Where Is This Salvation You Speak Of? – part 1
Isaiah 59:1–60:22 (1-8)
September 29, 2024
This morning we come to a new chapter in Isaiah,
But we are still discussing the previous question.
If you will remember from chapter 58
• The people asked God a sort of accusatory question
• And it prompted God to call for Isaiah to give them a loud answer.
Isaiah 58:3a “‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’”
And we remember the answer God gave.
You don’t fast for Me, you fast for you.
• You have this ceremonial, temporary, symbolic fast
• And you expect Me to just run down there and grant your every request.
God explained to them that what they were doing
Was not fasting and it was not humility.
He told them they needed
• To stop the oppression of sin,
• To stop ignoring the poor,
• And to stop dishonoring the Sabbath if they really wanted to get His attention.
But I bring that back up because
While we recognized their question,
We never really heard what it was they were wanting from the LORD.
• We know they were asking in the wrong way.
• We know their hypocritical fasting and praying was not accomplishing what they had hoped.
But what was it that they were wanting?
And the answer is: SALVATION
(1) “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.”
Isaiah is still answering the question of 58:3.
THE IMPLICATION IS THAT
Perhaps the reason God doesn’t see or notice their fasts
Is because God is somehow incapable of saving.
“Maybe it’s just that He can’t do anything about our situation.”
To understand better what they want,
We need to stay in the context of Isaiah.
When we hear about God saving we tend to go to our understanding of salvation.
• We think of sinners being forgiven of their sin.
• We think of the lost being “saved”.
• We think of people be transformed into a new creation.
Indeed that is salvation.
But that is NOT what these Israelites were asking for.
They were talking about deliverance from their enemies
And their suffering as a result of those enemies.
We spoke of salvation back in chapter 56.
Isaiah 56:1 “Thus says the LORD, “Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.”
And if you’ll remember, the “salvation” spoken of there
Is what you and I call “The Second Coming”.
It is the day the Lord returns and saves His people from their enemies.
When Israel is referring to salvation that it what they are talking about.
They are talking about God delivering them from their enemies.
Isaiah spoke prophetically of the Babylonian Exile.
• And so part of this application would be exiles in Babylon wondering why God won’t “save them” from Babylon.
Isaiah spoke prophetically even to our day.
• So part of this would even be present times where Israel would cry out wondering why God won’t deliver them from their oppressors.
But you understand, when they want salvation
They don’t mean from sin, they mean from their enemies.
Perhaps “deliverance” would be a clearer term.
But, as we noticed in chapter 58,
• Despite them fasting and humbling themselves for it,
• God has not granted their request.
He did, however, inform them of what true fasting and humility look like,
And He said that if they would do that, then He would most certainly save.
And we saw Sunday night some pictures of that salvation they desire.
God promised LIGHT
(8) “Then your light will break out like the dawn”
God promised RECOVERY
(8) “And your recover will speedily spring forth;”
God promised RIGHTEOUSNESS
(8) “And your righteousness will go before you.”
God promised ANSWERED PRAYER
(9) “Then you will call and I will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”
God promised to GUIDE, SATISFY, AND GIVE STRENGTH
(11) “And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones;”
God promised to REBUILD, RAISE UP, REPAIR, AND RESTORE
(12) “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.”
And ultimately God promised to bring them home and give them THE HERITAGE OF JACOB
(14) “They you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.”
Those are the things Israel wanted.
Those are the things they equated with salvation.
Those are things God had yet to give, even though they had asked.
And now the accusation is that maybe God just isn’t capable of saving.
So here, Isaiah responds to Israel to explain
Why God has yet to deliver the salvation they desire.
• Why must we live in such a world without justice?
• Why must we be exiled to Babylon?
• Why must we dwell in a world with such darkness?
• Why does God allow us to stumble and walk without hope?
• Why doesn’t God save?
IS IT THAT, HE CAN’T?
Now, before we jump into Isaiah’s answer to the people
I want you to just understand this simple reality even as it applies in our world and our nation.
• Now, no, we are not a covenant nation as Israel is.
• You cannot take prophecies given to Israel and apply them to the U.S.A.
However, you can learn here of the character of God
And understand why we, like Israel, live in an unjust and corrupt world
And God just seems to allow it to continue.
So while we’re talking about Israel,
There are some issues of great interest to us here as well.
The entire sermon actually encompasses all of chapter 59 and 60,
And there 4 main points to get us through all of that.
But let’s begin working our way through it this morning.
