#1040 Isaiah 62 I Will Not Keep Silent

 

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,

and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,

until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,

and her salvation as a burning torch.

2 The nations shall see your righteousness,

and all the kings your glory,

and you shall be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will give.

3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

and your land Married;

for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.

6 On your walls, O Jerusalem,

I have set watchmen;

all the day and all the night

they shall never be silent.

You who put the Lord in remembrance,

take no rest,

7 and give him no rest

until he establishes Jerusalem

and makes it a praise in the earth.

8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

“I will not again give your grain

to be food for your enemies,

and foreigners shall not drink your wine

for which you have labored;

9 but those who garner it shall eat it

and praise the Lord,

and those who gather it shall drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.”

10 Go through, go through the gates;

prepare the way for the people;

build up, build up the highway;

clear it of stones;

lift up a signal over the peoples.

11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed

to the end of the earth:

Say to the daughter of Zion,

“Behold, your salvation comes;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.”

12 And they shall be called The Holy People,

The Redeemed of the Lord;

and you shall be called Sought Out,

A City Not Forsaken. Isaiah 62 ESV

Isaiah 62 Zion's coming salvation

1-5. And her salvation as a burning torch - Isaiah is preaching to a corrupt Jerusalem, whom he has already warned of the coming Babylonian captivity. This is a comfort but also a call of conviction. For their sins they will go to Babylon, but Israel should be the torch, that lamp to the rest of the world, advertising the salvation of the Lord. Take much comfort though, because He has promised a new name, and so His work with her is not done. She will be righteous one day, and her glory will be a diadem(jeweled crown, symbol of sovereignty) in the hand of the Lord. 

But you shall be called, My delight is in her - This is good news, for she has been compared to a harlot and Sodom before. She will be so transformed in the future that her call to righteousness shall also be her reality, and she will have a new name.

…16Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it. 18To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.… Revelation 2: 16-18

…11I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.… Revelation 3: 11-13

So shall your God rejoice over you - No longer desolate, forsaken, but rather, "married", and not a disgraceful union, but she has become the apple of His eye.

“With such economy of words and beauty of imagery Isaiah depicts the loving unanimity that characterizes Zion and her intimate union with the Lord – which Revelation 19:7 foresees as the marriage of the Lamb.” (Motyer)

…17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth 19of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.… Ephesians 3: 17-19

6-9. I have set watchmen - These are the prophets and preachers He has given in every age, and even in Jerusalem's coming restoration. They are to pray without ceasing and remind all of Who God is, what He has accomplished, and will do. He will be her Husband and defense, no more will she till, plant and water in vain. Her work will be good now, and it will no longer become the plunder of her enemies.

iii. “‘Give him no rest’ is our Lord’s own command to us concerning the great God. I do not suppose any of you ever advised a beggar to be importunate with you. Did you ever say, ‘Whenever you see me go over this crossing ask me for a penny. If I do not give you one, run after me, or call after me all the way down the street. If that does not succeed, lay hold upon me, and do not let me go until I help you. Beg without ceasing.’ Did any one of you ever invite applicants to call often, and make large requests of you?… He does in effect say, ‘Press me! Urge me! Lay hold on my strength. Wrestle with me, as when a man seeks to give another a fall that he may prevail with him.’ All this, and much more, is included in the expression, ‘Give him no rest.’” (Spurgeon)

10-12. Clear it of stones - Get rid of the old obstacles, clear the path, make straight the way, repent.

5Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’ 6Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction.7A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.… Jeremiah 4: 5-7

…14Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry? 15Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.16They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.… Jeremiah 18: 14-16

…7The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus. 8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it— only those who walk in the Way— and fools will not stray onto it.9No lion will be there, and no vicious beast will go up on it. Such will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk upon it.… Isaiah 35: 7-9

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#1039 Isaiah 61 Anointed One

 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;

foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;

6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;

they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;

you shall eat the wealth of the nations,

and in their glory you shall boast.

