In today’s study Isaiah 57 is titled Condemnation of Israel’s Idolatry. Isaiah 57 and verse 1 reads.
Isa.57:1] The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Speaking of the ten tribes to the north. The house of Israel had committed fornication by worshipping false gods. Let’s go to 1Kings 14 and verse 14 reads.
1Kings 14:14] Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.
[15] For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.
What do you think they did in the groves? They worshipped Ishtar, queen of heaven, a false god and were quick like a bunny in the groves. That’s right, they had an orgy in the groves. Groves H842 ʼăshêrâh pronounced Asherah. Asherah or Astarte in Babylonian, is the pagan worship of both the male felix and Ishtar the goddess of fertility. We get our word easter from the name Ishtar.
1Kings 14:16] And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
As the leader of the nation goes, so goes the nation. This king that comes against them is the king of Assyria, a like for the end times, 1Cor.10:11. Back to Isa.57 and verse 2 reads.
Isa.57:2] He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
They sleep well in their sins, and have no guilt.
Isa.57:3] But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
We must remember God is Spirit, he will use terminology that we can understand in the flesh for what he is saying spiritually. Let’s first go to Malachi 3 and verse 5 reads.
Mal.3:5] And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
[6] For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
[7] Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
False idols are a grave sin before the LORD, because of this it is the first commandment. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Jesus would teach us in Matthew 16 about these wicked offspring (generation) verse 4 reads.
Mat.16:4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Jesus was speaking to the Kenites who were Pharisees at the time. Generation should have been translated offspring. The offspring of Cain, the serpent’s seed, Kenites. The sign given was 3 and a half days in the tomb. Back to Isa.57 and verse 4 reads.
Isa.57:4] Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
They lead God’s children away from him, they are false teachers.
Isa.57:5] Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
They have no rest, no sabbath, nor salvation, because they have not Jesus Christ in their hearts.
Isa.57:6] Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
The “Thy” above are feminine. We will see that it will pertain to Mystery Babylon.
Isa.57:7] Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
Check this word “bed” H4904 mishkâb pronounced mish-kawb’. And means; a bed (figuratively a bier); abstractly sleep; by euphemism carnal intercourse, lying down (for sexual contact). These are very wicked people, they know of God but choose another, Satan. This is Mystery Babylon, the great whore, they will be, and even are now, here when the sixth trump sounds.
Isa.57:8] Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
They call it religion, but they worship the antichrist and teach (deceive) others to do so also.
Isa.57:9] And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
They will go up in smoke. They are harlots that pay instead of being paid. Let’s go to Hosea 7 and verse 11 reads.
Hos.7:11] Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
They go into captivity to Assyria, the antichrist in the end times. (1Cor.10:11)
Hos.7:12] When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
[13] Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Though they had opportunity to receive forgiveness they will not repent. They are the seed of Satan. Back to Isa.57 and verse 10 reads.
Isa.57:10] Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
They will go to hell happy, even willingly. Let’s go to Rev.9 and verse 20 reads.
Rev.9:20] And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
[21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Back to Isa.57 and verse 11 reads.
Isa.57:11] And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
This is why we see so much evil in the world today, this generation is here among us. There will be many who hate God and hate us who worship him.
Isa.57:12] I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
The lack of righteousness, and their marks of Satan in their hands are their works.
Isa.57:13] When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
In the end times, many will hear the truth and come back to the LORD. But those that are of that wicked one will not.
Isa.57:14] And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
Christ is that stumbling block because the antichrist is here and claiming to be Christ. This is the job of God’s Elect, to be delivered up and teach the truth. Mark 13.
Isa.57:15] For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
A declaration of the LORD is given here for salvation to the people. Let’s go to Psalms 34 and verse 18 reads.
Psa.34:18] The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
And in Psalms 147 verse 3 reads.
Psa.147:3] He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
And in Isaiah 61 and verse 1 reads.
Isa.61:1] The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
[2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
And about his name being holy, we go to Luke 1 and verse 49 reads.
Luke 1:49] For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
Only God is holy, back to Isa.57 and verse 16 reads.
Isa.57:16] For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
[17] For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
There will come a point when this earth and heaven age is done, then the third and final age will come. Eternity, for all that overcome the evil and wickedness.
Isa.57:18] I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
For he is the Good Shepherd, our Comforter, our Redeemer.
Isa.57:19] I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
Let’s go to Ephesians 2 and verse 17 reads.
Eph.2:17] And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
And in Acts 10 verse 36 reads.
Acts 10:36] The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Peace only comes by Jesus Christ. Back to Isa.57 and verse 20 reads.
Isa.57:20] But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
[21] There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
This is why we read in Matthew 5, spoken by Jesus, and verse 17 reads.
Mat.5:17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
There will be no peace (rest) for the wicked, but for our salvation Christ died for all on the cross. And by his blood we have salvation through repentance. Another great chapter and study in Isaiah today, let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible