1
Behold, the hand of the LORD is not shortened, that it cannot save,
and his ear is not dull, that it cannot hear;
2
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he does not hear.
3
For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips speak lies,
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4
No one brings a just complaint,
and no one pleads with integrity;
they trust in emptiness and speak lies,
they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.
5
They hatch vipers’ eggs,
and weave the spider’s web;
whoever eats of their eggs dies,
and when one is crushed, a viper comes out.
6
Their webs will not serve as clothing,
nor will they cover themselves with what they make;
their deeds are deeds of iniquity,
and the work of their hands is violence.
7
Their feet run to evil,
and they hasten to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
desolation and ruin are in their paths.
8
They do not know the way of peace,
and there is no justice in their tracks;
they have made crooked paths,
whoever walks in them does not know peace.
9
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us;
we wait for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10
We grope along the wall like the blind,
and we grope as though we had no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among the strong we are like the dead.
11
We all growl like bears;
we moan sadly like doves;
we wait for justice, but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12
For our transgressions are many before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13
transgressing and denying the LORD,
and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
14
Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public square,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15
Thus righteousness is driven back,
and whoever turns away from evil becomes a prey.
The LORD saw it,
and it was evil in His eyes that there was no justice.
16
He saw that there was no one,
and He was astonished that there was no one to intercede.
So His own arm brought Him help,
and His righteousness sustained Him.
17
He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation was on His head;
He clothed Himself with garments of vengeance
and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak.
18
According to their deeds, so He will repay:
wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
to the coastlands He will render repayment.
19
So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west,
and His glory from the rising of the sun;
for He will come like a rushing stream,
which the breath of the LORD drives along.
20
And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,
declares the LORD.
21
As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the LORD:
My Spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth,
shall not depart from your mouth,
or from the mouth of your offspring,
or from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,
from now and forever, says the LORD.
⚖️🕳️🩸 Summary of Isaiah 59 – Sin That Separates and God’s Promise of Redemption
Isaiah 59 is a chapter that shakes the heart. Here, God rebukes the people that it is not His hand that is too short to save, but their sins that have made the separation. The people live in injustice, lies, violence, and oppression. God sees and is astonished because there is not one who stands as a defender of righteousness. So God Himself steps in as Redeemer — and His promise is the Spirit and the everlasting word for the people who turn back to Him.
📌 1. Sin Creates Distance from God (verses 1–2)
“It is not the LORD’s hand that is too short to save…”
- God is not unable or unwilling to help
- It is the people’s sin and evil that separate them from God
🎯 The problem is not on God’s side, but within the human heart.
📌 2. The Evil That Is Rebuked (verses 3–8)
“Your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with evil…”
- The people speak lies, oppress the weak, and plan evil
- Picture: hatching vipers’ eggs and weaving spider webs — the result is always death
- There is no peace because their paths are full of violence
🎯 Sin is not only a personal act, but it creates a broken culture that destroys one another.
📌 3. The People’s Confession and Regret (verses 9–15a)
“We look for light, but there is only darkness…”
- The people realize they are walking in darkness, spiritually blind, and far from the truth
- They confess sin collectively: rebellion, deceit, and denial of God
- There is no justice — and that is painful
🎯 True repentance begins with an honest confession of a broken spiritual condition.
📌 4. The Lord Himself Becomes the Redeemer (verses 15b–20)
“He saw that there was no one, and He was astonished…”
- Because there was no defender of justice, the Lord Himself put on His armor and came down as Redeemer
- He repays evil, but gives deliverance to those who repent
- “The Redeemer will come to Zion” for those who turn back from rebellion
🎯 The Lord does not remain silent in the face of injustice — He intervenes to save.
📌 5. The Promise of the New Covenant (verse 21)
“My Spirit who is upon you, and My word… will not depart from your mouth…”
- The Lord promises the Spirit and the Word as a spiritual inheritance
- This covenant is not temporary, but everlasting — from generation to generation
🎯 This promise is fulfilled in Christ and the Holy Spirit — the word lives in the hearts of His people.
📖 Main Teaching
- Sin creates distance between humanity and God
- A culture of sin suppresses justice and destroys one another
- True repentance is collective confession and humility
- God acts as an active Redeemer — not passively waiting
- The promise of the Spirit and the Word is a spiritual inheritance for an obedient people
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“All have sinned… and are justified freely by grace…”
➡️ All people have sinned — but it is God who justifies through Christ.
“Put on the whole armor of God…”
➡️ The picture of God as a warrior in Isaiah 59:17 is fulfilled in Christian faith as spiritual armor.
“Out of Zion will come the Redeemer…”
➡️ Directly quoting Isaiah 59:20 — fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
📖 John 1:1,14
“The Word became flesh…”
➡️ The promise of the eternal Word is fulfilled in Christ and continued by the Holy Spirit.
🎯 God does not give up on a sinful world — rather, He enters it to save it.
🕊️ “The LORD’s hand is not too short to save.” – Isaiah 59:1
🕊️ “Your hands are defiled with blood…” – Isaiah 59:3
🕊️ “He saw that there was no one… so His own hand brought help.” – Isaiah 59:16
🕊️ “The Redeemer will come to Zion.” – Isaiah 59:20
🕊️ “My Spirit and My word… will not depart from your mouth…” – Isaiah 59:21
