people, those who were not Jews, helping rebuild the walls, Isaiah said that God was going to work through strangers to help rebuild the walls and that the kings of these strange lands would help fund the rebuilding.  I believe that God can still do this today, but until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are all strangers to the kingdom of God.  Isaiah said the people of Israel were in need of help because they had been punished for not putting their faith in God, but now that they had repented, He was going to show His mercy to them.  Until we become a follower of Christ, we are under the wrath of God because of our sin, but when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are under God’s mercy. Once we are saved, we may at times not allow God to be our Lord, but there will never be a time when He is not our Savior. 

Verse eleven continues, Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.  God said that the gates of Israel should be open continually so that the helpers from the Gentiles could enter with their help and bring in the gifts from their rulers.  The doors of the church today should always be open to anyone who will come in, and hopefully if they aren’t a Christian, a part of the family of God, they will become a part of it and then help with the work of the church.   

Verse twelve states, For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.  God said that those who would not serve the people of Israel would perish and their names would be forgotten.  Those who refuse to accept God’s gift of salvation will perish spiritually and their names will be forgotten because it isn’t written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Even those who may help the church but do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will perish spiritually and their names be forgotten by God, even if it is posted everywhere in the world. 

Verse thirteen adds, The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.  God said that timber was going to come from Lebanon to help with the building so that His sanctuary would be beautiful and the place where He put His feet would be glorious.  The temple was seen as God’s resting place, and as Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should do everything we can to make them as beautiful spiritually as we can, which means we must be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  

Verse fourteen continues, The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.  God said that the sons of those who had afflicted the people of Israel would come bending a knee to them and those that despised would bow at their feet.  I believe this means that they would bow to the God of the people of Israel and not just to the people.  We as Christians should never want people to bow to us, but we should expect them to bow to God.  God also said that Jerusalem, or Zion, would be called the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of God.  As a part of the church, those who are God’s people by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should be known for being His temple today.  

Verse fifteen says, Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.  God said that they had been forsaken and hated and no one wanted to come through them to get to God, but He was going to make them a joy to many generations.  As followers of Christ, at times we may be despised and hated, but if someone comes to Jesus Christ for salvation, then they will see that we have everlasting excellency because of His sacrifice for us on the cross.  It is the excellency of Jesus Christ that we should reflect to the world and not our own excellency because of who we are or anything that we have done. 

Verse sixteen adds, Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.   God said they would be as precious to the world as a baby.  Just as a mother provides food for a baby, people around Jerusalem were going to tenderly provide for the needs of the people of Israel.  This was to be done so that people would know that their God was the only God, Who was also their Savior and Redeemer. People of the world do not often treat us with kindness today, but we are still called on to reach out to them with the gospel.  Jesus Christ is still the only Savior and Redeemer, just as He was, has been and always will be.

Isaiah 60:1

Isaiah 60:1 says, Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. This chapter is a part of the covenant of God with the people of Israel, or even with all who will come to Him in repentance by faith.  This includes the church today, which is made up of all born again believers.  Isaiah called on the people to arise and shine, not because of their goodness but because God had redeemed them by His mercy.  They weren’t to shine the light on themselves but were to shine by the Light of God.  We should never attempt to make ourselves the object of importance in our relationship with God, but we should always let the Light of God shine through us and on Him. 

Verse two adds, For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  Isaiah said that the world was filled with spiritual darkness, but that God was going to arise upon them, and His glory would be seen, or shine, through them.  This was done when Jesus Christ came to die for our sins and be the Light of the world. We as followers of Christ are not the Light of the world, but in the darkness of the world, we are to shine the Light to God, Jesus Christ, on the sinful world.  We need to always reflect His Light to the world. 

Verse three continues, And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  This Light would not be limited to the Jews but would shine on the Gentiles as well.  Since the Jews believed that anyone who was not a Jew was a Gentile, this means that God’s light was to shine on all the world.  God never limited His saving grace to the Jews, and He doesn’t limit it to certain groups of people today.  We as Christians should never believe that we are superior to anyone else because God loves us more than other groups of people.  Jesus Christ died for the sins of our enemies just as surely as He died for our friends and us. 

