Day 351: Isaiah 59- Repentance And Redemption

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 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. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. 4 No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. 5 They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web;
he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.

6 Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. 8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked;  no one who treads on them knows peace. 9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

11 We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us,  and we know our iniquities: 13 transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
Judgment and Redemption14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. 17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. 18 According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment.19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives. 20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

​Meditation
How would your spouse or best friend grade you on the authenticity of your repentance?  Without authentic repentance we will not experience the depth of redemption. Good news: The Lord brings salvation and invites us to return to Him!
 
Our sins make a separation between us and God (2). The word for sin, iniquity, is used to describe the works of our hands (3), the emptiness of our actions (4), the direction of our deeds (6), and even our thoughts (7). Will we repent?
 
Verses 9-15 are a corporate lament. The people “know” their iniquities (12) and acknowledge the lack of justice in their lives (9, 11, 14). Blind eyes see transgression (12), lacking truth (15) and hard hearts want to turn back to the Lord.  Is there hope?
 
The Lord sees the sin and repentance (15, 16). The Lord saves (16-20). The Lord brings salvation for those who repent and judgment for those who do not. The Lord offers gifts of grace: a Redeemer (20), His Spirit (21), and His everlasting word (22) to those who return to His steadfast love.
 
Our sin causes separation between us and God. God’s salvation bridges the gap because the death of Christ covers our sin. Jesus is the ultimate Redeemer, salvation for all who believe. Authentic repentance will deepen our experience of redemption.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What does your repentance look like, is it genuine or flippant? Why are you hesitant to learn to repent?
 
- How does security in the covenant love of God strengthen you to grow in repentance?
 
-What do you need to repent of now- to turn from and return to God with all your heart, trusting Him alone for salvation and forgiveness? Come to your senses and return to your Father.
 
Key Verse
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.