Isaiah 59:1-21 – Victory Over Sin

Read Isaiah 59:1-21

Do you ever feel like God isn’t listening? It seems the Israelites had a similar experience. They were questioning God. You can almost hear the “whining,” can’t you?  Isaiah needed to set the record straight. “Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.” Our sinfulness does separate us from God.

As followers of Christ, we know what Christ did on our behalf. He endured so much so he could forgive our sins. Does that mean we won’t sin now? Unfortunately, no. Though we still sin, our relationship with God is restored by God’s gracious, undeserved love. We are forgiven sinners, justified by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Isaiah is quick to point out all the ways people shut themselves off from God. Their lives are full of sinfulness. “They don’t know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good.” Does that mean us, too? It’s hard for us to imagine that. We know where to find peace. And, we have a pretty good idea what the difference is between good and evil. Having this knowledge doesn’t always mean we’ll succeed at being good.

I thought this image was especially powerful. “We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark.” Do you ever feel totally lost? I remember playing hide and seek in the dark as a child. Until our eyes get accustomed to the dark, we feel nearly blind. Imagine not knowing right from wrong or where to find peace! It’s like staying the dark forever and never getting acclimated.

What did God do? “So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.” He sent Jesus. Even God came prepared with armor of righteousness, a helmet of salvation, a robe of vengeance, and a cloak of divine passion. He was armed for the battle with sin. “He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.” The victory over sin and death belongs to the Lord!

“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,” says the Lord. You can cling to that promise! But there is action required. Turn from your sins. Repent. You can see where John the Baptist got the content for his sermons! His job was to get people ready for the Redeemer who was coming. The people had been waiting for this Redeemer for a long time.

We live in a time much later than Isaiah’s original audience. We also know that the Redeemer does eventually come, just as is promised here. Now we are the ones who wait. We wait for Jesus to return. It’s hard to wait. Many are still caught in the pattern of sinfulness. Others of us are trying to grow closer to God each day. We want to become more and more like Jesus. I know it’s how I find my peace and joy.

I love how we hear about the “new” covenant all the way back here in Isaiah. “’And this is my covenant with them,’ says the Lord. ‘My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!’” Jesus ushered in the new covenant. We are those blessed to be the benefactors of receiving this Spirit.

How does it feel to know God was planning our rescue mission so many years ago? Take some time today to reflect on your own sinful behaviors. Are you feeling separated from God?

Let’s pray … Lord, thank you for meeting me where I am. I feel stuck in a pattern of sameness, Lord. Help me to feel refreshed and ready to serve you. Thank you for forgiving my sins and what you endured for me. Help me see clearly the right choices I should be making to be truly in your will for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.