The third and last section of nine chapters now opens with a command that the prophet himself had to fulfill. Loudly and forcibly to accuse the house of Jacob of their transgressions and sins was no pleasing task; rather one that would be met with resentment and anger. The same thing however is necessary in connection with the Gospel today. In the Epistle to the Romans the Gospel is not expounded before the sinfulness of all mankind is plainly and fully exposed. In the Acts of the Apostles we see the same thing in practice. In Acts 7, Stephen did it with great power, and paid the penalty with his life. The same thing in its measure marked the public preachings of Peter and Paul; and when Paul faced Felix privately, “he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come”, so much so that Felix trembled. We venture to think that this solemn note has far too often been missing in these days, as the Gospel is preached.
Verses 2 and 3 reveal why such a testimony of conviction was so needed, and for just the same reason is it needed today. The sins of the people were being covered up with a round of religious duties. They were going up to the temple, apparently seeking God. They took delight in acquaintance with God’s ways, in observing His ordinances, in fasting and afflicting their souls. Were not all these outward things enough, and to be commended?
Yet they were but a mask, and when this was removed, what was beneath? Verses 3-5 show us what was beneath. Their “fast” was really a time of pleasure. There was exaction, strife, debate, the ill-treatment of others, though they bowed down their heads in a false humility and spread sackcloth and ashes beneath them. Their fast was just a matter of outward religious ceremony, and had nothing in it of that inward self-denial that it was supposed to indicate.
Is this the fast that God had chosen? is what verse 6 asks. And verse 7 proceeds to indicate the fast that would be acceptable unto God. Before Him what counts is what is moral rather than what is ceremonial. By Hosea God said, “I desired mercy and not sacrifice” (6:6); and the Lord quoted this twice (Matt. 9:13; 12:7). Thus we see here exposed the hypocrisy that came into full display and reached its climax in the Pharisees when our Lord was on earth; and as often noticed the severest denunciations that ever fell from the lips of our Lord were against the Pharisees. To none of the publicans and harlots did the Lord utter such words as are found in Matthew 23:1-33.
This evil was plainly visible in Isaiah’s day; but having exposed it, the prophet was led to show that if his rebuke was accepted and the people repented there was yet blessing in store for them. Then, of course, they would walk in righteousness, and as a result there would be for them light and health and glory. The light would be like the dawning of new day. Their health would spring forth speedily. Their righteousness would open the way before them, and the glory of the Lord would protect their rear. Is Israel ever going to achieve this desirable state as the result of their law keeping? The answer is, No. The New Testament makes this very plain.
Will this state then ever be reached? The answer is, only through their Messiah, whom they have rejected. When first He came, it was as “the Dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78); it was the dawning of a new day in which Israel’s light was to break forth. But they would have none of Him. What is predicted here is deferred consequently until He appears again in His glory. They will then be a born-again people, with the Spirit poured forth on them as objects of Divine mercy. Then, and not till then, will the glory of the Lord be a guard to their rear.
But in Isaiah’s day the people were still being dealt with as men in the flesh and on the ground of their responsibility under the law, so the blessing proposed is based on their obedience. Hence there is found that fatal “If...” in verse 9. When the law was given it was “If ye will obey...” (Ex. 19:5), and so again is it here; and thus it must be as long as a law regime prevails. All through Israel’s national history there has never been the taking away of the things mentioned in verse 9, nor the drawing out of their soul to the things mentioned in verse 10. Hence the good things of verses 11 and 12 have never yet in any full sense been realized, though a limited revival was granted under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah.
The fatal “If...” meets us again as we look at verse 13. This time it is linked with the due observance of the Sabbath, and this seventh day was given to Israel, we must again recall, as the sign between themselves and God, when the law was given, as is stated in Ezekiel 20:12.
Sabbath-keeping had therefore a very special place in the law economy. If therefore the people turned away their foot from its due observance and merely used the day for the doing of their own pleasure, it was to do despite to the covenant of which it was the sign. This is just what the people were doing in the days of Isaiah.
In John 5 we read how the Lord Jesus healed the impotent man on a Sabbath day. This gave great offense to the Jews and because of it they sought to slay Him. The Lord’s answer was, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” The fact was that the covenant of law which demanded works of obedience from Israel, was hopelessly broken, and the Sabbath, which was the sign of it, was being set aside. The time had now arrived for the work of the Son and of the Father to come into display, as indeed it did on the first day of the week, when our Lord rose from the dead, now known to us as “The Lord’s day”.
We can however read the last verse of this chapter, as also the verses that precede, as setting forth what God will eventually bring to pass for Israel in the millennial day that is coming, not as the result of their doings, but solely as the fruit of what their Messiah has already done, coupled with the righteous power to be put forth when He comes again in His glory. Then Israel will be like “a watered garden” and “the old waste places” shall be built. Then shall Israel delight itself in the Lord, and consequently “ride upon the high places of the earth”.
They are far from doing this at present; but they shall certainly do so. And, Why? “For the mouth of the Lord hash spoken it.” His word is stable. What He says always comes to pass.
But none of the effects of sin is more disastrous than this— alienation.
Chapters 59:1—60:5
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