# Isaiah 59 đź“–: Sin Separates from God
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Injustice Brings Alienation from God
[[#Verse 01.]] Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak to deliver you;
his ear is not too deaf to hear you.
[[#Verse 02.]]Â But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;
your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.
[[#Verse 03.]]Â For your hands are stained with blood
and your fingers with sin;
your lips speak lies,
your tongue utters malicious words.
[[#Verse 04.]]Â No one is concerned about justice;
no one sets forth his case truthfully.
They depend on false words and tell lies;
they conceive of oppression
and give birth to sin.
[[#Verse 05.]]Â They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake
and spin a spider’s web.
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
a poisonous snake is hatched.
[[#Verse 06.]]Â Their webs cannot be used for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are sinful;
they commit violent crimes.
[[#Verse 07.]]Â They are eager to do evil,
quick to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are sinful;
they crush and destroy.
[[#Verse 08.]]Â They are unfamiliar with peace;
their deeds are unjust.
They use deceitful methods,
and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.
### Israel Confesses its Sin
[[#Verse 09.]] For this reason deliverance is far from us
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light, but see only darkness;
we wait for a bright light, but live in deep darkness.
[[#Verse 10.]]Â We grope along the wall like the blind,
we grope like those who cannot see;
we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.
Though others are strong, we are like dead men.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â We all growl like bears,
we coo mournfully like doves;
we wait for deliverance, but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far from us.
[[#Verse 12.]]Â For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds,
and our sins testify against us;
indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;
we know our sins all too well.
[[#Verse 13.]] We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;
we turned back from following our God.
We stir up oppression and rebellion;
we tell lies we concocted in our minds.
[[#Verse 14.]]Â Justice is driven back;
godliness stands far off.
Indeed, honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
[[#Verse 15.]]Â Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased, for there is no justice.
### The Lord Intervenes
[[#Verse 16.]]Â He sees there is no advocate;
he is shocked that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands;
his desire for justice drives him on.
[[#Verse 17.]] He wears his desire for justice like body armor,
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head.
He puts on the garments of vengeance
and wears zeal like a robe.
[[#Verse 18.]]Â He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies.
He repays the coastlands.
[[#Verse 19.]] In the west, people respect the Lord’s reputation;
in the east they recognize his splendor.
For he comes like a rushing stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord.
[[#Verse 20.]] “A protector comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” says the Lord.
[[#Verse 21.]] “As for me, this is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” says the Lord.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Paul quotes 59:7-8 in Romans 3:15-17 to show that all people are under sin.
2. The images of hatching snake eggs and weaving spider webs (59:5) show sin's deadly and useless results.
3. People groping along a wall like the blind (59:10) recalls the covenant curse of Deuteronomy 28:29.
4. The people growl like bears and moan like doves (59:11) as they wait for justice.
5. The confession in 59:12-15 uses we and our, a model of corporate repentance.
6. Truth stumbling in the public square (59:14) refers to the city gate, where legal cases were judged.
7. Righteousness as a breastplate and salvation as a helmet (59:17) is the background of Paul's armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).
8. Paul combines 59:20-21 with 27:9 in Romans 11:26-27.
9. God promises that His Spirit and His words will not depart from His people's mouths (59:21).
10. From the west and the rising of the sun (59:19) describes the whole world fearing the Lord's name.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Redeemer who comes to Zion (59:20; Romans 11:26). When the Lord saw no one to intervene, His own arm brought salvation (59:16), and Jesus is that arm, wearing the armor of righteousness and salvation for us (59:17; Ephesians 6:14-17).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. God's arm is not too short to save, but sin separates us from Him (59:1-2). How does sin affect our relationship with God?
2. Truth stumbles in the public square and honesty cannot enter (59:14). Where do you see that today, and how should believers respond?
3. God saw that no one intervened, so He acted Himself (59:16). What does this teach about the gospel?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verses 1-2: The Lord's arm is not too short to save, but our sins separate us from God.
- đź“– verse 16: The Lord saw no one to intervene, so His own arm brought salvation.
- đź“– verse 20: A Redeemer will come to Zion, to those who turn from rebellion.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Romans 03#Verse 10.|Romans 3:10-18]] - There is no one righteous.
- đź”— [[Ephesians 06#Verse 13.|Ephesians 6:13-17]] - The full armor of God.
- đź”— [[Romans 11#Verse 26.|Romans 11:26-27]] - The Deliverer will come from Zion.
- đź”— [[1 John 01#Verse 08.|1 John 1:8-9]] - If we confess our sins.
- đź”— [[Numbers 11#Verse 23.|Numbers 11:23]] - Is the Lord's arm too short?
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Isaiah 59 - SOAP|God Wins Every Strength Contest]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes