Isaiah 65
65
1I let myself be consulted by people who weren't even asking me questions; I let myself be found by people who weren't even looking for me. To a nation that wasn't even calling for me, I said, “I'm here, I'm here!” 2I spread out my hands all day long, pleading with a stubborn people who follow bad ways, doing whatever they choose. 3These people are always making me angry, because they present sacrifices to idols in their sacred gardens, and offer incense on pagan altars made of brick. 4They spend the night among the graves and in caves, eating pork and cooking other unclean meats. 5They tell others, “Keep your distance! Don't come close to me as I'm too holy to be touched by you!” These people are like smoke in my nostrils, a stink burning all day long!
6Look—it's all written down right in front of me! I'm not going to keep quiet. I'm going to pay them back by throwing their punishment into their laps. 7I'm going to pay you back for both your own sins and the sins of your forefathers, says the Lord, because they burned incense on the mountains and ridiculed me on the hills. I'm going to measure into their laps full payment for what they've done.
8This is what the Lord says: It's like when there's a bit of juice left in a bunch of grapes and people say, “Don't get rid of it all; there's still some good in it.” I'll do the same for my servants—I won't destroy them all. 9I will make sure Jacob has descendants, and people from Judah who can take ownership of my mountain. My chosen ones, my servants, will own the land and live there. 10Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to rest, for my people who follow me.
11But those of you who desert the Lord and forget about my holy mountain, who prepare feasts for the god of good luck,#65:11. “The god of good luck”: literally, “Gad,” a pagan god of good fortune. The name Baal-Gad occurs in Joshua 11:17 and Joshua 12:7, meaning “Lord Gad.” who fill jugs of mixed wine for the god of destiny,#65:11. “The god of destiny”: literally, “Meni,” a pagan god of fate. It is thought that the name comes from the Semitic word “to apportion,” meaning that this god determined the fates of human beings. 12I will make sure your destiny is to be killed by the sword. All of you will bow down to be slaughtered, because I called out to you but you didn't answer; I spoke to you, but you didn't listen. Instead you did what's evil in my sight, choosing to do what I hate.
13So this is what the Lord says, My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. My servants will celebrate, but you will feel ashamed. 14Listen! My servants will shout because they're so happy inside, but you will cry out in deepest pain, howling because your spirit is broken. 15Your name will only be used as a curse by my chosen ones, for the Lord God will kill you and give his servants another name. 16Whoever asks a blessing or takes an oath in the land will do so by the one true God, for I have forgotten the troubles of the past—I don't look on them anymore.
17Look! I'm going to create new heavens and a new earth. The former things won't be remembered—they won't cross anyone's mind! 18Be glad, and be happy forever and ever in what I'm going to create, for I will make Jerusalem a delightful place, and its people a real joy. 19I will be so happy over Jerusalem; I will celebrate among my people. The sound of weeping and cries for help won't ever be heard there again.
20No babies will die after just a few days, and no adults will die without having lived a long life.#65:20. But see 25:8. Those who reach a hundred will be thought of as just a child, and anyone who doesn't reach a hundred will be seen as being under a curse. 21They will build houses and live in them; they will eat the fruit of the vineyards they themselves planted. 22No longer will they build houses for others to live in; no longer will they plant for others to eat. For my people will live as long as trees do; my chosen ones will live long enough to enjoy all they've worked for. 23They won't work for nothing, and they won't have children destined for disaster. For they are people living under the blessing of the Lord, and their children will be too. 24I will reply even before they ask me. While they are still speaking, I will answer them! 25The wolf and the lamb will eat together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. The snakes will eat dust. Nothing will cause any harm or damage anywhere on my holy mountain. #65:25. See 11:9.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 65
65
God’s Righteous Judgment
1“I revealed myself to those
who didn’t even ask to know me.
Those who did not seek me found me. # 65:1 See Rom. 10:20–21.
I said to a nation that did not call on my name, # 65:1 See Matt. 21:42–43; 1 Peter 2:1–10.
‘Here I am! Here I am! I will help you!’
2Day after day I have graciously outstretched my hands # 65:2 There is at least a hint here of the outstretched hands of Jesus on the cross.
to a people who turned their backs to me,
whose way of life is corrupt,
who insist on going their own way. # 65:2 Or “after their own thoughts.” See Judg. 21:25; 2 Cor. 10:3–6.
3They are a people who continually insult me to my face.
They openly and defiantly offer sacrifices to their gods
in their sacred groves
and burn incense on pagan altars. # 65:3 Or “altars of bricks” or “[roof] tiles,” i.e., rooftops. See 2 Kings 23:12; Jer. 19:13; 32:29; Zeph. 1:5.
4They sit inside tombs
and spend the night in secret caves. # 65:4 Possibly to receive messages from the dead. The Hebrew meaning is uncertain.
They eat pork # 65:4 Pork was considered unclean according to Jewish dietary laws.
and their pots are polluted with the broth of unclean meat.
5They tell others,
‘Stay away! Don’t come near; I’m too holy for you to touch.’