#1 THE LORD’S REPROACH
Isaiah 59:1-8
The question is obvious.
They want to know if God is just not strong enough
To deliver them from their enemies.
WHERE IS THIS SALVATION YOU SPEAK OF?
And here comes God’s brutal answer.
“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.”
That makes clear the accusation that was going around.
It’s sort of like when Elijah was mocking the prophets of Baal, daring them to speak louder because maybe their god was hard of hearing.
That is the question here.
• Is God just not strong enough?
• Can He just not get to us?
• Can He not hear us when we call?
Again, it is the unbelievable audacity of sinners
To blame their predicament on the weaknesses of God.
In chapter 58 they questioned as though He just wasn’t faithful to keep His word.
In chapter 59 they question as though He’s just too weak to keep His word.
But the answer is given here.
NO! “the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save;”
It is coming in the form of a rebuke, which we will see,
But we can’t help but stop and rejoice in what great news this is!
There’s not a sinner God can’t reach.
David reminded us that there was no one God can’t see or hear.
Psalms 139:7-12 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
Nebuchadnezzar reminded us that there was no one God can’t humble.
Daniel 4:37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Lazarus taught us that there is no one too far gone.
John 11:38-44 “So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Paul taught us that there is no one God can’t commission.
Acts 9:13-16 “But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
There is no such thing as a sinner outside of the reach of God.
Where could you be?
What sin could you be in?
What manner of pride could you have?
That God would throw up His hands in defeat and say,
“Sorry, you’re too far gone”?
That person does not exist.
It is true that not every person gets saved,
And this chapter will help us see why,
But it is not for lack of power on God’s part.
Beyond that:
“Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.”
This speaks to God’s awareness to the plight of sinners.
• Is the noise too great?
• Is the distance too far?
• Is the grave too silent?
• That God is just somehow unaware of your plight?
Do you think God doesn’t know of your circumstance
Or cannot hear your cry for help?
THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
God most certainly can hear and God most certainly can reach.
SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
(2) “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear you.”
Are you ready for the answer?
• It’s not that God can’t save you, it’s that He won’t.
• He can bring you home, He just doesn’t want to.
That does not mean that God doesn’t want men saved,
It means that He refuses to deliver you in your current state of sin.
Why were they sent to Babylon to begin with?
Was it not for their sin?
Why was Israel broken off in the days of Jesus?
Was it not for their sin?
So why would He bring the home
When they are still in the same sin that sent them there?
Think back to the beginning of Isaiah’s ministry.
Isaiah 1:11-15 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”
Now look at their current state:
(3) “For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness.”
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
What was the command of God back at the beginning to keep them from being exiled?
Isaiah 1:16-20 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. “If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
The command then was to repent and put away their sin
And that command hasn’t changed.
Now they are under God’s hand of judgment,
Crying for deliverance, wondering why God won’t bring them home,
And God says: BECAUSE NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
It’s not that He can’t save, it’s that He won’t.
He can bring you home, He just doesn’t want to.
Your sin has offended Him and caused a separation from Him.
And can we just add this to our doctrine of sin?
It is referred to as: HAMARTIOLOGY (the doctrine of sin)
From John MacArthur:
“Sin creates enmity, a hostile situation between parties. Romans 5:10 says that before salvation in Christ, people are “enemies” of God. Unbelievers are “alienated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:18). Also, “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God” (Rom. 8:7). The responsibility for the enmity lies solely with man.”
(MacArthur, John; Mayhue, Richard; [Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary Of Biblical Truth; Crossway; Wheaton, IL; 2017] pg. 459)
That says it in a nutshell.
SIN CREATES ENMITY
It was one of the consequences of the Fall.
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
But it didn’t stop there.
Genesis 4:8 “Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”
And it didn’t stop there.
Genesis 3:22-24 “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”
There is a separation that occurs between man and God.
And even when God was willing to come and dwell with His people
He did so from behind a veil which no man could enter.
To dwell with God…
To walk with God…
Righteousness is required.
Sin wrecked that, and it wrecks it still.
These people of Israel are lost.
• They have sinned against God in every possible way.
• They have broken every commandment.
• And God refuses to dwell with them.
Consider the book of Ezekiel, which carries us through the events of God’s departure from Israel and the subsequent exile.
We don’t have time, but go read Ezekiel 8 sometime.
• Read about how everyone in Israel was worshiping false gods.
Read Ezekiel 9
• About how God promises to bring judgment as a result.