Verse four states, Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.  Isaiah said the people of Israel needed to lift up their eyes and see what was happening.  I believe that the people of Israel had been feeling downcast, but Isaiah said God now expected them to look up in faith and see the great numbers of people who were coming to put their faith in Him.  Men and women, boys and girls, were coming from afar off to put their faith in and worship God.  We as Christians need to lift our eyes up in faith and see the fields white with harvest today and spread the gospel to the lost everywhere. 

Verse five adds, Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.  Isaiah said when they began to look around in faith, that the Jews would see great multitudes of Gentiles coming to God, and that their hearts would be enlarged because of this.  As Christians, our hearts should be enlarged with love for those whom God has shined His Light on and who have come to live in that Light.  We should never be upset because we don’t believe that some people deserve to be saved are saved, because we ourselves don’t deserve to be saved either.  Our salvation should shine the light on God’s grace. 

Verse six continues, The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.  Isaiah said that people were coming from afar with camels and dromedaries bearing gifts to God.  Even if they cannot bring valuable worldly gifts to God, anyone who becomes a part of God’s family by faith enriches the kingdom of God.  All who come are called for a purpose after they come, and when they fulfill that purpose, the whole body of Christ is enriched. 

Verse seven says, All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.  Isaiah continued speaking about the Gentiles coming from afar, saying they would bring gifts that would be acceptable to God on His altar.  The Jews had very strict laws about what was an acceptable offering, and in Jesus’s day, they were even making money from selling what they proclaimed to be acceptable offerings.  We should always bring our tithes and offerings to God and not be concerned with what other Christians give or don’t give.  The only acceptable gift that we must first give to God is our life by accepting His gift of salvation.  Since God gives us the right of freewill and the ability to say no to His gift of salvation, this is the only thing that He does not own.  So, in order for us to enjoy the gift of salvation, we must give our life to God.  He will never force us to become a part of His kingdom. 

Verse eight adds, Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?  I believe this was a rhetorical question, or maybe one that the Jews might be asking, since God knew who they were.  Gentiles were flocking or flying to put their faith in God.  It would be nice if people were flocking to the church today, but that is not the case.  Still, we need to reach out to all people with the gospel and gladly accept those who respond.

Isaiah 59:16

Isaiah 59:16 says, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.  Isaiah said that God could not find an intercessor within His chosen people, so He brought salvation and righteousness to them.  We are all guilty of sin, and we can never bring salvation to anyone, even ourselves, but by the mercy of God, He provided a way for us to have salvation from our sins and be made righteous through the shed blood of Jesus, Christ.  He is the only One qualified Who can offer us salvation, so there is no need to look anywhere else. 

Verse seventeen adds, For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.  Isaiah said that the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, would put on the breast plate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation, but He would also wear garments of vengeance and wear zeal as a cloak.  The people of Israel, and people today, cannot be saved by their own righteousness so we come to God through the righteousness of Jesus Christ and then accept the salvation that He alone can provide.  The people of Israel often seemed to lack the zeal to do what they know they needed to do, so Jesus Christ did it for them with zeal.  As followers of Christ, we should have zeal to do what He calls us to do, but too often we don’t.  This does not mean that God’s work won't be done, but God may have to call someone else to do it.  Of course, this doesn’t apply to salvation, since here is only one Person qualified to bring us salvation, and that is Jesus Christ.  

Verse eighteen continues, According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.  Isaiah said that God would pay people according to their deeds, but this doesn’t mean that we can earn our salvation.  God is one day going to hold people accountable for their sins if they don’t accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, but it will be because of their choice and not God’s vindictiveness. 

Verse nineteen states, So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.  Isaiah said there was going to come a day when everyone who has not accepted His gift of salvation will fear the name of the Lord.  He also said that the Spirit would lift up His standard against them.  Matthew Henry says that when God’s people are too weak to stand against all the forces of evil, the Holy Spirit will fight the fight for them.  We just need to rest secure in that promise.

