ISAIAH LESSON 68


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 59:1 "Behold, the LORD'S hand
is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it
cannot hear:"

     God is always available and fully capable of helping His people.
God never moves away from His people, they move away from Him. He
hears and answers prayers, but as we learned in the last lesson, the
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. This is
saying if we, or these of the house of Jacob, are not living right,
God might answer no to our request.

     Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and
your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not
hear."

     We understand fully that God will not force Himself on them. They
have separated themselves away from God by the evil in their lives God
loves them, even when they are living in sin, but He will not reward
them for sinning.

     Isaiah 59:3 "For your hands are defiled with blood, and your
fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath
muttered perverseness."

     Now, we begin to see exactly what their sins are. Their hands
being defiled with blood, is speaking of their viciousness. They even
sacrificed their children to Molech. Some people are likening the
abortions today to the sacrificing of children to Molech. Children are
a gift from God. Their fingers with iniquity means their work is
sinful. They tell lies. Since God is Truth, you can see the error in
this. "Perverseness", in this, has to do with immorality.

     Isaiah 59:4 "None calleth for justice, nor [any] pleadeth for
truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief,
and bring forth iniquity."

     It seems this is speaking of false testimony that is given in
trials.  They are puffed up with pride and will do, or say, anything
to save face. They will tell a lie, if it will sway the decision to
them. It seems their hearts and minds are stayed on evil. Conceive
means they manufacture it within themselves. They are evil all the way
through. Their evil thoughts become evil deeds, as they act upon them.

     Isaiah 59:5 "They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's
web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed
breaketh out into a viper."

     This, again, is speaking of the evil imaginations they hatch in
their evil minds. They tell one lie upon another to catch a person in
their evil web. Those who associate with them become just as evil as
they are. They are so evil, they are like the serpent that deceived
Eve. This serpent is symbolic of Satan himself.

     Isaiah 59:6 "Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall
they cover themselves with their works: their works [are] works of
iniquity, and the act of violence [is] in their hands."

     They are not weaving material for garments to help someone. They
are weaving to trap someone who is unaware, like a spider would. Their
works help no one at all. They are works that are useless. We have
seen in our society in recent years, that acts of iniquity and
violence destroy, they do not build.

     Isaiah 59:7 "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed
innocent blood: their thoughts [are] thoughts of iniquity; wasting and
destruction [are] in their paths."

     They will do anything to benefit themselves, even to killing.
They are not seeking a way to make an honest living, they are trying
to take shortcuts. They had rather do evil than good. Their minds are
so twisted, they would not do good, even if it were easier. They rush
into sin at every chance. They are not part of the solution to the
problems. They are the problem.

     Isaiah 59:8 "The way of peace they know not; and [there is] no
judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever
goeth therein shall not know peace."

     They do not know God, and they cannot know peace. True peace
comes from God. There are two paths you can take in this life. The
godly take the straight and narrow path which leads to God. The
ungodly wander around on the broad road. Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at
the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"
Matthew 7:14  "Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  There is no
peace for those on this broad road, because this life is all they
have. They will not inherit heaven.

     Isaiah 59:9  "Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth
justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for
brightness, [but] we walk in darkness."

     This is a confession of their unsaved condition. John 11:10 "But
if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in
him." Jesus says walk in the Light. John 8:12  "Then spake Jesus again
unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The
secret to all of this, is repenting and coming to God, so that the
Light will guide you.

     Isaiah 59:10 "We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope
as if [we had] no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; [we
are] in desolate places as dead [men]."

     They have eyes to see, but they do not see. Their sin has blinded
them. Their spirit is dead.

     Isaiah 59:11 "We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves:
we look for judgment, but [there is] none; for salvation, [but] it is
far off from us."

     They are in desperate need of a Saviour. God could not wait until
they, or we, deserved to be saved, because they could not pull
themselves out of the darkness. God sent His Son to bring the Light to
the world, so that whosoever would could be saved. When the Light of
Jesus shines in your life, it does away with all darkness. They just
need Jesus, their Messiah to come and awaken them.

     Isaiah 59:12 "For our transgressions are multiplied before thee,
and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions [are] with us;
and [as for] our iniquities, we know them;"

     Even if they did sacrifice for their sin, it was covered and
hidden for a year by the blood of an animal. The blood of an animal
could not clear their consciences. Their sins were still there. It
took the precious blood of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living
God to abolish sin. He defeated sin on the cross at Calvary. The only
solution for them, or us, is to accept Jesus as our Substitute for our
sin, be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and be free from sin.

     Isaiah 59:13 "In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and
departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood."

