Isaiah 59

Israel’s repentance and confession of sin will bring God’s deliverance

See, the LORD’s hand is not

so short that it cannot save,

and his ear is not

so dull that it cannot hear,

2 But your iniquities have separated

you from your God,

and your sins have hidden

his face from you,

so that he will not hear.

59:1-2 God is neither helpless nor deaf (Isa 50:2; Ps 65:2). If He does not hear His people and work on their behalf the fault is not His but theirs. Sin separates us from God’s fellowship and is the reason for much unanswered prayer (Isa 1:15; Ps 66:18).⚜

3 For your hands are defiled

with blood,

and your fingers with wickedness.

Your lips have spoken lies,

your tongue has muttered

unjust things.

4 No one calls for justice,

no one pleads for truth.

They trust in emptiness,

and speak lies.

They conceive mischief,

and bring forth evil.

5 They hatch the viper’s eggs,

and spin the spider’s web.

He who eats any of their eggs dies,

and from one that is crushed

a viper breaks out.

59:5 Their plans are pure poison to others, useless to themselves (Isa 1:2, 4, 15-17, 21-23; 5:7, 23).⚜

6 Their webs will not become garments,

nor will they cover themselves

with their works.

Their works are works

of iniquity,

and the act of violence is in

their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil,

and they hurry to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are thoughts

of wickedness.

Wasting and destruction are

in their paths.

8 The way of peace

they do not know,

and there is no justice

in their ways.

They have made crooked paths

for themselves.

Whoever goes in them will not

know peace.

59:3-8 A summary of the evil ways of the people of Israel that had been denounced before.⚜

59:7-8 See Rom 3:15-17 where Paul uses these verses in his general description of the human race as a whole. Verses 1-6 apply equally well to fallen man. As for Israel though this describes the bulk of the people as God saw them, they still thought that God should answer their prayers (Isa 58:2-3)!⚜

9 Therefore justice is far

from us,

and righteousness does not

overtake us.

We wait for light,

but see darkness;

for brightness,

but we walk in the dark.

10 We grope for the wall like

the blind;

yes,

we grope as if we had

no eyes.

We stumble at noonday

as in the night.

We are like dead men

in desolate places.

11 We all roar like bears,

and mourn bitterly like doves.

We look for justice,

but there is none;

for salvation,

but it is far away from us.

12 For our transgressions

are multiplied before you,

and our sins testify against us.

For our transgressions are

with us,

and as for our evil deeds,

we know them:

13 Transgressing and lying

against the LORD,

and departing from our God,

speaking oppression and revolt,

conceiving and uttering

from the heart words of falsehood.

14 And justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands

at a distance;

for truth has fallen in the street,

and integrity cannot enter.

59:14 All through Isaiah there is emphasis on justice and righteousness. The words are used nearly sixty times.⚜

15 Yes, truth is missing,

and he who departs

from evil makes himself a prey.

And the LORD saw it,

and it displeased him that

there was no justice.

59:15 Those who stand for righteousness and holiness should be honored, but in a corrupt society they are often opposed, persecuted, and sometimes destroyed. And will the one true God who loves justice, honesty and truth be pleased with that kind of society? Compare Gen 6:5-6.⚜

59:9-15 The prophet Isaiah identifies himself with his people Israel in this confession of the nation’s sinful condition. Compare Isa 64:5-7; Ezra 9:6-7; Jer 3:22-25; Dan 9:4-19; Rom 3:9. The prophets and saints of the Bible did not set themselves up as some superior beings, more holy and righteous than others.⚜

59:12-15 Isaiah makes it very clear why the nation is in darkness. He confesses the nation’s sins, first generally, then more specifically. In verses 13-15 it seems almost as if he were speaking of conditions so common in our day.⚜

16 And he saw that

there was no just man,

and wondered that

there was no intercessor.

Therefore his arm brought victory

to him,

and his righteousness

sustained him.

17 For he put on righteousness

like a breastplate,

and a helmet of salvation

on his head;

and he put on the garments

of vengeance as clothing,

and was clothed with zeal like a cloak.

18 According to their deeds,

so he will repay:

fury to his adversaries,

retribution to his enemies;

to the islands he will mete

out retribution.

19 So they will fear the name

of the LORD from the west,

and his glory from the rising

of the sun.

When the enemy comes in like

a flood,

the Spirit of the LORD will lift up

a banner against him.

59:19 All nations will realize that Jehovah is the one true God and will learn to fear Him – Isa 2:2-3; 11:10; 40:5; 45:6; 52:10. “He” in verse 18 refers to the Redeemer seen in verse 20, the Lord Jesus. The last sentence of this verse may also be translated “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will put him to flight”.⚜

20 “And the Redeemer will come

to Zion,

and to those who turn from

transgression in Jacob”,

says the LORD.

59:20 This is a key verse in the interpretation of Isaiah. Paul applies this verse to the literal Israel in Rom 11:25-26. And since all Israel will be saved after the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, the time points to the time of Christ’s second coming. It is when Israel is redeemed and restored that the nations of the earth will turn to God as in v 19 (Rom 11:12, 15). To Paul Zion meant Jerusalem as representing the literal nation of Israel.⚜

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them”, says the LORD: “My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your offspring, or from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring”, says the LORD, “from now on and forever”.