The Strand Study Bible

ISAIAH 57:1

ISAIAH 57:21

1118

hope: thou hast found 7 the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? 12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee. 13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; 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; 14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; 8 I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a 9 contrite and hum- ble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always 10 wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. 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. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. 19 I create the fruit of the lips; 11 Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. 20 But 12 the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 13 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

1. I Ki 14:13 2. or, “the coming Babylonian captivity” 3. Note - This word ( enflaming ) means, “ arousing sexual desires ,” using idols. Ritual sex orgies and infant sacrifices ( slaying the children- II Ki 16:1-4 & II Chro 28:1-3) are two of the grossest aspects of primitive religion. 4. Lev 2 5. that is, “worshipped several gods at once” - 6. probably, “the king of Assyria” - II Ki 17:4 & Isa 30:1-5 & Hos 7:11 7. that is, “the life you wanted” 8. Psa 34:18 & Isa 66:2 Note - If humility is our attitude, God will stoop to be with us ( I dwell... with him ). 9. Psa 51:17 Note - Don’t fear brokenness ( contrite and humble spirit - Psa 34:18 & 51:17); like the egg, its true worth lies within (Isa 66:2).

Isaiah 57 As go the prophets, so go the people Date Written - c. 700 BC/AM 3300

1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, 1 none considering that the righteous is takenaway fromthe 2 evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. 3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, 5 3 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a 4 meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. 8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast 5 enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. 9 6 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. 10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no

10. Mic 7:18 11. Eph 2:17 12. Job 15:20-25 13. Isa 48:22

Isaiah 57 Subject Head The message concerning the false prophets at the end of Isaiah 56 (vs 9-12) is continued throughout this chapter. In Isaiah 57, Isaiah draws a contrast between the righteous who suffer here (vs 1), but enter peace (vs 2), and the unrighteous (vs 3-8) who shall suffer in the hereafter (hell – vs 9), where there is no peace (vs 20-21 and Mk 9:43 ). 57:1a Normally, death ( perisheth ) is an enemy (II Ki 20:1-3). I Corinthians 15:56 says, “ The sting of death is sin .” As a rule, death hurts. But Isaiah foresees a time of great suffering in Judah’s near future (probably under Manasseh’s reign – II Chro 33:1-9) that is far worse than death, so that death in essence becomes a gift, for in death the righteous at least find peace (vs 2). NOTE – The same will be true in the near future. Right before the Tribulation, which will be a time of unparalleled suffering (Jere 30:5-7, Dan 12:1, Mt 24:15-22 and Rev 6-19), the saved (righteous – Rom 10:1-4) will be taken out (Rev 4:1), so that leaving this earth in essence becomes a gift, for death is always preferred to suffering (Rev 9:1-6). 57:1b The death of an unusual number of righteous people during the reign of Manasseh (II Ki 21:16), including Isaiah himself, was supposed to send a message to those still living that something was not right. However, that memo would not be understood ( and no man layeth it to heart ). NOTE – The same will be true in the near future. The rapture of an unusual number of righteous people right before the Tribulation (I Thess 4:13-17) is supposed to send a message to those still living that something is not right. However, that memo will not be understood either ( none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come ).