9 All you beasts of the field, come to devour—
all you beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind;
they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent dogs;
they cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
loving to slumber.
11 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.
12 “ Come,” they say, “let me get wine;
let us fill ourselves with strong drink;
and tomorrow will be like this day,
great beyond measure.”
57 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;
2 he enters into peace;
they rest in their beds
who walk in their uprightness.
3 But you, draw near,
sons of the sorceress,
offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
4 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,
5 you who burn with lust among the oaks,1
under every green tree,
who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6 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?
7 On a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
8 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.2
9 You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far off,
and sent down even to Sheol.
10 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.3
11 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?
12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not profit you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them all off,
a breath will take them away.
But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and shall inherit my holy mountain.
14 And it shall be said,
“ Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19 creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
“ and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Section Overview: Two Contrasting Lifestyles
Isaiah is a master of contrast: true and false Zion (chs. 2–4), the world city and the holy city (chs. 24–25), Edom and Zion (chs. 34–35). This section is another such example, as the vision of 56:1–8 transitions into the reality of bad leadership. Within the section itself are a number of sharp distinctions between those who seek self-gratification and those who turn in repentance to the Lord.
There are four main topics in the passage. As in chapter 1, the rot is traced to bad leadership (56:9–12). The watchmen are idle; the shepherds feed themselves. The language here is vivid and violent—this is a wake-up call for any who will heed it.
By contrast 57:1–2 speaks of the true peace of those who are taken away from the evil times and enter rest. Yet this is linked to the previous verses, for the atrocious leadership has so blinded people that they are incapable of discerning the reality of what is transpiring.
Another consequence of failure of leadership is the proliferation of false religion (57:3–13). This is marked by debauchery and cruelty as well as blatant flaunting of idolatrous practices. As in 1 Kings 11 and Ezekiel 16 there is a parallel here between adultery and apostasy; apostasy is not simply believing the wrong things but being false to the true Lover.
In spite of all this, there is a way back (Isa. 57:14–21), which God himself has made. His judgment was just, but his anger is brief, while his love endures forever. However, there must be a genuine repentance, without which there can be no peace. Unlike the just of verses 1–2, those who fail to repent will have no peace in either this world or the world to come.
Section Outline
V. Looking to the New Creation (56:1–66:24) . . .
B. Two Contrasting Lifestyles (56:9–57:21)
1. Shepherds Who Feed Themselves (56:9–12)
2. True Peace (57:1–2)
3. False Religion (57:3–13)
4. A Way Back to God (57:14–21)
Response
This section has again outlined the consequences of choices made and the importance of godly thinking and lifestyles, and it does this by a vivid series of contrasts. It is easy to slip into sloppy thinking and careless living and thus avoid the challenge of God’s Word.
The importance of good leadership is shown by the caricature of bad leaders in 56:9–12. Hyperbole is used to make the point as forcefully as possible. It is easy to distance ourselves from such a passage, but we know that within each of us is the temptation to look after ourselves, neglect our responsibilities, and love the world. Such strong language as used here is an alarm call.
A true biblical understanding of death is underlined in 57:1–2. We sometimes say that we are glad that someone did not live to see some trial in family or church life; the Lord took them away to avoid such sorrow. Yet it is hard for us to face the reality of our own mortality and to “get a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). The prophet sees beyond the grave (already, Isa. 25:6–8; later, 65:17–25).
The danger of superficial and self-indulgent religion is developed in 57:3–13. Again, we must be careful not to apply this only to others. Often in evangelicalism we opt for what is comfortable and easy rather than for the Word of God in all its fullness. We look to be happy rather than holy, to be fulfilled rather than disciples. We do not fear the Lord or tremble at his Word.
There is a road to travel (57:14–21) that leads to peace, but to walk that way requires a recognition of the holiness of God and our sinfulness. We are small and God is great; we are mortal and God is eternal. We need the experience of Isaiah himself in chapter 6. That road leads us back to God.Isaiah 56:9–57:21
Isaiah 58