Isaiah 59 – Part 2

Isa 59:15 – “Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.”

It certainly seems as though this is a time in which “truth faileth”. Those that depart from evil are prey to….well….pretty much everyone preys upon those who take a stand for righteousness. (i.e. Chick-fil-A, Catholic church, Tea Party, etc.)

“…it displeased him that there was no judgement.” I’m still trying to figure that one out. Perhaps the righteous people were not receiving justice? Or maybe they were not practicing good judgement? Any ideas?

Isa 59:16 – “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.”

This seems to me to say that God was looking for an intercessor among the human race. A go-between to accomplish the salvation that he longed to bring. But none was found.

But then what? He accomplished it for himself! Christ, it would seem, was the “arm that brought salvation”! It was the righteousness of Jesus, indeed being the righteousness of God himself, that sustained (or you could say appeased) God’s holy wrath.

What a thought! A pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, with his Father, looking down from heaven upon the whole span of time. Observing this wretched earth, full of sin and in desperate need of salvation, he seeks a person to “intercede” on behalf of the humans he loves so dearly. Finding no one to get the job done, the Lord himself takes the task in hand. He accomplishes salvation for mankind on his own! Simply because he loved us and could not bear to have us separated from him.

HAHA! “If you need a job done right…do it yourself!”

Isa 59:17 – “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”

Righteousness was his breastplate, and salvation was his helmet. (Remind you of a passage from Ephesians 6?) And vengeance and zeal? This was a powerful, mighty God, come down to visit judgement upon his enemies and salvation upon his children. We forget that one day, the Lord will bring vengeance. He will zealously “balance the books” and bring righteous, holy condemnation upon evil-doers.

They are right to fear him.

Isa 59:18 – “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.”

I’m not sure what the islands did to deserve judgement, but it must have been bad. 😮 On a serious note, not even water will be a protection from his wrath. You cannot go anywhere to get away.

Isa 59:19 – “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

The enemy cannot succeed friends! No matter how mighty his forces, how overpowering his strength, how pressing his advance…in the end…. he loses. The victory of our King, OUR own victory, is assured. It is as certain as the fact that the soul of man is eternal, or that the God of Heaven rules in the affairs of men and angels!

Isa 59:20 – “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.”

Oh what blessedness to know that such horrible judgement and wrath can be avoided. We need only turn from our transgressions! The evil-doers can become the wholly-saved.

This prophecy from Isaiah’s mouth says “the Redeemer shall come to Zion.” In our time now, 2012, it is wonderful to be able to emphatically state… the Redeemer HAS come to Zion! Salvation has been accomplished, and our redemption has finally come! Jesus came so many years ago, but his work is still effective today and brings many lost souls to peace and freedom every day. Eternal peace and freedom!

Isa 59:21 – “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.”

These truths are eternal, and shall be passed on from generation to generation. No span of time shall be able to quench the fire of the Kingdom! It’s light shall never go out, and the “words of the covenant” and the “spirit of the Lord” shall be passed on from generation to generation, for all time.

How is our generation doing? Are we carrying that torch well? Are we spreading the Kingdom message? In this generation today, what side are you on? Will you turn from your transgressions and stand with the Lord? Will you trust in HIM, depending upon HIS salvation to save you? Or will you trust your own efforts, try to be more good than you are bad, and be one of the many that the Lord will judge?