At the end of Isaiah 55 the wonderful prophetic strain, concerning
the One who was to come forth as both the "Servant" and the "Arm" of
the Lord, comes to an end. In chapter 56 the prophet had to revert to
the state of things among the people to whom previously he addressed
himself.
He spoke in the name of the Lord and the fact that He called for
equity and justice reveals that these excellent things were not being
practised among the people. His salvation and righteousness were "near
to come," though not fully revealed until after Christ came. When we
open the Epistle to the Romans, we meet with both salvation and
righteousness in verses 16 and 17 of the first chapter. Both are fully
manifested in the death and resurrection of Christ; not as antagonistic
the one to the other, but in the fullest agreement and harmony. While
waiting for this manifestation the man who lived in accordance with
righteousness would be blessed indeed. The sabbath was the sign of
God's covenant with Israel, therefore it must be observed faithfully.
Moreover the blessings, that came from obedience to God's holy
requirements in His law, were not confined to the seed of Israel, but
extended to the stranger who sought the Lord. This passage, verses 3-8,
is one to be noted with care. The door was open to any, no matter
whence they came, who really feared the Lord, and sought Him and His
covenant amongst His people. The Queen of Sheba, for instance, came to
question Solomon, not because of his vast knowledge of natural history,
and his great literary output (see, 1 Kings 4: 29-34), but, "concerning the name of the Lord" (1
Kings 10: 1). So too the eunuch is specially mentioned in our passage,
and in Acts 8, we have the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, who was
indeed one of the "sons of the stranger," who were seeking to "join
themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the
Lord." What was promised to such by the prophet here was made good to
him only in a more abundant measure since he was not given a place "in
My holy mountain," but rather "called . . . into the grace of Christ."
(Gal. 1: 6).
Even under the law the Divine thought was, "Mine house shall be
called a house of prayer for all people." This is just the scripture
quoted by the Lord on His last visit to the temple, just before He
suffered; and He had with sorrow to add, "but ye have made it a den of
thieves" (Matt. 21: 13). Such was the awful state into which the Jews
had lapsed, and we are painfully aware that they were well on the way
to it as we read this book of Isaiah. Yet the gracious promise of verse
8 abides. God will yet gather a remnant of His people, who are outcasts
amongst men, and when He does so, He will gather others, who hitherto
have been strangers. Today God is specially concentrating upon the
strangers, visiting "the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His
name" (Acts 15: 14).
Having uttered the promise of God, the prophet now turned abruptly
to denounce the state of the people, and especially those who were in
the place of watchmen and shepherds. The one were both blind and dumb,
the other greedy for their gain and not for the welfare of the sheep.
As a result the beasts of the field would break through and devour: a
warning this of oppressing nations about to assail them from without,
while those who should warn and defend were like drunkards, filled with
false optimism.
Hence the opening words of Chapter 57. The time had come when God
would remove from their midst the righteous and the merciful, and so it
might appear as though these were under His judgment; whereas the fact
was that it were better for them to be removed by death than to live to
share the judgment that would fall. A striking example of this was seen
somewhat later when God-fearing Josiah was taken away that his eyes
might not see the disasters impending. It could then be said of him
that "he shall enter into peace."
The evil state of things that existed among the people is again
exposed, beginning with verse 3. Even in Hezekiah's day the state of
things was thus. Reading the account of his reign in both Kings and
Chronicles we might imagine that the mass of the nation followed their
king in the fear of the Lord, but evidently they did not, and
idolatrous evils still largely characterized the people. Down to the
end of verse 14, these idolatrous practices and the moral filthiness
that accompanied them are denounced, and it is plainly foretold that,
even when disaster came upon them from without, no object of their
veneration would be able to deliver them. Their works, and what they
considered to be their "righteousness" would be of no profit to them.
The whole spirit that animated them was wrong.
The right spirit is indicated in verse 15. Jehovah presents Himself
in a light calculated to produce that right spirit in those that
approach Him. He is high and elevated in the depths of space, far above
this little world. He inhabits eternity, not restricted by the times
and seasons that confine us. His name is "Holy." Are we sensible of
this? If so, we shall at once be contrite as regards the past, and
humble in the present. And it is the heart and spirit of the humble and
contrite that God revives, so that they may dwell in His presence in
the high and holy place.
These things were promised to those that feared the Lord in Israel
in the past days, and they are more abundantly true for us today, who
are not under the law but called into the grace of Christ.
Self-satisfaction and pride are the last things that should
characterise us. We may well rejoice that we know God as our Father;
but let us never overlook the fact that our Father is God.
The succeeding verses go on to speak of God's governmental dealings
with the people. He had to deal in wrath with them because of their sin
and rebellion, but He would not contend with them as a nation for ever.
The moment would come when He would heal and bless, and establish
peace, both for those far off and for those near. The term, "far off"
may refer to the sons of Israel, who would be scattered, as
distinguished from those who would be in the land. But what is said is
true, if we understand it as referring to Gentiles, who were "far off,"
in the sense of Ephesians 2: 13. But also in either case the peace has
to be "created" by God, and is not something produced by men. Isaiah 53
has told us how the peace is created.
The peace is only for those who are brought into right relations
with God. It is not for the wicked who far from Him, are as restless as
the sea. The winds keep the sea in perpetual agitation. Satan, who is
"the prince of power of the air," keeps the wicked in a condition
similar to the sea, and all their visible actions are like "mire and
dirt."