7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;

instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;

therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;

they shall have everlasting joy.

8 For I the Lord love justice;

I hate robbery and wrong;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,

and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge them,

that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

to sprout up before all the nations. Isaiah 61 ESV

Isaiah 61 Year of the Lord's Favor

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” Luke 4: 16-22

1-2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me - The prophet speaks on behalf of Messiah here. When Jesus later reads this passage in the the synagogue at Nazareth, He reads from Is 61:1-2A, and stops there. The brake is intentional, for He says, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing", and His being there, as the God man, the suffering Servant of the Lord, was good news. He came to set those captive to sin free, those who were broken hearted over it. 

Because the Lord has anointed Me - Messiah means "anointed one". 

To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor - For unto us a Son is given, unto us a child is born. They are witnesses to the culmination of all history past, and the preservation of the future. God has added humanity to His deity and is walking among them. He is here to fulfill the law, to preach the good news, and to offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. 

…2He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. 3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?4Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.… Psalm 144: 2-4

3-4. To grant to those who mourn in Zion - There is a comma after favor in 2A, and that which follows looks toward a fuller completion at Christ's second advent, but some of Isaiah's readers will be captives in Babylon, yet sent home by the Persian king Cyrus, who Isaiah named before he was born. Sin brings much grief and sorrow, and it is not those who have much in this world, it's goods or know health and long life, it is not that they have known less of sin, but who will mourn over sin itself? God considers those blessed, for Christ is their physician, the Seeker and Savior of the lost, the Comforter of those who have come to detest their sin.

They shall build up the ancient ruins - It is interesting, Isaiah is speaking to a people who will see the Babylonian captivity and the destruction of Solomon's temple. Jesus will predict the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. This looks beyond that to a Millennial rebuilding of Israel.  

1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!” 2“Do you see all these great buildings? Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down. Mark 13: 1-2

5-7. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks - They are glad to do so, for Israel has become what they were meant to be.

…5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. 6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.… Exodus 19: 5-7

4As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”…

…7To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word— and to this they were appointed. 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.… 1 Peter 2: 4-9

8-11. For I the Lord love justice - They have received double the devastation as a people, but their offerings and sacrifices were without heart. Anything short of gratitude, love and humility is not an acceptable offering. Before they had quarreled with Him, wondering why He didn't respond to their fasts, but He loves justice, and He hates robbery, to which they were guilty. Under this New Covenant of Messiah's blood, what was always foretold and intended, He produces in them also a heart to be His ministers, and to love justice. 

20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 22I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.… Hebrews 13: 20-22

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#1038 Isaiah 60 Made Majestic

 

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will be seen upon you.

3 And nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;

they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from afar,

and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

5 Then you shall see and be radiant;

your heart shall thrill and exult,

because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,

the young camels of Midian and Ephah;

all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,

and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.

7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;

they shall come up with acceptance on my altar,

and I will beautify my beautiful house.

8 Who are these that fly like a cloud,

and like doves to their windows?

9 For the coastlands shall hope for me,

the ships of Tarshish first,

to bring your children from afar,

their silver and gold with them,

for the name of the Lord your God,

and for the Holy One of Israel,

because he has made you beautiful.

10 Foreigners shall build up your walls,

and their kings shall minister to you;

for in my wrath I struck you,

but in my favor I have had mercy on you.

11 Your gates shall be open continually;

day and night they shall not be shut,

that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,

with their kings led in procession.

12 For the nation and kingdom

that will not serve you shall perish;

those nations shall be utterly laid waste.

13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,

the cypress, the plane, and the pine,

to beautify the place of my sanctuary,

and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

14 The sons of those who afflicted you

shall come bending low to you,

and all who despised you

shall bow down at your feet;

they shall call you the City of the Lord,

the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,

with no one passing through,

I will make you majestic forever,

a joy from age to age.

16 You shall suck the milk of nations;

you shall nurse at the breast of kings;

and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior

and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,

and instead of iron I will bring silver;

instead of wood, bronze,

instead of stones, iron.