     The heart of the carnal man is desperately wicked. The mouth
speaks whatever is in the heart. Before a man is saved, his language
is x-rated. Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his
heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the
evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of
the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

     Isaiah 59:14 "And judgment is turned away backward, and justice
standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity
cannot enter."

     This is just saying, with evil men there is no justice. They lie
and cheat to get whatever they want. There is no such thing as a fair
trial, when you have evil witnesses.

     Isaiah 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."

     Those, who are living evil lives, try to destroy anyone who tries
to break away and do right. One of the reasons for this, is because
the evil ones are afraid their evil ways will be found out. God helps
those who try to break away from evil. God will fight on your behalf,
if you make a stand for God.
     Isaiah 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."

     Not any man came forward to try to straighten this out. We do not
know why, but perhaps from fear, no one stepped forward to work for
God in this matter. God had sent judges, and prophets, but the evil
ones had killed them. There was no man who would do this, so there had
to be the Arm of God to be the Saviour. Jesus Christ is the Arm of
God. He is the Saviour. Jesus was not a man, but was housed in the
flesh of man for His stay upon the earth. He not only had
righteousness, He was Righteousness.

     Isaiah 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."

     Jesus did not need armour like the kings wore in battle. His
armour for His breast was righteousness. He is the Head of the church.
He brought salvation to all who would believe. He is the Head, the
believers in Christ make up the body. The only weapon He used was the
two-edged sword, which is the Word of God. His sword came from His
mouth. The Bible says that vengeance belongs to God. He will repay. He
worked tirelessly, so that all who would believe would be saved. He
worked 6 hours on the cross to complete His work on the earth. When
the six hours were over, He said, It is finished.

     Isaiah 59:18 "According to [their] deeds, accordingly he will
repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the
islands he will repay recompence."

     Jesus is the righteous Judge of all the world. God's fury is
reserved for those who totally reject Him. Recompense, in this verse,
means make amends. We do not save ourselves. It is by the grace of
God, we are saved. He saves us, even though we do not deserve to be
saved.

     Isaiah 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."

     Fear, in the verse above, could be thought of as reverence to
God.  The Gentile world will depend on the name of Jesus to save them.
This just means when the great armies of the world come against the
believers, Jesus will raise a standard against Satan and the world.
The Spirit of the Lord is greater than anything the world, or Satan,
can bring. Jesus won the victory over Satan, and over sin, on the
cross of Calvary. All we Christians have to do is believe in Jesus and
His resurrection, and tell everyone we see.

     Isaiah 59:20  "And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them
that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD."

     Salvation through Jesus Christ is available to both Jew and
Gentile. Zion is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ here. Romans 3:30
"Seeing [it is] one God, which shall justify the circumcision by
faith, and uncircumcision through faith.".

     Isaiah 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."

     This is that everlasting covenant that God made with man.
Galatians 3:16 "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He
saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed,
which is Christ." You see in Christ we inherit the promises both Jew
and Gentile. Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."   We are to take
no thought what we are to say. God will fill us with the correct thing
to say, as we need it. He is with us, and in us. Colossians 1:27 "To
whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory:"
































                          Isaiah 68 Questions


1.  Quote Isaiah chapter 59 verse 1.
2.  What does this mean to us?
3.  Whose prayers availeth much?
4.  What has separated them from God in verse 2?
5.  God loves them, but He will not reward them for ____________.
6.  Their hands are defiled with what?
7.  Their tongue had muttered __________________.
8.  What was a terrible way they had shed blood?
9.  What is "perverseness" in this Scripture?
10. What is verse 4 speaking of?
11. Describe what verse 5 is really saying.
12. The serpent is symbolic of __________.
13. Why are they weaving, if not to make a garment?
14. Just how far will they go with their evil?
15. They are not a solution to the problems, they are the __________.
16. Where does true peace come from?
17. Quote Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 and 14.
18. Verse 9 is a confession to what?
19. Quote John chapter 11 verse 10.
20. Who is the Light of the world?
21. They have eyes to see, but they do not ______.
22. What happens when the Light of Jesus shines in your life?
23. What is the only solution for them or us?
24. He that departeth from evil maketh himself a _________.
25. What man could straighten this out?
26. God had sent whom, that they killed?
27. What was the armour Jesus wore?
28. Fear, in verse 19, could be what?
29. Who raises a standard against Satan for the believer?
30. What is Zion in verse 20?
31. Quote Romans chapter 3 verse 30.
32. What does verse 21 say God's covenant with us is?
33. Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 16.
34. Quote Colossians chapter 1 verse 27.
35. If ye be Christ's, then are ye _____________ seed.