Isaiah 57 ✒️ No Peace for the Wicked

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Isaiah 57 ✒️ No Peace for the Wicked

May 19, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

3But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4Against 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.

5Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

6Among 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 meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

7Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8Behind 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 enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

9And 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.

10Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

11And 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?

12I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

13When 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;

14And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

17For 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.

18I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

19I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Isaiah

Date Penned: (700-681 BC)

Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66)

Theme: Words of Comfort (c 40-66)

Message: The Godly Shall Rest in Peace (v 1-21)

Isaiah 57 Commentary

(57:1-2) Trusting in God - When good people die before they have lived full lives, we may wonder, Why? Does God even care? Those who trust in God through faith in Jesus the Messiah have assurance of eternal life with him. They are the ones who can rest in peace. God knows every person by name and every life situation. Sometimes he allows death to come as a protection from something worse; sometimes he asks the faithful to walk through great adversity before they die. But no death is meaningless in his eyes.

(57:7-8) Loving the Lord - God intends for marriage to be an exclusive relationship in which a man and a woman become one. Adultery breaks this beautiful bond of unity. When the people turned from God and gave their love to idols, God said they were committing spiritual adultery--breaking their exclusive commitment to God. How could people give their love to worthless wood and stone idols instead of to the God who made them and loved them?

(57:9) Molech - "The king" may be a reference to Molech, an Ammonite god whose worship included child sacrifice.

(57:12) Good Deeds - God said he would expose the people's good deeds for what they really were--mere pretensions of doing good. Isaiah warned these people that all their righteousness and works would not save them any more than their weak, worthless idols would. We cannot gain our salvation through good deeds, because even our best deeds are not good enough to outweigh our sins. Salvation is a gift from God, received only through faith in Christ--not good works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

(57:14-21) God's Restoration - Isaiah 57:1-13 speaks of pride and lust; 57:14-21 tells how God restores people who are humble and repentant (contrite). When we come to him to repent, we may feel shame or embarrassment, and our spirits may be crushed. God starts the restoration at exactly the point when we return to him. He gives us new courage and removes our shame. The high and holy God has come down to our level to save us because it is impossible for us to go up to his level to save ourselves (see 2 Chronicles 6:18; Psalm 51:1-7; Philippians 2)-

(57:21) No Peace for the Wicked - This is the second time in Isaiah that the Lord says that the wicked can have no peace (see also 48:22). Both instances are about those who have refused God's mercy. Those who reject God will not find peace in this life. Without a relationship with God, they will search their whole lives to find inner peace but will not achieve it. How do we find true peace? By giving all our worries to God in prayer and trusting him to care for us (Philippians 4:6-7).

LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 57. Our text today shows that the Godly shall rest in peace, but the wicked are like a troubled sea. In making an application, we see that living Godly has its benefits as it brings peace to our lives. Our motivation for Godly living should be obedience. Still, as we serve the Lord, we see Him responding to us in a blessing of peace. How about you? Do you have peace in your life? Let us learn from our text today and the prophecy of Isaiah that the Godly shall live in peace, but there is no peace for the wicked.

