God’s Response To The Wicked (57:1-21)
Neal Pollard
Judah’s leaders (ch. 56) were thoroughly ungodly and blind to the danger their unrighteousness was leading them toward. It would come in the form of oppression from foreign nations (56:9). The righteous would be prematurely taken from among them (1-2), giving them peace and rest while leaving the wicked to face God’s judgement. Sometimes, God’s mercy is seen in delivering His faithful from the dark times in which they live. From verses 3-21, we read of God’s response to the wicked. He summons them, saying, “But come here, you son of a sorceress, offspring of an adulteress and a prostitute” (3). With such a wicked one before Him, He lays out His case with the charges to the idolatrous nation of Judah.
God lays out the charges (3-10). These charges are representative of the whole of Judah’s iniquity. They all center in some way around idolatry. James Smith sees six in these verses: (1) Drunken revelry of the tree cult, (2) Child sacrifice, (3) Worshiping stone cult, (4) Sexual immorality on the high places, (5) Private deities in their homes, and (6) pilgrimages to worship Molech (5-10)(The Major Prophets, 153). No more serious charge could be levied, violations of the first two of The Ten Commandments (Exo. 20:3-4). They abandoned God for gods, not only foolish but fatal.
God renders His judgment (11-13). Because they did not turn to God before their trouble came (11), He would leave them to their religious alternatives in their time of calamity. They relied on the idols in quieter times. His message is to rely on them now that they cried out, and see how helpful they are. But by contrast, “he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land and will possess My holy mountain” (13).
God provides hope after this case is closed (14-19). That hope was, as just noted, for those who turn to God for help. Isaiah seems to reflect back on chapter 40, referencing the smooth road paved by the Lord (40:3-5). The formerly faithful died and were removed from the nation (1-2). The future faithful are those who are “contrite and lowly in spirit” (15), whom God will reach out to and restore. There is no doubt that the current nation had earned divine punishment, a point Isaiah repeatedly makes in this paragraph. But, the gracious God foretells an end of His anger (16-18) despite their wicked ways. He holds out the prospect of restoration leading to praise, peace, and prescription (19).
God offers no hope to the guilty who show no remorse (20-21). Bluntly, “There is no peace for the wicked” (21). There are some who could not receive enough warnings and judgments to turn their hearts from sin to God. No disaster, no withholding of blessings is sufficient enough to alter the course of the hardhearted. God knows that perfectly well.
The prospect of relief and mercy was apparent and available. Judah could look back to their past and see it. Isaiah points ahead and promises it. Let us think about our day and time, 2,000 years after the Suffering Servant gave Himself to bring hope to the world. If we will keep our hearts contrite and humble, we can have hope in the face of judgment!
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