I will make your overseers peace

and your taskmasters righteousness.

18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,

devastation or destruction within your borders;

you shall call your walls Salvation,

and your gates Praise.

19 The sun shall be no more

your light by day,

nor for brightness shall the moon

give you light;

but the Lord will be your everlasting light,

and your God will be your glory.

20 Your sun shall no more go down,

nor your moon withdraw itself;

for the Lord will be your everlasting light,

and your days of mourning shall be ended.

21 Your people shall all be righteous;

they shall possess the land forever,

the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,

that I might be glorified.

22 The least one shall become a clan,

and the smallest one a mighty nation;

I am the Lord;

in its time I will hasten it. Isaiah 60 ESV

Isaiah 60 Future glory of Israel

While in principle this chapter has application to all God’s people, it is specifically directed to Israel, and will be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom. Not all have seen this. Adam Clarke writes, “The subject of this chapter is the great increase and flourishing state of the Church of God by the conversion and accession of the heathen nations to it.” But the fact that the LORD speaks of the Gentiles here in opposition to the subjects of the prophecy shows He speaks to Israel as Israel. Replacement theology just doesn’t work here, or anywhere. Enduring Word

1-3. Arise, shine, for your light has come - It's a new morning, the crowing of the rooster, time to get up. In the last chapter we found the people in darkness, as many of the Jews in Jesus time. Light had come into the world but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Once we have the light then we have a duty to it, and that is to carry it not under a bushel, but to the very hill tops. 

…5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.… 2 Corinthians 4: 5-7

…17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me. 19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.… Acts 26: 17-19

This looks forward to Messiah's second coming, and the darkness here is lifted from Israel, replaced by the light of His presence. This becomes a beacon to the nations.

1After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus.… Matthew 17: 1-3

4-7. They shall bring gold and frankincense - This happened by way of the wise men at Jesus first advent, yet the religious elite in Israel did not recognize the time. Israel will become the clear center of the world during the 1000 year reign, and it speaks of the peoples of Midian (name of Abraham's son by Keturah) and Sheba (wealthy district of Arabia), coming to praise the Lord. 

…30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.… Luke 11: 30-32

The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you - Kedar and Nebaioth were listed as sons of Ishmael in Genesis 25:13. Kedar lived between Syria and Mesopotamia, and it is believed by some that Nebaioth was father to the Nabateans who settled the Arabian city of Petra. This is a striking verse, for it says in the next line that these flocks and rams will come up with acceptance on my altar. We will take a much deeper look at this in Ezekiel, but this is not a sacrifice for atonement, but more like the remembrance of the Lord's supper - "this do in remembrance of Me". The full light of Messiah, Who atoned for their sins on the cross, will be there to remove all the fog of their former understanding. It will make the temple even more beautiful, for the word was always intended to go out and be taught to all nations. Israel will truly become a light and a teacher in this time. 

8-18. To bring your children from afar - They will bring back the faithful remnant to Jerusalem, because they see that Jesus is with them and He has made them beautiful.

Those nations shall be utterly laid waste - In the millennial kingdom there will be no more antisemitism. Those nations that will not tolerate Israel will come to desolation. Instead of being ruled by other nations their rule would be by overseers of peace, taskmasters of righteousness, and no more violence in their land. This land has known much turmoil over it's history, but Christ's reign shall put an end to all unrighteousness there.  

1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.” 2“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.3Then you will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the LORD of Hosts.… Malachi 4:1-3

19-22. The sun shall be no more - Isaiah looks even further forward to the New Jerusalem.

…22But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.… Revelation 21: 22-24

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#1037 Isaiah 59 No, His Arm Is Just Fine

 

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

2 but your iniquities have made a separation

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood

and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies;

your tongue mutters wickedness.

4 No one enters suit justly;

no one goes to law honestly;

they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,

they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

5 They hatch adders' eggs;

they weave the spider's web;

he who eats their eggs dies,

and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.

