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. 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. 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. 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. 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. [isaiah 59:7-11]
what does it mean to hope for justice? what does it mean to hope for salvation?
this passage is a picture of a nation far from the Lord. not because the Lord cannot save or reach to the depths where they are [vs 1], but because they chase after their own sin, striving for purpose and pleasure. but all of their efforts fall short. their lives are dark and broken, yet they strive for salvation in their own sin. they long for justice, but continue in their rebellion and justice does not find them. salvation is far from them because they hold their sin so dear.
this is the futile efforts of a people whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world. [2 cor. 4:4] they spend their whole lives striving only to end in death, unimaginable and eternal. may it not be so in the hearts of our body at mattias! the book of hebrews tells us to lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely. the book of 2 timothy tells to flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness. the book of james tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us. the book of 1 peter tells us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.
we don’t pursue righteousness passively. if passive, we would fall into the same patterns of these wandering sheep of israel. our feet would run to evil, our thoughts would be full of iniquity. we would not know the way of peace, and we would make our roads crooked. let us not be passive, but take action! let us lay aside our sin, flee from youthful passions, resist the devil, all because we have spent time in the presence of our Holy God, humbling ourselves under his mighty hand.
we hope for justice and salvation in only one person. Jesus Christ gives us justice in righting our wrongs with his blood. Jesus Christ gives us salvation from sin and death through his righteousness and the power of his resurrection. we hope in him alone. and so we follow him alone. there is hope in nothing else.
what rebellious actions or attitudes need repentance in your heart? ask the Lord to search you and reveal the ways you are clinging to youthful passions or holding sin close. trust that his way is better, and receive his forgiveness and freedom. he is waiting to lavish his kindness on you!
search me, o God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. [psalm 139:23-24]
~ arwen eastman