Isaiah 59

Isaiah 59:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations God’s promises to his special people An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 58 to 66 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 59 Why God does not answer prayers v1 The *Lord can still save. His power has not become weak. He can still hear. He has not become deaf. v2 It is your own wicked lives that have separated you from your holy God. It is your evil deeds that have hidden God from you. That is why he does not listen to your prayers.

Verse 1

God’s character is perfect. He cannot change. Therefore we can always trust him completely (see Hebrews 13:8).

Verse 2

It is we who have to change. Then God will act on our behalf. Evil behaviour v3 Blood stains your hands. The marks of crimes are on your fingers. You speak lies with your lips. You plot wicked schemes with your tongue. v4 Nobody wants to be fair and true. Lies are the false base of what you say in court. You spend your time in order to plot your evil deeds.

And then you carry them out. Everybody uses empty words (words without any value) that are not true. And after such words, there are troubles and evil deeds. v5-6 The behaviour of you people in Israel is like a poisonous snake. And such a snake produces even more poisonous snakes from its eggs. If anybody eats those eggs, he will die. And when an egg is broken, another snake appears.

Your plots are like a insect’s web (net). That web might seem solid. But it has no value. You cannot use it to make clothes; it would just fall apart. Your plots are as weak as that web. That is, your wicked behaviour benefits nobody.

You do not even benefit yourselves. v7 The result of such evil deeds is more evil deeds. Even murder is the result of these evil deeds. Your wicked plots produce awful results. Everywhere you go, you people leave only pain and despair behind you. v8 You have no idea what it means to live at peace with each other. And those who copy your behaviour never know a quiet and happy life.

Verse 3

In this verse, parts of the body (blood, hands, fingers, lips, tongue) are picture words. Isaiah uses these words to describe evil behaviour.

Verse 4

In court, people accuse other people falsely, but without any real evidence. They just want to cause trouble.

Verses 5-7

People’s evil behaviour is as dangerous as the bite of a poisonous snake. One bite can cause death.

Verse 8

Only God’s love can provide real happiness. People who live wicked lives can never enjoy real happiness. That is not God’s fault, but their own. Evil actions can never produce anything good. People confess their wicked deeds v9 Now we realise why we get no fair decisions. And why right things do not happen. It was as if we were expecting light on our path to show us where to go. But there was only darkness. It was as if we expected the dawn of a new day. That is, a new and happier beginning.

But the night continued. v10 We were like blind people who felt for the wall. We tripped at midday, as if the poor light of late evening had already arrived. We were living in darkness, as if we were already dead. We had no energy, unlike strong young men. v11 We were afraid and miserable. We were desperately wanting God to free us from our enemies. But nothing happened. v12 It is all because we have neglected to obey you so often.

Our evil deeds are clear evidence against us. We realise that we have not carried out your instructions. We know our crimes against you. v13 We know that we have not obeyed you. We have not been loyal to the *Lord our God. We know that we have acted as enemies against God. We know how unfairly we act towards other people.

We carefully work out the lies that we intend to tell. v14 Our courts are unfair to honest people. Truth no longer exists. And honest attitudes are unknown. v15 Yes, truth has disappeared. And anybody who tries to live a better life soon suffers attack. The *Lord saw all these evil actions that went on. And he was angry that nobody opposed these wicked practices.

Verses 9-15

Isaiah’s list of wicked deeds is a great shock to the people. They suddenly recognise that they are guilty of all those actions. Now they can understand why the *Lord is not helping them. But merely to understand was without value, if it did not bring about a change of behaviour! (See verse 16.) God will act

v16 The *Lord saw that nobody was willing to do anything to stop the wicked behaviour. The failure astonished him and filled him with disgust. So the *Lord himself decided to act. He would rescue his people by his own power. v17 He will wear *justice like a soldier’s strong coat. And he will put on his power to save like a helmet (strong hat). Fierce anger and complete success will be his clothes. v18 God will punish his enemies for all the evil deeds that they have done. Even those who live in distant countries will suffer from his fierce anger. v19 All nations from east to west will be afraid of the *Lord and his immense power. He will act like a vast river that floods the land. And like a powerful wind that makes flat everything in its path.

v20 The *Lord tells his people, ‘I am coming to rescue *Jerusalem. And to save all of you who turn back from your wicked behaviour.’ This is what the *Lord declares. v21 The *Lord says, ‘I make a serious promise. I will give you my Spirit and my instructions. These will be my gifts to you and to your future families for all time.’ This is what the *Lord declares. Verse 16

The *Lord’s people were those that God had chosen to carry out his great purpose. The people had not realised why God had chosen them. It was not simply for their own benefit.

 God’s purpose was for his people to be his witness to all the nations of the world. His people were to show by their lives how the holy God wants all people to live. And to show what wonderful benefits would follow when people obey him.

 The people’s evil behaviour meant that their lives had no value whatever as God’s witness.

Verse 17

These references to a soldier’s equipment are word pictures to describe the *Lord’s actions. The *Old Testament often uses word pictures that describe the *Lord as a soldier. (See Exodus 15:3-4; Numbers 21:14; Isaiah 42:13 and 51:9.) The words usually refer to the *Lord’s attacks against Israel’s enemies.

 Similar word pictures in the *New Testament describe the way for Christians to fight battles against evil powers (see Ephesians 6:13-17).

 Of course, God himself does not need protection as a human soldier needs protection. The picture language is a way to express God’s absolute power to win every battle.

Verse 18

God punishes evil behaviour wherever he finds it (see Isaiah 13:11).

Verse 19

God has created everything (see Job chapter 38). And what God creates, he continues to control (see Isaiah 43:1-2).

Verse 21

This repeats the *Lord’s promise of good gifts, at the beginning of Isaiah’s message (see Isaiah 1:19).

© 2007, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

October 2007

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