6 Their webs will not serve as clothing;

men will not cover themselves with what they make.

Their works are works of iniquity,

and deeds of violence are in their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil,

and they are swift to shed innocent blood;

their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

desolation and destruction are in their highways.

8 The way of peace they do not know,

and there is no justice in their paths;

they have made their roads crooked;

no one who treads on them knows peace.

9 Therefore justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not overtake us;

we hope for light, and behold, darkness,

and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10 We grope for the wall like the blind;

we grope like those who have no eyes;

we stumble at noon as in the twilight,

among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

11 We all growl like bears;

we moan and moan like doves;

we hope for justice, but there is none;

for salvation, but it is far from us.

12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,

and our sins testify against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

and we know our iniquities:

13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,

and turning back from following our God,

speaking oppression and revolt,

conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.

Judgment and Redemption

14 Justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands far away;

for truth has stumbled in the public squares,

and uprightness cannot enter.

15 Truth is lacking,

and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him

that there was no justice.

16 He saw that there was no man,

and wondered that there was no one to intercede;

then his own arm brought him salvation,

and his righteousness upheld him.

17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,

and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,

wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;

to the coastlands he will render repayment.

19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,

and his glory from the rising of the sun;

for he will come like a rushing stream,

which the wind of the Lord drives.

20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,

to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.” Isaiah 59 ESV

Isaiah 59 The Arm of the Lord

1-8. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened - God was more than able to deliver, that wasn't the problem. His hearing was also fine. Remember before, they fasted, and thought He was supposed to honor their empty rituals. It's not that God is deaf, that is not the reason your prayers go unanswered. 

But your iniquities have made a separation - This isn't a ditch that you lay a board across. We think, "when I pray, God, You should answer me." We forget our roles, we get them mixed up, who is the Creator and who is the created? He could just as easily respond and say, when I say, "do this and you shall live,' or 'repent and be saved, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, do unto others as you would have them do unto you." We just want him to be a good little god and do what we say, but that's not God, that's an idol. 

…22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.… Romans 3: 22-24

And your sins have hidden His face from you - If I never saw God's chastening hand then I would have much to despair over, but I wouldn't even know it. I sit here and pause a moment. I can see my chest rise and fall, and I know that every breath in is grace, I woke up in it this morning, that mercy that has not brought His hand down upon this fallen planet. We don't naturally see this, and the more self righteous, religious we are, the more we take it for granted, that He is holy, and we are born anything but. 

If our prayers are not answered, and the salvation we wait for is not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearing prayer, but because we are weary of praying. See here sin in true colours, exceedingly sinful; and see sin in its consequences, exceedingly hurtful, separating from God, and so separating us, not only from all good, but to all evil. Yet numbers feed, to their own destruction, on infidel and wicked systems. - Matthew Henry

…7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.… 1 John 1: 7-9

Your hands are defiled with blood - They were murderers, whether directly or by who they sent or refused to hold accountable. It won't be some foreign invaders who saw Isaiah in half. When Christ comes, it will be His fellow countrymen who demand that Rome raise Him up to what they considered the greatest torcher and humiliation. 

…14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. 16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.… 1 John 3: 14-16

Your lips have spoken lies - We don't see the great offense so we still think that it is not so great a void. I tell a "little lie" here, and oh that I wouldn't play it down, or comfort others in doing so, oh God that it would cause my heart to ache. My mouth betrays me, why should God ever turn His ear to me?

No one enters suit justly - They have one end goal in mind, not justice, for that may work against them, but rather at any means to have themselves declared just by men. This leaves very little or no justice for the poor, for they cannot afford to buy off officials, to intimidate juries, and often suits are decided contrary to the truth, so that liars prevail. They want something they haven't earned, but good luck convincing them that they did not deserve every penny. 

Motyer on empty words: “Isaiah is not describing but diagnosing. They may think they are acting sensibly but actually it is all nonsense.”