Hence there can be no peace for the wicked. This solemn statement
closed the first section of nine chapters. There seems however to be a
deeper emphasis in its repetition, since we have now had before us the
judgment of sin in the death of the Messiah, the sinless Substitute, in
Isaiah 53.
The third and last section of nine chapters now opens with a command
that the prophet himself had to fulfil. Loudly and forcibly to accuse
the house of Jacob of their transgressions and sins was no pleasing
task; rather one that would be met with resentment and anger. The same
thing however is necessary in connection with the Gospel today. In the
Epistle to the Romans the Gospel is not expounded before the sinfulness
of all mankind is plainly and fully exposed. In the Acts of the
Apostles we see the same thing in practice. In Acts 7, Stephen did it
with great power, and paid the penalty with his life. The same thing in
its measure marked the public preachings of Peter and Paul; and when
Paul faced Felix privately, "he reasoned of righteousness, temperance,
and judgment to come," so much so that Felix trembled. We venture to
think that this solemn note has far too often been missing in these
days, as the Gospel is preached.
Verses 2 and 3 reveal why such a testimony of conviction was so
needed, and for just the same reason is it needed today. The sins of
the people were being covered up with a round of religious duties. They
were going up to the temple, apparently seeking God. They took delight
in acquaintance with God's ways, in observing His ordinances, in
fasting and afflicting their souls. Were not all these outward things
enough and to be commended?
Yet they were but a mask, and when this was removed, what was
beneath? Verses 3-5 show us what was beneath. Their "fast" was really a
time of pleasure. There was exaction, strife, debate, the ill-treatment
of others, though they bowed down their heads in a false humility and
spread sackcloth and ashes beneath them. Their fast was just a matter
of outward religious ceremony, and had nothing in it of that inward
self-denial that it was supposed to indicate.
Is this the fast that God had chosen? is what verse 6 asks. And
verse 7 proceeds to indicate the fast that would be acceptable unto
God. Before Him what counts is what is moral rather than what is
ceremonial. By Hosea God said, "I desired mercy and not sacrifice"
(Hosea 6: 6); and the Lord quoted this twice (Matt. 9: 13; Matt. 12: 7)
Thus we see here exposed the hypocrisy that came into full display and
reached its climax in the Pharisees when our Lord was on earth; and as
often noticed the severest denunciations that ever fell from the lips
of our Lord were against the Pharisees. To none of the publicans and
harlots did the Lord utter such words as are found in Matthew 23: 1-33.
This evil was plainly visible in Isaiah's day; but having exposed
it, the prophet was led to show that if his rebuke was accepted and the
people repented there was yet blessing in store for them. Then, of
course, they would walk in righteousness, and as a result there would
be for them light and health and glory. The light would be like the
dawning of new day. Their health would spring forth speedily. Their
righteousness would open the way before them, and the glory of the Lord
would protect their rear. Is Israel ever going to achieve this
desirable state as the result of their law-keeping? The answer is, No.
The New Testament makes this very plain.
Will this state then ever be reached? The answer is, only through
their Messiah, whom they have rejected. When first He came, it was as,
"the Dayspring from on high" (Luke 1: 78); it was the dawning of a new
day in which Israel's light was to break forth. But they would have
none of Him. What is predicted here is deferred consequently until He
appears again in His glory. They will then be a born-again people, with
the Spirit poured forth on them as objects of Divine mercy. Then, and
not till then, will the glory of the Lord be a guard to their rear.
But in Isaiah's day the people were still being dealt with as men in
the flesh and on the ground of their responsibility under the law, so
the blessing proposed is based on their obedience. Hence there is found
that fatal, "If . . ." in verse 9. When the law was given it was, "If
ye will obey..." (Ex. 19: 5), and so again is it here; and thus it must
be as long as a law regime prevails. All through Israel's national
history there has never been the taking away of the things mentioned in
verse 9, nor the drawing out of their soul to the things mentioned in
verse 10. Hence the good things of verse 11 and 12, have never yet in
any full sense been realized, though a limited revival was granted
under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah.
The fatal, "If . . ." meets us again as we look at verse 13. This
time it is linked with the due observance of the sabbath, and this
seventh day was given to Israel, we must again recall, as the sign
between themselves and God, when the law was given, as is stated in
Ezekiel 20: 12. Sabbath-keeping had therefore a very special place in
the law economy. If therefore the people turned away their foot from
its due observance and merely used the day for the doing of their own
pleasure, it was to do despite to the covenant of which it was the
sign. This is just what the people were doing in the days of Isaiah.
In John 5 we read how the Lord Jesus healed the impotent man on a
sabbath day. This gave great offence to the Jews and because of it they
sought to slay Him. The Lord's answer was, "My Father worketh hitherto,
and I work." The fact was that the covenant of law which demanded works
of obedience from Israel, was hopelessly broken, and the sabbath, which
was the sign of it, was being set aside. The time had
now arrived for the work of the Son and of the Father to come into
display, as indeed it did on the first day of the week, when our Lord
rose from the dead, now known to us as "The Lord's day."
We can however read the last verse of this chapter, as also the
verses that precede, as setting forth what God will eventually bring to
pass for Israel in the millennial day that is coming, not as the result
of their doings, but solely as the fruit of what their Messiah has
already done, coupled with the righteous power to be put forth when He
comes again in His glory. Then Israel will be like, "a watered garden,"
and "the old waste places" shall be built. Then shall Israel delight
itself in the Lord, and consequently "ride upon the high places of the
earth."
They are far from doing this at present; but they shall certainly do
so. And, Why? "For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." His word is
stable. What He says always comes to pass.