Isaiah 56-59
Invitation
to Blessing

The Shepherd is angry with Israel, and not answering their prayers. Guess why? He's feeding them with affliction of their enemies, and not shining His favor on them, nor saving them.

Asaph asks God to strengthen the “man of your right hand,” the “son of man”, whom God had “made strong for Yourself” (a reference to David the king) so he will lead them. Then they will not turn away from God but will call upon His name, as originally intended. Asaph ends with a plea for God to revive them from the near death caused by their enemies, and restore them back into His good graces. His final plea is for God to cause His face to shine upon them in blessing, thus saving them from the consequences of their sin.

Having one set of lighter weights or bigger measures to buy, and a heavier or smaller set to sell is unjust and stealing. God hates it, and sees it (20:12)

Looking at even a child's actions reveals his or her character. Even more so for adults.

If God made the ear and eye, He can hear and see what's going on. Those who aren't doing what's pure and right will reap correspondingly negative judgment.

Because God's righteousness and salvation are about to be revealed, pardoned believers (those who've experienced the benefits of Isaiah 53) have the responsibility to preserve justice and do righteousness. That's because God's salvation gives glory/reward to His faithful ones, and His righteousness demands justice be carried out in rewarding good and punishing evil. This is a hugely ignored truth. Verse 2 elaborates (in case you missed it): the one who God blesses when He returns is the one who preserves justice, does righteousness, fulfills his covenant obligations to keep the Sabbath holy (failure to do so is why they were in exile), and refrain from any evil (an apparent possibility). Getting pardoned from the death penalty of sin does not give one a license for lawlessness.

Non-Israelites and eunuchs, who join themselves to Yahweh by accepting the covenant obligations and choosing to do the things that please Him, will be blessed even more than some Israelites (who presumably don't do what's right in His sight). For the more serious Bible students, note how “name” is used in verse 5 (reputation/character/glory/power). Those faithful to the covenant will experience joy in God's “house of prayer” which will be for all nations/peoples. Unfortunately, in modern times people emphasize just praying, rather than the practices and piety that make God accept their offerings (which is the intent of the passage). Verse 8 indicates two distinct groups, Israel, and others that the Lord will gather in the future.

In contrast to those who please God and rejoice in His blessings, others seek to please themselves and escape the realities of life by deceiving themselves with positive thinking, that tomorrow will be just as “great” as today. God says they're blind and ignorant, ripe for destruction.

To depart the planet and be with God is far better than enduring evil here. It's a matter of values. (Plus you get to enjoy a much better time on the planet when He sets up His righteous kingdom.)

The self-indulgent, disloyal quest for satisfaction doesn't and won't benefit those who don't fear and obey God. They will reap the rotten fruit of their ways, while the righteous will find refuge in God, and reward in the land.

I remember when I first saw this verse. I was a young believer, studying humility, looking up occurrences of the word in Strong's Concordance. I discovered that humility was used for a depression in the earth, as in lower than low, lower than it would normally be; and that contrite meant crushed to a powder, so that no one particle was bigger than another. For interpersonal relationships the lesson was that it's okay to be thought of as less than I am, for the benefit of others, since that was what the suffering Messiah was all about. But for my relationship with God, there was something even better: the eternally awesome God, who lives at 1 Eternity Drive, also stays at my place if I'm humble (which is pretty easy to do vis a vis God, if you think about it...His will trumps mine everyday.). God wants an intimate relationship with His creatures! I went on to learn that humility entails having an accurate, true estimation of oneself (and then keeping it under wraps if it will hinder helping others; after all Jesus kept aspects of Himself hidden, revealing them only in the best interest of others). If I was enjoying intimacy with my Creator, I didn't need worth and value from impressing others.

God graciously offers healing and peace to the backslider, but the wicked will never experience His peace and rest.

God instructs Isaiah to forcefully denounce the disobedience and hypocrisy of His people, who delight in going to church and learning about His ways, but don't obey them. They delight in ritual, even fasting, but not for God's purposes.

The OT only commanded “fasting” on the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:27-32) and the word there is “afflict/humble,” although there are examples of people fasting in times of grief and need. Tradition had added days of fasting to commemorate the fall of Jerusalem (Zech 7:5). But God wasn't impressed, because they were not fasting in self-denial and other-centerdness, but selfishly and in injustice. If they engaged in sacrificial other-centered service, stretching themselves to satisfy the needs of others, then God would satisfy their needs and give them healing, delight, pleasure, and light/glory.

The reason God hasn't saved them is because of their sin, which has caused the separation between them and God. The description could equally apply to our day.

The consequence of separation is no justice, righteousness, nor salvation, but an self-indictment for rebelling against God (denying His right to rule their lives), turning away from Him and His ways, lying (truth is nowhere to be found), and those who try to be good are overwhelmed by the majority who follow the lies of Satan.

 God provides the solution to their sin, saving by His righteousness, and repaying His enemies. The Redeemer will come to those who turn from their disobedience, and will make a new covenant with them, involving putting His Spirit on them and His words in them (cf New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:31-36).