And then read Ezekiel 10
• When we see God on the move.
Ezekiel 10:4 “Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.”
God moved from the holy of holies to the door of the temple.
Ezekiel 10:18-19 “Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.”
God moved from the door of the temple to the gate of the city.
Ezekiel 11:22-23 “Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.”
God moved from the gate of the city to the mountain overlooking the city.
And then Babylon came in and destroyed the place.
SIN DID THAT.
• God was angry.
• There was enmity.
• He would no longer dwell among their sin.
• There was a separation.
Do you understand the devastating effects of sin in a life?
Those who are unredeemed are separated from God.
• There is enmity between them and God.
• There is no fellowship.
• It is terrible
• It is explanation for lostness and the coming judgment.
But, it is important that you also understand the difference
When one has been redeemed.
For we read regarding the saved:
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Scripture clearly teaches that
• Because of Christ’s atonement those who are in Christ can never be moved back again to that state of enmity.
• There can never again be a separation between God and man because we have been brought near in Christ and He is our peace.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
So we know that the statement made here in Isaiah 59
Is NOT directed at a redeemed person, but at a lost one.
There is no total or final separation when we are in Christ.
SO DOES SIN NOT AFFECT US WHEN WE ARE SAVED?
• Since we can never be separated…
• Since there is no longer any enmity…
• Since there is no condemnation…
Do we not have to concern ourselves with sin any more?
Can we just do whatever without any fear of repercussion?
How does a believer look at the consequences of sin?
Let me give you some verses to chew on.
Ephesians 4:29-30 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Clearly there are dealing with redeemed people
• Who have been “sealed for the day of redemption”,
• Meaning they cannot lose their salvation or be separated from God.
But Paul is also clear that if they dabble in sin
They can “grieve the Holy Spirit of God”
That is to say they can cause the fellowship to suffer.
There can be a hiccup in the relationship.
If I offend Carrie with my behavior, or if she offends me with her behavior, it is not going to end our marriage. We know that our marriage is secure, but it still might make the fellowship a little chilly until repentance occurs.
The 1689 London Baptist Confession gives a great statement here:
“17.3 “They may fall into serious sins through the temptations of Satan and the world, the power of corruption remaining in them, and neglect the means for their preservation, and may even continue in them for a time. In this they incur God’s displeasure, grieve His Holy Spirit, have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened and their consciences wounded, and hurt and offend others, and bring chastisement upon themselves. Yet they will [in time] renew their repentance and bed preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.”
While a believer cannot be separated from God or lose their salvation, they can lose the joy of their fellowship.
Assurance can be taken, and doubt and despair slip in.
Sin messes up the fellowship we enjoy with God.
Let me tell you another thing sin can do in the life of a believer.
IT CAN BRING PHYSICAL DEATH.
Remember the Corinthians and the Lord’s Supper?
1 Corinthians 11:29-30 “For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.”
Remember James warning the church?
James 1:15 “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Remember what John said?
1 John 5:16 “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.”
What we learn is that a believer can actually fall into sin,
And in their stubbornness God can actually decide
just to take their life to stop the sinning.
In such a case, death is actually God’s protective measure to keep you from going too far and falling away.
And my point is that even for the redeemed
Sin brings terrible consequences.
The only civil course of action is to repent of it and be reconciled to God.
A LOST PERSON
• Must confess their sins to God,
• They must repent of their corrupt thinking,
• They must humbly return to God for forgiveness and salvation through Christ.
A SAVED PERSON
• Must also confess their sins to God,
• They must also repent of their corrupt thinking
• They must humbly ask God for mercy and forgiveness and restoration of fellowship through Christ.
Sin kills relationships.
That is the point.
AND THIS TIME GOD WILL GET SPECIFIC
REGARDING THE SIN THAT HAS CAUSED THEIR SEPARATION.
READ 4-8
Do those 5 verses not strike us with a bit of familiarity?
They should.
We’ve read that statement of Paul in Romans 3 where he compiles several Old Testament texts to show us God’s view of humanity.
• It’s where we read that there is “none righteous, not even one”
• It’s where we read that “no one does good, not even one”
• In Romans 3:15-17 Paul actually quotes verses 7-8 here.
The idea is not lost on us here.
God is showing us the terrible sinfulness of humanity.
It is the terrible sinfulness of the unredeemed.
It also brings to my mind that other famous Old Testament passage:
Proverbs 6:16-19 “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.”
That is the type of passage we have here.
It is God elaborating on the offensive sin of humanity.
