Isaiah 57: Peace for the Contrite
God indicts idolatry and faithlessness, yet dwells with the lowly and contrite, healing and giving peace to those near and far.
Isaiah 57 (WEB)
1 The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, no one considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil.
2 He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.
3 “But draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the prostitute.
4 Against whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do you make a wide mouth, and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience, a seed of falsehood,
5 you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they are your lot; you have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?
7 On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed; there also you went up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the doors and the posts you have set up your memorial: for you have uncovered to someone besides me, and have gone up; you have enlarged your bed, and made you a covenant with them: you loved their bed where you saw it.
9 You went to the king with oil, and increased your perfumes, and sent your ambassadors far off, and debased yourself even to Sheol.
10 You were wearied with the length of your way; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.
11 “Of whom have you been afraid and in fear, that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace even of long time, and you don’t fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they shall not profit you.
13 When you cry, let those who you have gathered deliver you; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.”
14 He will say, “Cast up, cast up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”
15 For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls who I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I angry, and struck him; I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 “There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”
Isaiah 57 (KJV)
1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Isaiah 57 (ASV)
1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness.
3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
5 ye that inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; that slay the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered an oblation. Shall I be appeased for these things?
7 Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8 And behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial: for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them: thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
9 And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol.
10 Thou wast wearied with the length of thy way; yet saidst thou not, It is in vain: thou didst find a quickening of thy strength; therefore thou wast not faint.
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not?
12 I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou criest, let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.
14 And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Summary
The chapter opens with a lament that the righteous perish and merciful people are taken away while no one takes it to heart, though they are spared from coming evil and enter into peace. Then God turns to indict the faithless, calling them children of a sorceress and offspring of adultery. He exposes their idolatry in vivid detail: inflaming themselves among the oaks, sacrificing children in the valleys, setting up their beds and memorials, journeying far and even down to Sheol in pursuit of false gods, wearying themselves yet refusing to give up. He asks whom they feared, since it was not him, while he held his peace. He warns that their gathered idols cannot deliver them, but whoever takes refuge in him will inherit the land and his holy mountain. Then the tone shifts beautifully: the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, dwells not only in the high place but with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit, reviving their hearts. He will not contend forever; though he struck the people for their covetous backsliding, he has seen their ways and will heal, lead, and restore them. He creates peace for the one far off and the one near. Yet the chapter ends with a sober reminder: the wicked are like a troubled sea that cannot rest, for there is no peace for them.
Voices
- Yahweh / the high and lofty One — The Holy One who inhabits eternity, who indicts idolatry yet dwells with the contrite, healing and reviving the humble while warning the wicked.
- The righteous and merciful — Those who perish unnoticed yet enter into peace, taken away from the evil to come and resting in their uprightness.
- The idolatrous and wicked — The faithless who chase false gods to the point of exhaustion, who do not fear the Lord, and who are like a troubled sea that cannot rest.
Key Verse
Isaiah 57:15 (WEB)
For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Lessons Learned
- Idolatry is exhausting and never satisfies, no matter how far we chase it.
- The holy and exalted God draws near to the lowly and contrite of heart.
- God does not contend forever; he disciplines in order to heal and restore.
- There is true peace for those near and far who take refuge in God, but none for the wicked who refuse him.
- Idolatry wears us out for nothing. The idolaters are “wearied with the length of your way” yet refuse to admit “It is in vain” (Isaiah 57:10, WEB).
- God dwells with the contrite. The exalted Holy One dwells “with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15, WEB), reviving the lowly.
- God heals the backslider he has struck. “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him” (Isaiah 57:18, WEB).
- There is no peace for the wicked. The wicked are like a restless sea, and “‘There is no peace’, says my God, ‘for the wicked’” (Isaiah 57:20-21, WEB).
- How does the chapter describe the lengths to which idolatry drives people (verses 5-10)?
- What is surprising about where the high and lofty One chooses to dwell (57:15)?
- How can God both strike a people for their sin and promise to heal them (57:17-18)?
- What is the difference between the peace God gives and the restlessness of the wicked (57:19-21)?
- Where might you be wearing yourself out chasing something other than God, and what would humble repentance look like?
- Idolatry drives people to extremes: inflaming themselves under every tree, sacrificing children, journeying far, even debasing themselves to Sheol, yet still refusing to admit it is in vain (57:5-10). The chapter pictures the endless, exhausting hunger of trusting anything but God.
- We might expect the holy, eternal God to dwell only in the high and lofty place, yet he chooses also to dwell with the contrite and humble (57:15). The same God who is utterly exalted draws near to the broken—a stunning grace that anticipates the gospel.
- God's discipline is not the opposite of his love but an expression of it; having struck the backslider, he sees their ways and moves to heal and lead them (57:17-18). Help the group see that his correction aims at restoration, not destruction.
- God creates peace for those near and far and heals them (57:19), while the wicked are like a tossing sea that cannot rest (57:20). True peace flows from being reconciled to God; without him, the soul churns endlessly.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name where they are striving and weary apart from God, and to bring a contrite heart to the One who dwells with the humble. As leader, emphasize the gentleness of God toward the lowly.