These people are like a stench in my nostrils,
a smoldering fire that doesn’t go out!
6Their verdict is determined before me,
and I will not keep silent:
‘I will repay them for what they have done;
I will pay them back for what their sins deserve, # 65:6 Or “I will repay them into their laps.”
7for both their sins and the sins of their fathers.
Because they burned incense on the high places
and blasphemed me on the hills,
I will punish them severely, as their actions deserve,’ ”
says Yahweh.
A Chosen Remnant
8Here is what Yahweh says:
“As new wine is found in the cluster,
and someone says,
‘Don’t destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’
that’s what I will do for my servants’ # 65:8 The “Servant” of the Lord is now plural “servants,” a term that is mentioned seven times in this chapter (vv. 8, 9, 13 [three times], 14, 15). One has become many (see Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 12:12–14; Heb. 2:6–13). sake.
I will not destroy them all.
9I will raise up offspring from Jacob
and from my chosen ones of Judah
to possess my mountains,
and my servants will settle there.
10For my people who seek me,
I will make the Plain of Sharon # 65:10 The Plain of Sharon extends north of the city of Joppa.
a pasture for flocks in the east,
and in the west, the Valley of Trouble # 65:10 Or “Valley of Achor,” commonly identified as Wadi el-Kelt, a deep ravine south of Jericho.
will be a resting place for cattle,
for my people who seek me and no other god.
11“But you who forsake Yahweh
and ignore my holy mountain,
who celebrate a feast for the goddess called Lady Luck # 65:11 Or “Gad,” the name of the Babylonian god of Fortune (Luck).
and fill cups of wine to toast the god Destiny, # 65:11 Or “Meni,” the name of the Babylonian god of Destiny.
know this: your luck has run out.
12For I will destine you for the sword!
You will all kneel down to be slaughtered like sheep
because when I called, you did not answer,
and when I spoke, you did not listen! # 65:12 See Prov. 1:24–33; Heb. 4:12–13.
You did evil before me and chose what I despise.”
13Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will go hungry.
My servants will drink,
but you will go thirsty.
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14My servants will sing joyfully with hearts of gladness,
but you will cry out from the pain deep inside,
and wail from a broken heart.
15When you die, your name will become a curse
used by my chosen ones.
The Lord God will put you to death,
but his godly servants
will leave behind the legacy of an honorable name.
16For whoever pronounces a blessing on the earth
will do so in the name of the God of Faithfulness. # 65:16 Or “the God of Truth” or “the God of Amen.” See Gen. 12:2–3.
And whoever swears by an oath on the earth
will invoke the name of the God of Faithfulness.
The failures # 65:16 Or “troubles,” “emotional pain,” “guilt,” “anxieties,” “hardships,” “distresses,” or “tribulations.” of the past
will be forgotten;
they will be hidden from my eyes.”
The Kingdom of God
17“Look! I am creating
entirely new heavens and a new earth! # 65:17 See Isa. 66:22; 2 Peter 3:12–13; Rev. 21:1.
They will be so wonderful
that no one will even think about the old ones anymore!
18As you wait for the reality of what I am creating,
be filled with joy and unending gladness!
Look! I am ready to create Jerusalem
as a source of sheer joy,
and her people, an absolute delight!
19I will rejoice in this new Jerusalem
and find great delight in my people.
You will no longer hear
the sound of weeping or cries of distress.
20No baby will die in infancy there,
and everyone will live out their full lifespan. # 65:20 See Pss. 21:4; 91:16; Prov. 3:1–14.
For when centenarians die,
they will be considered youngsters,
and anyone who dies earlier
will be considered of no account.
21-22People will build their own houses to live in,
and they will not be taken over by someone else.
They will plant their own vineyards to enjoy, # 65:21–22 Or “eat [drink] their fruit.” The implication of these two verses is that foreign invaders will not take over the land.
and they will not be confiscated by someone else.
They will live long lives, like age-old trees, # 65:21–22 See Rev. 22:2.
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest
the work of their hands throughout their lives.
23They will neither work in vain for someone else,
nor will their children face disaster
for they will be children # 65:23 Or “seed.” See Isa. 53:10. and grandchildren # 65:23 Or “descendants.”
who are blessed by Yahweh.
24Before they even call out to me,
I will answer them; # 65:24 See Isa. 30:19; Jer. 33:3; Matt. 6:8; John 16:23–24.
before they’ve finished telling me what they need,
I’ll have already heard.
25The wolf and the lamb will graze side by side, # 65:25 See Isa. 11:6.
and the lion will eat straw like the ox, # 65:25 See Isa. 11:7.
and the serpent’s food will be dust. # 65:25 See Gen. 3:14; 1 Cor. 15:47–49. Man was made from dust. The serpent feeds on whatever we withhold from God. The devil’s dining room is the fallen human nature and the minds of men who are not yielded to God. Over time, the serpent feeds and grows into the great dragon (see Rev. 12:9).
There will be neither violence nor murder
on my entire holy mountain of Zion,” says Yahweh.
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