Year 9, Day 41: Isaiah 57

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Yesterday we started with a message of hope for the people and ended with a verdict of judgment against the leadership.  Today we do the opposite.  Today we start with a message of judgment against idolatry and end with a message of peace to the lowly in spirit.

This is a very stylistic approach in ancient writing.  It is called a chiasm, and is named after the Greek letter chi (X).  If you think about how an X is written, it starts in one place (high or low) and goes to the other place (low or high).  The next stroke starts at the same height as the previous one ended (low or high) and then goes back to the same height that the first one began (high or low).  It is a stylistic type of writing that is geared towards making contrasts.  Start with an idea, state it’s opposite, continue with the opposite in a new direction, and return to the original idea from a new perspective.

Yesterday we heard the great contrast between the hope of the people and the corruption of the leadership.  Today we start again with corruption.  Instead of talking about the corruption of the leadership, however, Isaiah speaks to the corruption of idolatry.  The idols are unable to provide the same kind of peace and prosperity that God can.  They were unable to deliver the people from Assyrian or Babylonian oppression.  They were unable to free the Hebrew people from exile.  Idolatry is corrupt because it is unable to deliver on any promise!  Idolatry is corrupt because it steals us away from God, promises lies, and then walks away letting us hold the bag of deceit!

Then we move to the end of the chapter.  Once more we hear about hope.  Those in this world who are contrite – or low in spirit – will find God’s restoration.  Those who wait upon the Lord will know what it is live to have Him build up, have Him revive the spirit, and have Him invite us to dwell with Him.  It is not the perfect who get this opportunity.  It is not the powerful, the wealthy, or the popular who get this experience.  It is the low in spirit, the humble, the contrite who get this opportunity.  It is the contrite who will hear God declare His peace and feel His healing.

<><