Isaiah 57:14-21 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Isaiah 57:14-21. Let’s go!
Isaiah 57:14-19 (NIV)
14 And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
15 For this is what the high and lofty One says– he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me– the breath of man that I have created.
17 I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”
On verses 14-19: Here we see the incredible mercy and compassion of God. For after expressing His dismay at the idolatry and corruption of His people (57:1-13) and their leaders (56:9-12), God says that He will not accuse forever or always be angry, lest the spirit of man grow faint before Him (v16).
In other words, because God does not want people He has created to die but to live, God chooses not to be angry or to accuse forever. Instead of destroying the people, God wants to heal them, guide them and restore them (v18). Though God is high and holy like no other, though He is enraged by sin (v17), His heart also goes out to those who are “contrite and lowly in spirit” and He wants to revive them (v15). In this way God is going to remove the obstacles that stand between the people and God and build a road between them (v14).
What can we learn from this? God is both holy and compassionate, just and merciful, full of grace and truth. When God is hurt by the people He loves, He leans toward forgiveness and reconciliation. Notice how in verse 15, God’s holiness is emphasized twice, but twice as well God speaks of those who are “contrite and lowly in spirit”. He wants to replace the mourning resulting from their sin with praise resulting from God’s peaceful presence (v19). This suggests that sin doesn’t make us happy but miserable, whereas God’s peaceful presence causes us to sing praise.
How is a just God able to overlook the people’s sins? By doing the unthinkable and sacrificing Himself in place of the people. That’s what God did for you and me when He sent Jesus Christ His Son to die on the cross. In so doing God made peace possible to “those far and near” (v19), that is, for Gentiles and for Jews (see Ephesians 2:17 where Paul builds on Isaiah’s phrase “far and near”).
In this passage God models for us another important lesson: if you want your relationships to be healthy, you need to find a healthy way to deal with the anger that you feel. Getting angry or upset at the actions of others we care about is inevitable. But when we refuse to forgive, our bitterness will wear us out and others as well. You can’t hold your anger in or accuse people forever; otherwise, your health and the health of your relationships will wither away.
God models for us the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness as a way to move forward. Where we can do so wisely, let’s be intentional about removing obstacles out of the way of our relationships and instead building a road that leads to reconciliation.
Isaiah 57:20-21 (NIV)
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
On verses 20-21: As much as God’s heart is to heal, revive and restore His people and give them peace, verses 20-21 remind us that ultimately it is our choice. Will we turn to God and let Him restore us, or will we persist in our sin? Verses 20-21 vividly describe what happens when we choose sin instead of God: there is no rest, no peace, only misery and filth. It’s like being in the middle of an ocean when a storm is going on and the waves are not spewing water but mud. It results in a disjointed life, like when a person’s spine is out of joint and they are in chronic pain.
Since we get to choose whether to have restful peace with God or restless pain without Him, let’s choose peace and turn to God today.
Thank You Father that though You live in a high and holy place, You also live among those who are lowly and contrite in spirit. Thank You for being both holy and compassionate, just and merciful, full of truth and full of grace. Thank You that when I turn to You I find peace, rest, restoration and joy again through Your Son Jesus. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