Verse twenty adds, And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.  Though the people might have been temporarily redeemed at times, the Redeemer Who will redeem those who put their faith in Him forever is Jesus Christ.  Whether we claim that redemption or not is up to each individual, but God has made it available to everyone. 

Verse twenty-one continues, As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.  God said that those who entered into a covenant relationship with Him by putting their faith in Jesus Christ are His from now until forever.  We are not one day going to be a part of the Kingdom of God, but we are so from the time we accept Jesus Christ and forever after that.  The Holy Spirit indwells us from the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and He will always guide us by the word of God, as long as we allow Him to. 

Isaiah 59:9

Isaiah 59:9 says, Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.  The people of Israel were complaining about how they were being mistreated.  They couldn’t find justice, but this was because of their own disobedience to God.  They really didn’t want justice, but they wanted mercy instead.  They said they were walking in darkness because they could not find the Light.  They said that they were waiting on the Light, though.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will always be walking in the darkness of sin, but we need to ask God for mercy and not justice when we come to Him. 

Verse ten adds, We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.  The people of Israel said they were like blind men walking by using the wall to guide them because they were as blind as someone who had no eyes.  They stumbled at noon just like they would at night.  This was all because of their sin and their refusal to see God’s Light when He shined it on them.  If we refuse to see the Light, Jesus Christ, and accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we will remain as spiritually blind as those who have no eyes.  God’s Light will always shine, but we can allow sin to blind us to it.  Until we come to Him in repentance accepting the gift of salvation made available by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we will remain spiritually blind and in the darkness of sin.

Verse eleven continues, We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.  They said they were roaring like bears, I believe in their complaints against God, and were mourning like helpless doves.  Still, they didn’t say they were repenting.  We tend to cry out loudly when things aren’t going the way that we want them to go, and we also act as though we are helpless to do anything about our feeling that God has failed us.  Like the people of Israel then, all we have to do is confess our sins and ask God to forgive us.  He will always be not only ready to hear our plea, but He will be actively calling on us to come to Him. 

Verse twelve states, For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;  At least the people of Israel were willing to acknowledge that they were guilty of many transgressions and iniquities.  I believe transgressions would be failing to follow God’s laws and iniquities would be sins against other people.  Of course, failing to obey God often leads to our failing to treat other people as we should as Christians. 

Verse thirteen adds, In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.  The people of Israel then said that they were guilty of transgression and lying because they had departed from God.  If we find ourselves downcast and feeling hopeless because of circumstances in the world or in our life in particular, we as followers of Jesus Christ should first examine our relationship with Him.  It may be that we are no longer living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and if we aren’t, we need to repent and return to following God’s commandments. 

Verse fourteen continues, And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.  Isaiah said that judgment was turned backward, or failing to act as it should by treating everyone the same when they came for justice, which they said was far off.  They added that truth had fallen in the street and equity, or fairness to everyone, couldn’t even enter.  Truth seems to have fallen in the streets today as too often people, even those who profess to be Christians, choose to believe lies instead of hearing the truth.   

Verse fifteen concludes, Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.  Isaiah said that things were so bad that those who spoke the truth were made prey to those who lived by lies.  It is not unusual today to hear about people who are just telling the truth to be threatened with being charged with some crime or the other, but we as Christians should never do this nor support those who may.  Just as God was displeased that there was no fair judgment with His people then, He will still be displeased if that is the case now.

Isaiah 59:1

Isaiah 59:1 says, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  Basically, Isaiah was saying that God would always be able to deliver His people and He would always hear them when they called to Him.  The people of Israel were questioning God’s power because they had been carried away captive and were still enslaved, but Isaiah assured them that God was still all powerful and would always hear them when they called out in faith.  If things are going badly for us as followers of Christ, we should never question the power of God.  He has redeemed us forever if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, so our earthly situation should never cause us to doubt His power or whether He hears us or not. 

