Isaiah 59
THE early verses of chapter 58 exposed the sham, the pretense of the seemingly pious, but in this chapter we have an accurate picture of man, even of the favored few. From it the Holy Spirit has copied into Romans 3, that other and fuller God-given portrait of man which shows the human race as He sees it apart from a work of grace in the soul.
Jehovah's hand is riot shortened, nor is His ear heavy; sin has caused a separation between. Israel, indeed between all mankind, and Himself (verses 1, 2). The only true and acceptable ground of approach for a sinner to God is the confession of his guilt, and turning away from his sins will inevitably accompany it.
Prayers in our day that set aside the truth of Scripture as to man's being a sinner, and God's costly provision for meeting the sinner's need—the precious, atoning blood of Christ, however eloquent and reverend in style they may be, cannot reach God's ear,
The description of man given in verses 3 to 8 is what no human biographer ever originated. Hands, fingers, lips, tongues, feet, thoughts, principles of action, works and ways are all viewed by the all-seeing eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.
In verses 9 to 15 the Holy Spirit guides some into confession that makes no reservations. The case is hopeless,—except for God!
What follows is not the cross of Christ, nor the gospel which we have believed (if we are saved); it is the return of the Lord Jesus this world to set up His kindgom. Before that manifestation to the world, He will have caught away to heaven the heavenly saints much as Enoch was taken away without dying before the flood, through which Noah and his family were safely borne (Gen. 5:24;:13- 8:1924And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:24)).
How different, as we have before noted, the coming of the Lord for His heavenly saints, will be from His coming with His saints! 1 Thess. 4 gives the one; and a number of prophetic scriptures, the passage before us in Isa. 59 among them, describe the other. One will be unknown to the world; the other will be seen and felt by the world.
By widespread, unsparing judgment, and not by the preaching of the gospel, will the promised kingdom be established on earth. The believers in Israel's land will be delivered when at extremity due to the devil's determination to destroy the name of Christ from the earth.
Gentiles, who will have believed the gospel of the kingdom preached by Jewish witnesses, will be saved; so also will some of the Israelites included in the lost 10 tribes, Of these things the closing verses of the chapter briefly treat. Salvation then granted will be eternal, as the last verse shows.
But how solemn this coming of the Lord Jesus—now to be accepted as Saviour, but if this be neglected, then to be met as Judge both of the living and the dead—in view of the description of men which verses 3 to 8 afford.
Messages of God’s Love 5/13/1934