I think it will be easiest to see if we break them down into 3 points.
1) THEIR DISHONESTY (4)
“No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.”
What is the point here?
People will lie and cheat one another if it means they can get ahead.
We’ve read in 1 Corinthians and their attempt to defraud one another.
1 Corinthians 6:1 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?”
We had brothers in the church suing one another.
Paul concludes by saying:
1 Corinthians 6:8 “On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.”
That is the picture here.
God certainly ordained law courts and the legal and justice system,
But it was a system designed to produce justice
Not to distort justice in order get what you want.
But that is what God sees taking place.
They get a lawyer to use big words “they trust in confusion and speak likes; they conceive mischief”
You see the problem.
God sees a people that will use any means necessary
To cheat and take advantage of one another.
They are dishonest.
They are greedy.
They are corrupt.
And that is nothing like God.
And quite frankly He doesn’t want to live among them.
2) THEIR DEEDS (5-6)
“They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth. Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands.”
I will admit, I spent a great deal of time on these two verses
Trying to figure out exactly what God was saying here.
And I have come to the conclusion
that what God is addressing here is their failure to do any real ministry or to care for the poor.
In verse 5 He speaks of them hatching and weaving.
• Clearly the emphasis here is on food and clothing.
• You eat eggs and you weave clothing.
But there is a problem in what they are producing.
• The eggs they are hatching are poisonous
• The clothing they are weaving is the equivalent of a spider’s web.
He says in verse 5, “He who eats of their eggs dies,”
He says in verse 6 “Their webs will not become clothing”
It seems to me that the idea is that
They produce nothing of any value to anyone else.
To which God says, “Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands.”
So not only are they dishonest,
Dragging their neighbors into court to lawfully steal from them.
They also produce no benefit to their neighbor at all.
When they do feed their neighbor it is a poisonous egg,
When they do clothe their neighbor it is a useless web.
There is no brotherly love or care here.
And God does not want to live with people like that.
3) THEIR DIRECTION (7-8)
“Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.”
This is the verse directly quoted by Paul in Romans 3.
And the key words make it clear to us what the point is.
“feet” – “hasten” – “thoughts” – “highways” – “way” – “tracks” – “paths” – “treads”
God is referring to their direction.
• He is referring to the path they walk and the way they go.
• He is talking about the tracks they leave for others to follow.
And there is nothing good in any of it.
This is a culture that not only lies and steals and exploits the poor,
But also a culture that wants more,
And teaches others to do the same.
• They love evil.
• They love to shed innocent blood.
• They love iniquity, it’s all they think about.
• They love destruction.
• They care nothing for peace or justice.
And by their example they are leading others there too.
And God doesn’t want to dwell with people like that.
These are the very types of people
That caused Him to depart from His temple to begin with
And you can’t figure out why He won’t bring you home?
Imagine a tenant renting a room in your house.
• All night long he screams obscenities
• He paints up the walls
• He trashes the room
• He stashes drugs
• He brings in other guests to do the same
• He is vile in every sense of the word
SO YOU EVICT HIM.
Then 3 days later, he starts calling you, still in his same condition, with no hint of repentance and he starts leaving messages wanting to come home.
BUT YOU ARE IGNORING HIS CALL
• He says, “I humbled myself and called you, why can’t I come home?”
• He says, “What, can you not hear?”
• He says, “Are you unable to talk on the phone?”
The problem is he hasn’t changed and you have no desire to let him back into your house in that condition.
Do you understand then the problem here?
These people are sitting here wondering
Why God won’t hear their prayers for deliverance
And rescue them from Babylon and bring them home.
And God’s answer is:
IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU!
• You’ve still got the same bloody hands you had when I kicked you out.
• You’ve still got the same lying tongue you had when I kicked you out.
• You’ve still got the same wicked desires you had when I kicked you out.
Why would I let you come home like that?
What an important lesson again for us.
• Sin is absolutely destructive and God will not overlook it.
• If your relationship with God is to be restored, it will only be restored with repentance.
• If you will repent and if you will return, God will forgive and restore.
That forces an internal look for each of us.
How is my fellowship with God?
• Have I ever been reconciled through Christ or am I still at enmity with God?
• Even as a child of God, am I grieving Him and quenching the fellowship with Him that I could have?
• Is repentance in order?
• Is it time to humble myself before Him?
• Is it time to turn from my sin and beg His mercy?
If you want deliverance, if you want the salvation God speaks of,
This is a necessary requirement.
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