Verse two adds, But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.  Isaiah said that even though God was still the all-powerful God, that the iniquities, or sins, of the people were separating them from Him.  God had not failed to keep His part of the covenant relationship that He had entered into with Israel, but their failure had caused Him to not hear or answer their prayers.  If we as Christians begin to think that God has abandoned us, we don’t need to believe that He is the problem.  If we believe that God isn’t listening to us, we need to look to our own life to find the reason why.  God will never abandon those who are His people, which are those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Verse three continues, For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.  Isaiah said that the reason they didn’t see God working in their lives was because of their sinful actions and words.  I think we can even add sinful thoughts to the list.  Sin will always separate us from God, even if we are a born-again believer.  This doesn’t mean we will be permanently separated from Him, since He seals us as His when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but we may be separated from God’s working in our life. 

Verse four states, None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.  Then Isaiah listed some of the things that were happening with God’s chosen people.  They weren’t calling for justice, they spoke with vanity and lies, conceived mischief and brought forth iniquity.  This could be a statement about America today, even though we call ourselves a Christian nation.  We turn away the widows and orphans and put our faith in the rich and powerful too often. 

Verse five adds, They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.  I believe that Isaiah was saying that since they fed on lies, it was deadly to their faith. The cockatrice’s, or adder’s, eggs were poisonous and the spider web trapped things for the spider to feast on.  The people were caught by their own lies which poisoned their faith.  As Christians, we should never allow this to happen in our lives.  We need to reject the lies of the world and not feed on its poisonous fruit. 

Verse six continues, Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.  Isaiah said these webs would never be fit garments for His people and they couldn’t cover themselves with their works, because their works were evil.  We will never be able to be righteous in God’s eyes by our own abilities but can only be restored to Him by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Verse seven says, 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 said God was not protecting them because they were quick to do evil and shed innocent blood and even their thoughts were of iniquity.  Sin always begins with our thoughts not being on God and His mercy but on the world and its evil.  As Christians, we should never have our minds filled with evil thoughts and we should never be quick in doing evil, especially the shedding of innocent blood.  

Verse eight adds, The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.  Isaiah said they couldn’t find peace because there was no judgment of the sin they were committing and that they were following a crooked path.  We have to judge sin to be sin and cannot engage in it and still expect God to bless us. 

Isaiah 58:8

Isaiah 58:8 says, Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.  This chapter begins with promises to those who put their faith the Messiah, Jesus Christ, either in the fact that He was coming in Isaiah’s day, or the fact that He has come in our day.  He was the great Light, and if we put our faith in Him, we will be made spiritually healthy and made righteous with God by Jesus Christ’s righteousness.  Our righteousness will never be anything we earn by our own goodness, but it will always be a gift from God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. 

Verse nine adds, Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;  Isaiah said that people would call out to the Messiah and that He would say, “Here am I.”  When we call out to Jesus Christ for salvation by putting our faith in Him, He will always hear us and say, “Here am I.”  We just must call out to Him in faith to receive His gift of salvation. 

Verse ten continues, And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:  Isaiah said that if those who put their faith in Jesus Christ would reach out to the hungry and help to satisfy the afflicted soul that their light would rise from obscurity and their darkness would be as bright as noonday.  I believe that God still expects us to reach out to the poor and hungry with both the gospel and help for them physically.  If our light is not burning brightly as Christians today, it may be because we aren’t concerned with the lost people of the world, either their spiritual state or their physical state. 

Verse eleven states, And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.  I believe that this refers to spiritual satisfaction even in times when we may be suffering physically.  Our soul will be satisfied even in times of physical drought, because we have everlasting life with God if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and the things of this earth should no longer have power to cause us to stop rejoicing in the Lord. 

Verse twelve adds, And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.  Isaiah said that after the people returned to living by faith in God that they would begin to rebuild the old places that had been destroyed when they had been disobedient. Though this was talking about a physical restoration of Israel, it also points to the spiritual restoration of people to God forever when they put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Isaiah said that when they returned to God that they would be known as repairers of the breach.  The only way we can repair this breach between God and us is by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  He is the only One qualified to repair that breach, but as Christians it is our responsibility to reach out to others with the gospel, so they might be restored to a right relationship with God. 

