Isaiah 57:10-21

The prophet has been giving a very terrible description of the sin of the nation. We need not read it all, but at last he says this:

Isaiah 57:10. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way;

«Thou art wearied out with thine own way. Thou hast been so zealous in thy rebellion against God that thou hast actually fatigued thyself in the pursuit of evil.» That is a true description of those who have worn themselves out in the ways of sin.

Isaiah 57:10. Yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

Though they had hunted for pleasure, and had not found it, and had brought themselves into great distress, yet they would not give up the hope of, after all, succeeding in their rebellion. Oh, how obstinately are men set upon seeking satisfaction where it never can be found, namely, in the pursuit of sin! These people were still alive, and they were content to be so; but they were not grieved although God had sorely chasteness them.

Isaiah 57:11. And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me,

«Me, thy Maker, thy Friend, to whom thou must own thy very soul, unless that soul shall go down into the pit, ‘Thou hast not remembered me,'»

Isaiah 57:11. Nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

When God is very long suffering, and lets men alone in their sin; then, often, they quite forget him, and have no fear of him.

Isaiah 57:12. I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

If God once takes the self-righteous man's righteousness, and explains what it really is, he will soon reveal to its owner that it is a mere delusion and sham, that will not profit him at all.

Isaiah 57:13. When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee;

«When sickness, and depression of spirit, and death itself, shall come to you, and you begin to dread what is to follow, and cry to those who comforted you in your time of health, what will they be able to do for you?»

Isaiah 57:13. But the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

All confidence in men shall be blown away as chaff is driven by the wind; but faith in God wins the day.

Isaiah 57:14. And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

That is a wonderful verse. You notice that the prelude to it explains the greatness and the holiness of God; and then, like an eagle swooping out of the sky even down to the earth, we find God coming from his high and lofty place to dwell with humble and contrite hearts. Not with the proud, not with you who think yourselves good and excellent, does God dwell; but with men who feel their sin, and own it; with men who feel their unworthiness, and confess it. I will read this verse again to impress it upon your memory: «Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.»

Isaiah 57:16. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

See the tender meaning of God's message in this verse. He has been encouraging the guilty one, and making him feel the enormity of his ounces; and then he says, «I will not do that any more, lest I should crush him. He is too weak to bear any more punishment or reproof; therefore I will not any longer afflict him, but I will turn to him in mercy, ‘for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.'»

Isaiah 57:17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

Here God shows that his chastening does not always produce a good result; for, sometimes, when men are tried on account of sin, they grow worse and worse: «I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.» What does God say of such a great sinner as that?

Isaiah 57:18. I have seen his ways,

«I have seen that he goes from bad to worse when I afflict him. Now I will try another plan. ‘I have seen his ways,'»

Isaiah 57:18. And will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

It is heart-melting to see the tenderness of God. «I will not further smite him, lest his spirit should fail before me. I will not continue to strikt him, because I can see that he only goes farther away from me the more I chastise him. I will deal with him in abounding love: ‘I will heal him.'» I believe that there is many a sinner who runs away from God thinking that the Lord is his enemy; and as God pursues him, he does not dare look back. He thinks that it is the step of the Avenger that he hears, so he flies faster and farther away from God; but when he does venture to look back, and ends that it is a loving Father's face that is gazing upon him, oh! how he regrets his folly in running from him! Then he throws himself into the arms of the God of love, and wonders however he could have been the enemy of this his greatest Friend. May such a happy turn as that happen to some whom I am now addressing!

Isaiah 57:20. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

They may have the semblance of peace, or a false peace, but nothing which is worthy of being called peace.

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 57:10; and Isaiah 58:1.