Isaiah 66 ✒️ A Choice

May 28, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. 4I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. 5Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. 6A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies. 7Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. 10Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: 11That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. 15For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. 17They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. 18For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. 19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. 21And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. 22For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Isaiah Date Penned: (700-681 BC) Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66) Theme: Words of Comfort (c 40-66) Message: The World will see God's Goodness (v 1-24) Isaiah 66 Commentary (66:1) Even the beautiful temple in Jerusalem was woefully inadequate for the God who created everything and is present everywhere. God cannot be confined to any human structure (see 2 Chronicles 6:18; Acts 7:48-50). This chapter is a fitting climax to the book of Isaiah. God will lift up the humble, judge all people, destroy the wicked, bring all believers together, and establish the new heavens and new earth. Let the hope of this encourage you each day. (66:2-3) Humility - These key verses summarize Isaiah's message. He contrasted two ways of living: that of humble persons who have a profound reverence for God's messages and their application to life, and that of those who choose their own way. The sacrifices of the arrogant were only external compliance. In their hearts, these people were murderers, perverts, and idolaters. God shows mercy to the humble, but he brings down the proud and self-sufficient (see Luke 1:51-53). Our society urges us to be assertive and to affirm ourselves, but don't let your freedom and right to choose lead you away from God's pathway to eternal life. (66:7-9) Unstoppable - God will not leave his work of national restoration unfinished. In this image of childbirth, God shows that he will accomplish what he has promised quickly. It will be as unstoppable as the birth of a baby. And this time, the birth will happen so fast that it will skip the birth pains. Jerusalem will be quickly reinhabited, and the rejoicing will follow. (66:15-17) The Second Coming - This is a vivid picture of the great judgment that will occur at Christ's second coming (2 Thessalonians 1:7=9). In the Bible, smoke and fire often represent God. His fire will ultimately punish and purify the world. (See the note on Isaiah 30:27.) (66:19) Missionaries - God's people have, in fact, gone out as missionaries to all parts of the earth--to Tarshish (Spain), to the Libyans in northern Africa (Pul), to the Lydians (Lud) in western Asia Minor, to northeastern Asia Minor (Tubal), and to Greece (Javan). (66:22-24) Faithful - Isaiah brings his book to a close with great drama. For the faithless, he presents a sobering portrayal of judgment. For the faithful, he paints a glorious picture of their rich reward: Through him, God says, "So shall your seed and your name remain." The contrast is so striking that we would think everyone would want to be God's follower. But we are often just as rebellious, foolish, and reluctant to change as the Israelites were. We are just as negligent in feeding the hungry, working for justice, obeying God's Word, and taking up his causes. Make sure you are among those who will be richly blessed. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 66. In our text today, the world will see God's goodness as Isaiah ends. In this chapter, Isaiah summarizes how we can choose God and apply His Word to our lives versus living for ourselves. In making an application, we see we still have a choice and free will to choose or reject Christ. In doing so, we will suffer the consequences now and for eternity. Regardless of our choice, we will bow our knees and confess that Jesus is Lord before we enter our eternal choice. How about you? What choice have you made? Let us learn from our text today and the book of Isaiah to remember that we have a choice. If we choose Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven, and we will have an eternal home in Heaven.