Verse thirteen continues, If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:  Isaiah said that if they put their faith in the coming Messiah that they should then begin to observe the Sabbath, dedicating it to the Lord and not to their own desires.  As followers of Christ, we should keep the Sabbath day, or the Lord’s Day as we observe it, holy to God.  We should never treat it as just another day, but we too often do. 

Verse fourteen concludes, Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.  Isaiah gave them a promise from God.  If they would obey Him and delight in serving Him, He would provide for them as He had for Jacob.  I don’t believe this meant that they would be materially wealthy but that they would always spiritually delight in God no matter what their physical condition might be.  We should never serve God because we believe that will bring us material blessings.  We should serve Him because He has restored our soul to Him forever through our faith in Jesus Christ, and we can be certain of this because God Himself has spoken it.  The choice is always ours whether to believe this or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 58:1

Isaiah 58:1 says, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.  God commissioned Isaiah to cry out loud about the transgressions of the people of Israel, God’s chosen people.  He was not sent to tell them how good they were or that their actions didn’t matter, but he was sent to tell them the truth about their sinful nature.  When we witness for Jesus Christ, we are sent to call people to repent of their sins and to put their faith in Him.  We are not sent to make them feel good about their sinful nature but are sent to make them aware of their need to repent and put their faith in God.  We should never attempt to overlook sin in a person’s life just to get them to say they believe in Jesus Christ.  We all must confess that we are sinners in need of God’s gracious gift of salvation, and this should be our message when we are witnessing, and we should proclaim it boldly. 

Verse two adds, Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.  God said that even though the people were in a sinful state, they were still ready to hear His message and even to seemingly do what He called on them to do.  There are still people today who go to church regularly and listen to the teachers and preachers but who still do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Going through the motions without being saved does a person no good spiritually. 

Verse three continues, Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.  God said that the people asked Him why He hadn’t seen them when they fasted and afflicted their soul.  Matthew Henry points out that they were attempting to make God be indebted to them.  Since they were going through the motions of worshipping God, they felt that He owed it to them to accept them and not to condemn them.  We can be the most religious person in the world, but God will never owe us anything.  If we are just going through the motions of worshipping God without have a personal relationship with Him, then we should know that it does us no good spiritually.

Verse four states, Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.  Isaiah said that instead of fasting to worship God, they did so for strife and debate.  Instead of judging their own status with God when they were fasting, they tended to look around at others and point out their sins.  They were being hypocritical.  If we are claiming to worship God but aren’t looking to our own sinful nature while claiming to be better than others, God is not going to be fooled.  We must worship acknowledging that it is by the grace of God that anyone is acceptable to Him, and it is not our purpose to look down on anyone else as being less worthy of God’s love. 

Verse five adds, Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?  Isaiah said that God asked if what they were doing to call fasting was something that He had directed them to do.  They were going through the motions, making a public display of their fasting, but they weren’t doing so from wanting to bring honor and glory to God.  They were wanting the praise for themselves.  Some people still go through the motions of worshipping God while at the same time only wanting praise for themselves.  Whether fasting or some other act of worship, if we are doing it for our glory and not out of a humble obedience to God, then we are accomplishing nothing spiritually. 

Verse six continues, Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  Isaiah said that God’s view of fasting was that it changed their lives and the life of others for the good.  They were to let go of wickedness and let the oppressed go free while breaking every yoke.  Our fasting should lead us to act to help others and not be done simply to make ourselves look better than other people.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He completely frees us from the penalty of sin, and this should inspire us to reach out to others with His plan of salvation.  We should never begin to feel spiritually superior to anyone based on our own goodness. 

Verse seven concludes, Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?  God said that true fasting would lead to helping others, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.  Fasting was to lead to action and not just be a display of self-sacrifice to bring honor to the one who was fasting.  This is still our commission from God today.  We are to be more concerned about the poor and needy than we are about how much we should be praised for being faithful in going through the motions of worshipping.