Isaiah 65:1-25

Isaiah: God controls the nations

God’s promises to his special people

Isaiah Chapter s 58 to 66

Norman Hillyer

Chapter 65

Chapter s 65-66 refer to subjects in Chapter s 1-4.

• In chapter 2:1-4, the *Lord promises to raise *Zion to be the greatest mountain.

• In chapter 66:1-24, *Zion becomes the most important place in the *Lord’s ‘new heavens and new earth’ (see Revelation 21:1-3).

Punishment for guilty people

v1 (The *Lord speaks.) ‘I was ready to answer my people’s prayers. But my people did not pray. I was ready to meet my people. But my people did not even look for me. I told my people that I was available to help them. But I waited in vain.

v2 I have always been ready to give a welcome to my people. But they continue to do whatever they want to do. They carry out their own plans. And those plans have no value. v3 Their insults make me so angry. They offer gifts to *idols, but not to me. And they burn *incense to their *idols. v4 They sit among graves and they spend nights in caves. They are trying to get messages from dead persons. They eat the meat of pigs, which I have forbidden. The pots in which they cook food are full of evil soup. v5 One will say to another, “Do not come near me, because I am holier than you!” These people are like smoke up my nose. They are like a fire that burns all day,’ says the *Lord.

v6 ‘The record of their evil deeds is in front of me. I have decided on their punishment. I know what they have done. I will not be silent. I will make them pay in full (completely) for all their wicked behaviour. v7 That is, for all the bad things that both they and also their *ancestors have done. Because their *ancestors too burned *incense in front of their *idols on the hills. They also insulted me. So I will calculate the punishment that they deserve. And I will pay them in full (completely).’

Every human society has always included some people that have supported completely the purposes of their society. But there are also a great many more people that are members only in name. That is, they are content simply to call themselves members. This distinction is also true about God’s church on earth. There are many members, but only a few that truly know God. They declare their genuine trust in God because they are eager to serve him (see Matthew 7:20-21).