Isaiah 59 Separation - For The Glory of Jesus

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Separation

Separation from God results form man’s sin. Sin needs to be confessed so we can be cleansed. When we sin, it causes separation from God.

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Isaiah 59

1. Man’s “sin separates him from God.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume III. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 330)

2. “God could not answer their prayers because their sins hid His face from them.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2002],66)

This verse “blames human sinfulness, with ‘causes a separation’ between God and the sinner.” (Smith, Gary V., The New American Commentary, Volume 15B, Isaiah 40-66. [Nashville, B & H Publishing Group, 2009], 589)

“God relates to people on the basis of their heart’s condition. The behaviors of keeping or not keeping the covenant, pleasing or not pleasing God, and acting justly or unjustly are part of what determine a person’s relation with God. (56:4,6).” (Smith, 589)

3. “What sins have caused this separation from God? The sins identified in this paragraph are connected to the different parts of the body that commit these sins.” (Smith, 589)

“Their thinking and speech betrays what their heart truly desires.” (Smith, 590)

4. These “are the legal perversions that encompassed their social relationships.” (Smith, 590)

Separation by Webs

5. “Isaiah compared the evil rulers to pregnant women giving birth to sin (59:4; Psalm 7:14; Isaiah 33:11), to snakes hatching their eggs and to spiders weaving their webs (5-6).” (Wiersbe, 66)

“In some ways these sinful people are comparable to the snake that hatches its eggs and the spider that weaves it webs.” (Smith, 591)

“Truly, the consequences of sin are death.” (Smith, 591)

6. “Sinful people ‘cannot cover themselves’ with their sinful cobwebs of evil deeds to hide what they have done. The evil deeds of sinful people who spin their webs of violence will bring great harm to those who get caught by their evil schemes.” (Smith, 591)

7. “The sin is precisely described: oppressing the poor (see 1:15), lying and corrupting the legal processes (see 1:21-23), and scheming to hurt others in order to pad one’s own pockets.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

8. “They had no knowledge or concern for peace and justice.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

Confession

9. “This is Israel’s confession. They confess they are in darkness. They confess that their religious rituals have been a pretense.” (McGee, 331)

“The absence of God’s presence and salvation produces darkness and gloom instead of the salvation many people were longing for.” (Smith, 594)

“Although these people wanted to experience God’s blessing, they now admit that they failed to experience what they hope for. Something went wrong somewhere.” (Smith, 595)

10. “Verse 10 points to the blindness and failures of the group the prophet is interceding for. Blindness is a metaphor that is often used to explain sinful people’s lack of understanding of God’s ways and their failure to follow God’s instructions.” (Smith, 595)

“What a picture of the man who does not have a personal relationship with God!” (McGee, 331)

11a. “The unhappiness and misery of these people is compared to the woeful sounds of a groaning bear or the moaning sound of a dove.” (Smith, 595)

11b. “There is still no justice, and the salvation they hoped for is still ‘far away’ ‘because’ sin is still present in their lives. (Smith, 596)

Sin

12. “Since the people have not yet fully confessed, repented, and turned away from their sins, the many rebellious deeds still separate the people from God.” (Smith, 596)

In verse 12 “the prophet names, owns, and confesses these sins on behalf of the people.” (Smith, 596)

“Sin can only be dealt with when people face it directly and decide to reject a sinful way of life.” (Smith, 596)

“God is displeased with injustice, and He wonders that none of His people will intercede or intervene (Proverbs 24:11-12).” (Wiersbe, 66)

13. Isaiah “acknowledges that they have sinned (a) by rebelling, (b) by being hypocritical toward God, (c) by turning from following God, (d) by speaking oppressive words, and (e) by both conceiving and (f) uttering lying words.” (Smith, 596)

14. “The prophet agrees with God’s analysis of the problem so he steps forward in order to begin the process of repentance so that sin will no longer prevent God from answering their prayers.” (Smith, 596)

15a. “In neglecting or opposing justice and righteousness, they were turning their backs on God.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

Salvation

15b. “The paragraph begins by assuring the listeners/readers that God has seen the lack of justice that exists on the earth.” (Smith, 600)

“God is patient and long-suffering with sinful people, but eventually he will justly deal with the problem of sin and sinful people.” (Smith, 600)

16. “There was not one person who could or would address this serious situation of rebellion and sinfulness among mankind.” (Smith, 600)

God “was appalled that his people suffered without an intercessor (literal translation of one to intervene) able to restore the proper order.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

“Righteousness is that moral quality of acting justly and faithfully that directs God’s hand to accomplish his righteous deeds of salvation and judgment.” (Smith, 600)

17. “When God appears, righteousness, salvation, vengeance, and zeal will be evident to all who encounter him. The first two attributes will bring hope to the righteous, while the last two will bring destruction to the wicked.” (Smith, 601)

18. “God’s purpose was to maintain his own respect and honor among the nations, reaching out even to the distant islands.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

Glory

19a. “This divine judgment will cause people all over the world (from the setting of the sun to the rising of the sun) to fear the name and glory of God.” (Smith, 602)

19b. This verse offers assurance that God will be victorious over his enemies.” (Smith, 603)

20. “God’s coming to function as a Redeemer applies specifically in this passage to those in Zion and all those who turn from their rebellious deeds.” (Smith, 604)

21. “Here is salvation—God’s people hearing the prophetic word pointing out their sin, joining the prophet in confessing their sin, and hearing the word of divine promise that brings deliverance from their crisis situation. Only on the day of Pentecost did such a constant abiding Spirit come to the people of God forever.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

References

In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.

Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume III. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Smith, Gary V., The New American Commentary, Volume 15B, Isaiah 40-66. Nashville, B & H Publishing Group, 2009
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2002

Fasting Glory

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