Isaiah 65 ✒️ Just Passing Through

May 27, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. 2I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; 3A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; 4Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 5Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. 6Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, 7Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. 8Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all. 9And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. 10And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. 11But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. 12Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. 13Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: 14Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. 15And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: 16That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. 17For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Isaiah Date Penned: (700-681 BC) Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66) Theme: Words of Comfort (c 40-66) Message: The New Heavens and the New Earth (v 1-25) Isaiah 65 Commentary (65:1) A Gospel for All - The Israelites considered themselves to be the only people of God, but the time would come when other nations would seek him. Paul mentions Isaiah's statement in Romans 10:20 and points out that these other nations were the Gentiles. God's people today are those who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The gospel is for every person. Do not ignore or reject anyone when it comes to sharing the gospel. You may be surprised at how many people who are different from you are sincerely searching for God. (65:3:5) Hypocrites - God said these people directly disobeyed his laws when they worshiped and sacrificed to idols (Exodus 20:1-6), consulted the dead and evil spirits (Leviticus 19:31), and ate forbidden foods (Leviticus 11). But they were so perverse that they still thought they were spiritually superior to everyone else. Jesus called such people hypocrites (Matthew 23:13-39). (65:6) Judgement - God said he would pay back the people for their sins. Judgment is not our job but God's because he alone is just. Who else knows our hearts and minds? Who else knows what is a completely fair reward or punishment? Leave judgment of others up to God. If he were to give us what we deserve, he would wipe us out. Instead, pray for his mercy. (65:8-9) A Faithful Remnant - God will always preserve a faithful remnant of his people. No matter how bad the world is, there will always be some who remain loyal to him and call him Father. Jesus made this point in Matthew 13:36-43- (65:10) The Valley of Achor - Sharon is a plain in the western part of Israel. The valley of Achor is in the east, near Jericho. The valley of Achor was also called the Valley of Trouble because Achan was executed there for hiding goods he had taken during battle, which had been set apart for the Lord (Joshua 7:10-26). Even in this troubled valley, peace will come. Restoration will be complete. (65:11-12) Fortune and Destiny - Some people today seem to be worshiping these same gods of Troop and Number (Fortune and Destiny). They deny that God deeply cares for all people, wants to have a relationship with each of them, and wants to guide their lives. These people believe their futures are controlled by some capricious, impersonal force. Often, they have given up on leading moral lives because they believe doing so doesn't matter. When you talk to someone like this, show the personal, loving way Jesus worked with people and the rich plan he offers (John 10:10). (65:17-25) A New Heaven and New Earth - Here is a pictorial description of the new heavens and new earth. They are eternal, and in them safety, peace, and plenty will be available to all (see also 66:22-23; 2 Peter 313; Revelation 21:1). The peaceful descriptions in Isaiah 65:25 show us that animals will no longer fear predators. The reference to snakes eating dust represents the final destruction of all evil. This passage is about the future reign of Jesus on earth, when sin and death will have finally been destroyed. Eternal life in this place is the great reward for all who believe in him. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 65. In our text today, we see the new heavens and earth, reminding us that we are just passing through this world where we live. Our lives are a vapor as we are here today and gone tomorrow. In applying, we see the importance of doing His Work and His Will by sharing the Gospel with those we come in contact with daily. How about you? Do you Share the Gospel? Let us learn from our text today and the words of Isaiah to remember that life is just a vapor. We must take advantage of the time we are given to share the Gospel with all we come in contact with.

Isaiah 64 ✒️ The Potter and The Clay

May 26, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, 2As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! 3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. 4For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 5Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. 6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 9Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 10Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. 12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore? COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Isaiah Date Penned: (700-681 BC) Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66) Theme: Words of Comfort (c 40-66) Message: The Lord is the Potter (v 1-12) Isaiah 64 Commentary (64:1-6) God's Mercy - God's appearance is so intense that it is like a consuming fire that burns everything in its path. If we are impure, how can we be saved? Only by God's mercy. The Israelites had experienced God's presence at Mount Sinai. When God met with Moses, there was a thunderstorm, smoke, and an earthquake (Exodus 19:16-19). If God were to meet us today, his glory would overwhelm us, especially when we look at our "filthy rags." (64:6) A Hope in Jesus Christ - Sin makes us unclean so that we cannot approach God any more than a person in filthy rags could dine at a king's table (see 6:5; Romans 3:23). Our best efforts are still infected with sin. Our only hope, therefore, is faith in Jesus Christ, who can cleanse us and bring us into God's presence (Romans 3). (See the notes on Titus 2:14; 3:4-8; Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:21-22 on how we are cleansed today.) This passage can easily be misunderstood. It doesn't mean that God will reject us if we come to him in faith, nor that he despises our efforts to please him. It means that if we come to him demanding acceptance on the basis of our "good" conduct, God will point out that our righteousness is but filthy rags compared to his infinite righteousness. This message is primarily for the unrepentant person, not the true follower of God. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 64. In our text today, we see the Lord is the Potter, and we are the Clay. In applying, we see that the Lord shapes us and molds us with situations and circumstances in our lives. Today, we see that the Lord is still working on us no matter what stage of Christianity we are in. The Potter knows how much pressure and water are needed to mold us into vessels of honor fit for the master's use. How about you? Do you see the Lord working in your life? Let us learn from our text today with the example of the Lord being the Potter and we are the Clay to remember that the Lord is working on us with the situations and circumstances of our lives.