Feb 05 2023
In Isaiah 58:3 we hear a complaint from the people of God. Even though they were fasting and doing all of the outwardly religious things that they believed would please God, He seemed distant. They prayed, but it seemed like He wasn’t hearing their prayers. As we keep reading, we hear God’s response. The reason God felt distant, is because the people weren’t worshipping Him with pure hearts. They had an outward religion, but their hearts were wicked. As we come to Isaiah 59, we hear a lot more about the sinfulness of these people. In verses 1-15a Isaiah makes it clear that their sin has kept them separated from God and far from salvation. But then something unexpected happens. God sees their wickedness and responds, not with judgement on them, but by sending someone who will defeat sin and deliver His people. The Big Idea: In Isaiah 59 we are reminded of our sinfulness and of our inability to save ourselves. But we are also reminded that God has sent someone who can set us free from our sin – Christ our Redeemer.