57. Isaiah Chapter Fifty-Seven

Isaiah Chapter 57 In contrast to the evil watchmen and shepherds and rulers, who were simply engaged in debauchery and self-indulgence, there were the righteous, who stand out conspicuously by reason of the fact that they are taken away from the coming evil, that is to say, from the impending Divine judgments. Their removal is unheeded. They are characterized as “merciful” (or rather, godly, r.v. margin). They “enter into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness” (or “straight before him,” Isaiah 57:1-2). While the godly suffer by oppression, and by distress at what is going on around them, they do not lose their blessedness in the sight of God or their reward hereafter. They die in faith and go to enjoy the eternal peace of the spirits of the just made perfect (Hebrews 12:23).

Far better it is to suffer death for righteousness’ sake than to endeavor to enjoy ease and freedom from trouble by making compromises with the world. A striking change in the prophet’s utterances follows. There is first a warning to the evildoers to draw near to listen to the voice of God (Isaiah 57:3). Frequently in Scripture a man’s moral character is indicated by a reference to his father (2 Kings 6:32), or his mother (1 Samuel 20:30), or both parents (Job 30:8). Accordingly those who were in captivity and continued the idolatry which had brought upon their fathers the judgment of their overthrow by the Chaldeans, are called “sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.”

All that follows, in Isaiah 57:4-11, is addressed to those who had gone into captivity. The reference to the oaks and the green trees (Isaiah 57:5) points to those forms of tree worship by which different trees were regarded as the special abodes of different deities. Abominable orgies were associated therewith. The slaughter of the children “in the valleys and under the clefts of the rocks” was not that carried out in sacrifice to Moloch in the valley of Hinnom, but that connected with the worship of Baal (Jeremiah 19:5; Ezekiel 16:21). In Isaiah 57:6 the reference is to stone worship, end the libations poured out thereon. In Isaiah 57:7-9 the idolatrous worship is further described in the metaphorical phraseology of adultery, in its faithlessness toward God.

All this wickedness involved much toil and weariness (Isaiah 57:10); yet the people were so far gone in their alienation from the Lord, that instead of realizing the hopelessness of their condition they found “a quickening of their strength” (r.v.), and continued to make alliances with the heathen. The longsuffering of God did not produce repentance, but His silence by way of helping His faithful ones would not be indefinitely postponed.

There are dangers in forming associations with those who do not adhere to the Word of God, under the pretext of being regarded as charitable, and, on the other hand, as a result of urgent advice that we must all make common cause against powerful adverse forces. Faithfulness to the Lord demands our maintaining the honor of His Name at whatever cost. And as the Lord came to the help of His faithful ones in captivity, so He will in these times of laxity and apostasy. The alliances the people were making were the outcome of fear. They took refuge in lies and did not remember God; nor did they lay it to their heart (Isaiah 57:11). Forgetfulness of God and a seared conscience go together. The fact that God does not intervene by way of judgment leads the hardened heart to be void of the fear of the Lord: “Have not I held My peace even of long time, and thou fearest Me not?” He says. In Isaiah 57:12 the statement “I will declare thy righteousness” does not indicate that those with whom God was remonstrating were themselves righteous. The very opposite was the case. It was what Israel in its blind condition regarded as their own righteousness. It was a lying righteousness and its true character would be declared, i.e., exposed and judged by the Lord. This is confirmed by what follows: “and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee. When thou criest, let them which thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away” (Isaiah 57:13). The Lord now addresses His faithful ones among His people in captivity, and gives the assurance, “he that putteth his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.” The way is to be made for the return of the captives, and the message to be given is, “Cast ye up, Cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” This receives light from Isaiah 62:10, which looks on to the final gathering of Israel from among the nations (cp. Isaiah 40:3-4). The stumbling block speaks of any and every obstruction standing in the way of the return (Isaiah 57:14). In the last paragraph of the chapter the Lord gives a message of combined glory and grace, concerning His twofold dwelling place, the high and holy place in Heaven and the contrite and humble spirit on earth. The latter will be the condition of His earthly people after the restoration.

If we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6). He will exalt us, or, as He says here in Isaiah, He will revive our spirit and our heart. Contrition and humility are as cause and effect. As one has said, “The selfish egotism which repentance breaks has its root in the heart; and the self-consciousness, from whose false elevation repentance brings down, has its seat in the spirit.”

If the Lord were to contend continually and always be wroth, the spirit of the object of His righteous anger would fail before Him “and the souls which He has made” (Isaiah 57:16). Here significantly the Lord gives a reminder that the very existence of the soul is due to His creative power, and this is His touching appeal for contrition and humility before Him. In spite of His creative mercy, it became a necessity for Him to destroy the whole human race, save for eight souls, at the time of the Flood. The spread of the physical corruption consequent upon the unlicensed moral depravity of the race, and their persistent lack of repentance, would have terminated in a more terrible way than even by the Flood. The present statement seems to have a connection with the promise made after judgment had been inflicted, that God would not utterly destroy the race again.

Perhaps in fulfilling that promise, and certainly by reason of His covenant with Abraham and his seed, the Lord now makes a promise to Israel that, having smitten him for his covetousness (or rather, selfishness) and for the turning away of his own heart (margin), He would heal him, and lead him, and restore comforts unto him, and particularly to those who mourned by reason of their wanderings (Isaiah 57:17-18).

Isaiah 57:19 shows that the effects of God’s dealings will divide the nation in twain. For those who became contrite and humble there would be “peace, peace,” in all their scattered condition, those who were far offend those who were near. The doubling of the word conveys its perfection and perpetuity, i.e., “perfect peace,” as in Isaiah 26:3. This will produce worship and songs of praise; hence the Lord introduces the promise of peace by the statement, “I create the fruit of the lips.” On the other hand there will be the impenitent, the wicked, for whom there is no peace, who “are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isaiah 57:20-21).