Their webs will not serve as clothing - They have woven so many threads, brought so many into their mischief that they cannot keep track of all the lies. What was the truth? I am not so sure anymore. Like vipers they only give birth to more vipers, and eventually they bite even those that thought they had an arrangement with them. In the end they will try to cover themselves like Adam and Eve did with fig leaves, but try to cover yourself with a spider's web, foolishness, for it can never cover the reason for your nakedness. Men will contrive and develop so many systems of their own perceived merit and righteousness, but it is in vain, for you need to be clothed in the righteousness of another.

…19By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” 20And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.

21And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. Genesis 3: 19-21

Their works are works of iniquity - All your righteousness is as filthy rags. Again, here we are, what men think is not at all what God would consider. There is no rotted corpse more soiled than a man's mind, no more putrid thing than the unregenerate heart. 

…12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” 14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”…

…15“Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery lie in their wake, 17and the way of peace they have not known.”… Romans 3: 12-17

9-13. Therefore justice is far from us - We are not just, for all the afore mentioned reasons, and for these our cries for justice go unheard. It isn't even justice we really want, since we don't walk in truth, we just want our way and what we call just. If we would admit that we are not just, not righteous, not honest, then there would be hope for us. 

…12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’ 13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner! 14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”… Luke 18: 12-14

13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”… 2 Samuel 12: 13-14

We hope for light, and behold, darkness - You didn't really want justice, and you proved that by not being just. You have had the light of the law, the testimonies of the prophets, and they showed you to be unrighteous, but you persist in it, placing the blame on God, denying your sinfulness. You ask, and you do not receive, and still you think the blame lies with God. You lie, and you grow angry when you hear the truth. 

…11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’… Matthew 13: 11-13

We stumble at noon day as at twilight - They were as blind men feeling their way through the dark. So set on their ways like those of Sodom, that they grope about for the door, refusing the light of nature, that the world was created, it bares the marks of design. God spoke and behold everything we see is filled with words, information, complex patterns. The pagan sees an act and calls it wrong, acknowledges evil, he finds certain ways detestable, wishes to live without fear, respected by others, but this is worse yet, for Isaiah's listeners have had the law and the prophets before them. Woe is me, I have seen the words of God. They turn and try to make their own way, build taller towers, add more rituals, get more praise from men, go on more quest, all with their own darkened reason. 

…18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.… John 3: 18-20

14-15. He who departs from evil makes himself a prey - There is no justice, no righteousness, and truth has taken a beating in the public square. Truth no longer seems to prevail, and so she is thrown off for the most part, but those few who come back to her, who depart from evil, everyone's eyes grow hot against. The honest is like a flood light, his mouth is uttering truth, but for those who call good evil and evil good, that have left off and away from even normal logic and reason, he is a target. Where men have sought to make light on their own, imagine it, conjure it, the true light shining hurts their eyes, they recoil from it like vampires, hiding in the shadows, looking for opportunity to silence the ones who bring it. 

…17But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” 18 Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 19So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.… John 5: 17-19

6There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. 8He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.… John 1: 6-8

16-21. And wondered that there was no one to intercede - He saw that those who desired righteousness, who loved truth were being persecuted, and there was no man to intercede for them. There were some who wanted to be right with God, and like Job, were mocked, but Job realized even though he was not guilty of what his friends thought, he still needed a mediator between him and God.

…5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all— the testimony that was given at just the right time. 7For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything.… 1 Timothy 2: 5-7

…13as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. 15Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.… Titus 2: 13-15

He put on righteousness as a breastplate - Paul draws on this to describe the weapons of our warfare, that we fight a spiritual battle which end is already determined.

…16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.… Ephesians 6: 16-18

For He will come like a rushing stream - These verses look forward to Christ's second coming, and thus the assurance of our faith, that God will judge, so stand strong, hold the line, protect the integrity of the gospel. God has said what will happen, and as surely as from all eternity, He spoke and the heavens and earth came into being, so sure is His salvation and judgment coming.

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