Isaiah 57:1-11

Isa 57:1

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.

God continues his discourse from the last chapter concerning the apathy and unrighteous nature most had in Judah before they went into captivity.  The righteous people, those who refused to follow idolatry, were perishing out of the land which means their influence to the next generation and to others would cease.  All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. (Ecclesiastes 7:15)  The wicked rulers did not even care that these people were being taken by the LORD.  Those who showed mercy to others were also being taken away.  What was happening was that the more the righteous people had been taken, the less Godly influence would be available in Judah.  The righteous were being taken away and none of the leaders cared since their hearts were steeped in wickedness and most wicked people would rejoice when the Godly are removed from the land making it easier to perform their wicked deeds when there is no conscience to challenge them.  It is the same in our time when true Christians die, their influence on others is over and those whom they ministered to will either continue to be righteous or go in the ways of wickedness.

Isa 57:2

He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

When the righteous man dies, they enter into a peaceful existence as sin and the wicked can no longer touch them.  Resting in their beds teaches that they now rest from all their labors after a life of uprightness which went opposite of the world system.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)  The uprightness would be the imputed righteousness of Christ to the true believer.

Isa 57:3

But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

Then those wicked who thought they were safe from the danger of death are now being summoned to hear what the Lord is warning them about.  Their wickedness in their false religions was so heinous that they were called the sons of the sorceress who were the ones who performed magic, and conjuring up of familiar spirits.  Then as with all the false ancient religions, there was always adultery and prostitution involved.  Many of the whores became pregnant and now they gave birth to sons who have followed in their mother’s footsteps.  Then these two monikers can also be applied to the unbelievers who lived in Judah who were not of the true line of Abraham.  They were the ones responsible for leading the people astray.  Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. (Jeremiah 3:2) 

Isa 57:4

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,

Then the question is posed to the wicked.  Whom do you sport or jest yourselves against?  The wicked are being brought to task because of their persecution of the righteous while they are in rebellion to the LORD.  To open their mouth and draw out the tongue is a gesture made by mockers and scoffers of which the times we live in are loaded with them.  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3)  I am writing this part on August 10, 2021 and on August 12 there is going to be a “Global Middle Finger to end Christianity” where supposed millions are going to raise their middle finger to Heaven in hopes to create more atheists.  Are not these children of transgression just like in ancient Israel who were born not of the truth but of the seed of spiritual whoredom?  They think that gestures like this will somehow end Christianity.  It shows you the perverseness of their thinking and the fact that they do not know who they are playing with.  Something the ancients and these fools do not understand:  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7) 

Isa 57:5

Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

Here God speaks to them about their rituals in idolatry.  They enflame themselves or arouse themselves with their idols in the groves in the forests where they worship them and they had gone so far as to sacrifice children like Manasseh and others did.  The clifts of the rocks were probably chosen because it was a cooler place.  The valleys may have been the valleys of Hinnom.

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (2 Kings 17:17)

And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (2 Kings 21:6)

Isa 57:6

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?

In ancient times there was a practice of taking stones and worshipping them.  One of the Norse gods was represented by a stone.  In fact, Jacob did that when he created a pillar of stones and then anointed it.  And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. (Genesis 28:18)  Now Jacob did not commit idolatry because he did not worship those stones but dedicated it to the LORD and even anointed those stones.  In the Old Testament the word for “images” can also be understood as pillars of stones. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. (Exodus 23:24) 

These people were so idolatrous that they began to make libations to the stones or the pillars and then make meat offerings unto them.  That problem persisted into the time of the New Testament.  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. (1 Corinthians 8:7)  Was God going to receive comfort from the fact that his people were now sacrificing to stones?  It was rank idolatry and God condemned those actions as we read in Exodus 23:24 as Israel was to destroy those idols not join in.

Isa 57:7

Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

The high and lofty places were where the heathens practiced their idolatry and Israel had followed in the same manner.  In fact, they set their beds on those mountains which means they had rested in their idolatry thinking that all was good and that they could rest knowing that the false gods would watch over them but it was a false peace as no false gods can ever do anything since they do not exist.  As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. (1 Corinthians 8:4) 

Isa 57:8

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.

Then public idolatry was not the only thing that Judah had partook in but they had household idols too where they would practice their false religions behind the privacy of their home.  Laban had household gods as he searched for them when Jacob left his home.  And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? (Genesis 31:30)  Think about it, if they were real gods, how could you steal them?  Unfortunately they placed no difference between the images and the false gods they represented.  They had made themselves available to the false gods which was spiritual fornication or prostitution, when they should had made themselves available to God alone  They enlarged the bed in that they had taken in others in the worship of false religions and therefore enlarged the numbers of those who would join in.  They made a covenant with them that they would always worship those idols and bring others into it also.  They loved their bed because it made them feel comfortable just like those who walk with the world system and see themselves prosper from it, there is a comfortable feeling even though they are totally deceived.  These people felt at home with their idols no matter where the location was.

Isa 57:9

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.

Another serious sin they committed was that they expanded their idolatrous network by sending gifts to the rulers and kings of the Gentile or foreign nations and making pacts with them.  Just like Ahaz made a pact with Tiglath-Pileser.  So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. (2 Kings 16:7)  This resulted in them falling deeper into idolatry as they would follow the false idols of the nations they had made contracts with.  False religion is a product of hell and Satan would do anything to divert the child of God from the path of truth in Christ.

Isa 57:10

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.

Then the people, because of their wideness in accepting the false religions of the surrounding countries, were not able to attain that rest they desired instead they became weary.  There was another place where God stated they were weary.  Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. (Isaiah 47:13)  They were wearied because of the false religions which did not give a person any peace whether in soul or in body because there was always work involved in false religions.  They refused to admit that they were in a hopeless situation because the false religions were only adding to their burdens and could not give them rest.  They believed that their hands were strengthened by these false religions and they were satisfied that they thought they were appeasing the false gods by their works in the groves and in the secret cliffs.  Therefore, they thought they were not grieved but they held on to a surface satisfaction which could never satisfy their soul.  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)  Jesus promised to give rest for the souls of his people because they now rest in the truth of the gospel which Christ won for the Elect upon Calvary.  The soul can rest in him because he is the truth.

Isa 57:11

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?