We have been studying the details of the Gospel and the atonement of Christ in many of the verses over the last few weeks. This week, God turns back to those who should have known better but didn't. These verses should be a sobering warning to us who are exposed to the Gospel that we not take it lightly and value it properly.
All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. "Come," they say, "let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure."
Isaiah 56:9-12
This is the picture of Israel apostate and living in apathy toward God. They don't function as watch dogs and the wild dogs are coming to put an end to them. Blending apathy, ignorance, and selfishness is a dangerous place to be. God compares it to willful persistent drunkenness. Remembering that God tells us that those who lead will be judged more severely, the leaders of Israel are without hope.
The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest tin their beds who walk in their uprightness.
Isaiah 57:1-2
So there is "a fate worse than death" and God prevents it here by removing righteous and devout men so they are spared from the coming judgment. God keeps a remnant but He takes home many of the saints of Isaiah's day. Their bed is peaceful and restful. That is not the case for the family of the spiritually adulterous.
But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman. Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit, you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
Isaiah 57:3-5
God contrasts these faithless ones with the faithful ones. He compares those in leadership at this time to a adulterous witch working in prostitution. The use of the term adulterer draws attention to the broken covenant. The prostitution draws attention to selling oneself to gain worldly possessions. The sorceress uses ungodly means in an attempt to gain spiritual power. Then God addresses their expressed attitude that reflects the heart. They are laughing at the righteous. Then God addresses their parentage. He points out that they are the second generation of transgression and lies. Then God moves to their actions. God identifies their sins with 2 false Canaanite religions. First God convicts them of participation in fertility cults with sexual rituals and then He convicts them of participation in a cult that sacrifices children. We may as well admit that our cultures participation in pornography and abortion is at least as big a sin. Perhaps the Canaanites and the apostate Jews of Isaiah's day may be able to argue that at least they were seeing the blessing of another god while all our culture can argue is that we seek our own pleasure and convenience. It would seem odd to think they should have the greater judgment, or that we are less likely to be judged, because we simply made ourselves out to be gods and didn't worship an idol.
Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things? On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice. Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your memorial; for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed, you have gone up to it, you have made it wide; and you have made a covenant for yourself with them, you have loved their bed, you have looked on nakedness.
Isaiah 57:6-8
Their sin runs from the valley to the top of the mountains. Even the hidden sins will be brought to light. The sins were willful and in the face (Coram Deo) of God. Even our sins of the heart are Coram Deo. That is one of the great "reality checks" in the Lord's Prayer. The phrase, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" reminds us of our failures and our need to remain faithful to turn from sin to God each day. In our sin nature we love sin. John 3:16 tells us that God loved (loved; agape; ἀγάπη) the world and gave His Son. We have probably all heard sermons on this word and we should hear sermons on this word. I've spoken on this word because it is the kind of love we need to display to the world at large. But our object is rightly God. We love God and submit ourselves a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable because of His grace. John 3:19 shows us the way we typically display agape love. It says, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." Scripture says that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart you will display a self sacrificing love, an agape love, toward the darkness. It is irrational. Think of the Children of Israel whining to return to bondage and suffering in Egypt for an onion. But that is our heart apart from God. His mercy is everlasting and you would be a smart man if you remained amazed by Grace all the days of your life.
You journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your envoys far off, and sent down even to Sheol. You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, "It is hopeless"; you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint. Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me? I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you. When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry them off, a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.
Isaiah 57:9-13
The word for the god Molech sounds like king and Isaiah uses that sound to make the point that all the arts, science, and strength of the people were poured out for this false god and false king. Molech was a king with no real power and a god that was not a god. The agape love for darkness spared no expense in service for the darkness. It really was a self sacrificing love. I heard an advertisement of a TV show about addiction the other day and a woman said that her "addiction was smarter than her". She was saying that her life was hopeless but not her service to her addiction. She was full of hope for the next dose of her addiction. All her skill and strength were being offered up to this false god of addiction. With sacrificial love the best years of her life along with her best planning, greatest skills, and strength were being brought to the darkness. Darkness traps the unsaved and trapped us too in various ways. "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" 1Peter 3:15.
And it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way." For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:14-15
God works providentially to prepare our way for us and to develop holiness in our lives. We are long way from holy and yet God removes obstacles from our way. Many times the obstacles are of our own making. If God is removing sin from our life we may drag our feet but He continues to work. We have no place to laugh when we read that the Children of Israel spent 40 years on an 11 day trip (Deuteronomy 1:2-3). I don't think many of us would measure up any better. God is not like us because of His holiness but He is a faithful shepherd who will lead us on to the high and holy place He lives. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made. Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the LORD, "and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
Isaiah 57:16-21
God will not work faster or longer than we can stand. It is part of being the Good Shepherd. He knows we would just give up so He corrects sin and works sanctification into our lives as rapidly as we are able. He keeps the remnant and He keeps you. This is why I prefer the term the "preservation of the saints" to the term the "persistence of the saints". Preservation stresses the preserver while persistence sounds as if we get part of the glory for "hanging in there".
I think one of the saddest stories I've ever heard is that when Henry David Thoreau was on his deathbed and was asked if he had made his peace with God he said that he didn't realize they had ever quarreled. It was really a statement of rebellion. He knew what was being asked of him and he rejected the Atonement of the Cross. He didn't worship the God of the Bible. You cannot successfully argue with God that He was unclear about your sinfulness, His requirement for holiness, or your desperate need for a Savior. The most important "peace" is peace with God and He makes the only way. There is no peace with God for the wicked.
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