The LORD Sees - Isaiah 59

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Many people are in need of the LORD, going through difficult times and yet they are not sure that he hears their needs. Distractions come, thoughts bring people to the past, or a sense of being alone with their problems. The LORD knows, he wants to save you; he hears but something is in the way. He sees the sins of the people.

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

The LORD is speaking to His people in Judah. Their iniquities have separated them from their LORD. They wanted to sin and do evil and had thoughts to continue in this way. They were not innocent; they shed innocent blood, like David when he had Uriah killed, the husband of Bathsheba. I am thinking that when we speak evil to destroy another person, we are killing them spiritually. Such evils as envy and jealousy, can destroy . The high priests and elders had innocent Jesus killed, for envy.

Mat 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

Iniquity, lies, evil words; these are the fruit of unrighteousness. Isaiah continues to speak of their evil ways. All were guilty, none were righteous.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Isa 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.

These were all evil. What is the opposite of these things? The righteous in Christ Jesus Love justice and truth; they trust in God, they speak the truth, goodness, and bring forth good works.

Isa 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.
Isa 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.
Isa 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 are lost in sin. I can only imagine that our own nation, whose leaders have officially denied Jesus Christ; the result will be to fall into the description here spoken of. A cockatrice is a poisonous snake. Satan is described as a snake and his works are described above. The end result of this is death and destruction. The fruit of evil only brings forth more evil and destruction.

Isa 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.

The result is that they have no peace, their path is crooked: they cannot find peace in all that they do and the way they go.

Isa 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.
Isa 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.
Isa 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 lost in their sins, unable to find anything good. Sin has separated them from God's help.

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

The LORD saw that there was no man as intercessor. The lost need an intercessor, for they cannot help themselves.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Our own land needs intercessors. We are the intercessors. If not, the LORD must judge.

Ezek 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Ezek 22:31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

The LORD saw that the lost of Israel needed an intercessor, so he would be the intercessor, through his Son, his arm, brought salvation to them and his righteousness sustained them. God supplied the needed truth, justice, and righteousness that they could not find on their own.

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.

The Lord put on the spiritual weapons, showing us that he wore them first as he tells us to put them on in Ephesians 6:13-18.

Vengeance is not for us to do, but it is of the LORD. Why? Because we are guilty of sin, but are forgiven. We are to forgive as we were forgiven.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

The church is often described as apathetic, lacking zeal. The Lord was clad with zeal, as a cloak.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.
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 Spirit convicts of sin. When Jesus came he gave us the power of the Holy Spirit, with his convicting power.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

When Jesus reigns he will destroy the enemies of God.

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

The goel - sometimes translated kinsman-redeemer, here simply as Redeemer - had a specifically defined role in Israel's family life. The kinsman-redeemer was responsible to buy a fellow Israelite out of slavery (Leviticus 25:48). He was responsible to be the "avenger of blood" to make sure the murderer of a family member answered to the crime (Numbers 35:19). He was responsible to buy back family land that had been forfeited (Leviticus 25:25). And he was responsible to carry on the family name by marrying a childless widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). In these, we see that the goel, the kinsman-redeemer, was responsible to safeguard the persons, the property, and the posterity of the family. (Guzik)

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.

Those in Christ Jesus receive the everlasting Holy Spirit. The Spirit testifies of Jesus and the word of God. He is eternally with us and is our connection to our Holy God.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.