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Isaiah 59:1-8

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

1. Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 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. 3. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4. None calleth for justice, nor [any] pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Isaiah 59:1-8 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Isaiah 59:1

Theological / Devotional

The Lord’s hand. Many in Israel attributed the difficulties that beset their nation to inability on the part of God to deliver them. They had come to conceive of Elim as the heathen did of their gods; they thought of Jehovah as a local deity whose power was limited and who, it seemed, was not even able to protect Israel from the gods and armies of the nations about them. They blamed Elim for their woes. The Lord now answers their cavils — the fault lies not with Elim, but with them. God is still strong and good, His arm is still powerful, and His ear still attentive to the cries of His children. He can, and will, help when hindrances are removed.

His ear heavy. The difficulty was with Israel’s spiritual perceptions, not with God’s (see ch. 6:9, 10).

By SdaBc