Isaiah 57:7

Isaiah 57:7 says, Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.  Isaiah said that the people had set up idols on the lofty mountains.  They had first worshipped their idols in the low valleys, somewhat obscured, but then started to worship them on the high mountains for everyone to see.  We may start out worshipping things of the world secretly, and if we do, before long we may be proudly worshipping them for all people to see. 

Verse eight adds, Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.  God said that the people of Israel were also worshipping idols behind closed doors, or in their houses, I believe would be an accurate statement.  They were doing this because they had found another supposed god who appealed to them more than God did.  They were worshipping these idols both publicly and privately instead of worshipping God whose laws should have been written on their doorposts. Matthew Henry says that loving their bed means the temple of an idol and that they were giving themselves up to their lusts.  People today still give in to lusts too often instead of putting their faith in God and following His commandments.

Verse nine continues, And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.  Isaiah said that another way they disobeyed God was by looking to foreign powers for protection.  God had already proven Himself to be more powerful than any king or country, but the people of Israel had stopped believing that.  As Christians, we can never afford to put more faith in other countries than we do in God.  We also cannot put more faith in anyone in power in our country than we do in God.  They went with ornaments and perfumes, either to make themselves look and smell better or as gifts for these foreign rulers.  We need to be more concerned with our spiritual wellbeing than we are with how we look or how good we smell physically, and we should never attempt to buy the good favor of worldly rulers while we fail to put our faith in God alone. 

Verse ten states, Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. Isaiah said that the people of Israel were wearied in following God’s way, even though they had not said there was no hope in doing so.  They may have known that the way they were living was sinful, but they weren’t grieved by it because they liked the pleasures that the sinful life was bringing them.  Many people today say that they don’t really care what God says, some even saying if there is a God, because they are going to do whatever brings them pleasure.  We as followers of Christ know the greatness of His way, yet we at times may also grow weary of following His way, though we need to pray that we never do,

Verse eleven adds, And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?  Isaiah said God asked them who they had been afraid of that led them to lie about His goodness.  They were seeking gods that they thought would make them materially wealthy instead of following God Who would make them spiritually wealthy, and He asked what had He ever done to them to make them feel this way.  He had always sought what was best for them if they only obeyed His commandments.  He hadn’t laid it to His heart or turned His love for them off I believe we could say, even when they had turned away from Him.  We will never have a reason to turn away from God based on anything  wrong that He has done to us.