ISAIAH 59

ISAIAH 59

THE PROBLEM DEFINED

SPAWNING OF DENOMINATIONAL STRIFE

Through the centuries of Church history, almost every incident of spurious doctrines and practices has surfaced in times of great turmoil and infighting within the Church.

Similar to the wife of Hosea, the Church returned very rapidly to its former lifestyle after the awakening of the Reformation. Bickering and quarreling over various points of doctrine and practice soon became commonplace, and was very annoying to the Lord.

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
ISA 59:2 BUT YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOD, AND YOUR SINS HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU, THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR.

Perhaps the best definition of INIQUITY would be that it is the SPIRIT OF FLESH, or the SPIRIT OF MAN. When mankind INDULGES THE IMPULSES OF THE FLESH, they become WORKERS OF INIQUITY. Surely the Denominational spirit, which sprang up after the Reformation, is a “work of iniquity” in full bloom.

Ø Jam 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Isa 59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
Isa 59:4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

We are not getting by with the indulgence of the spirit of Man that we have collectively engaged in. It has cost us much more than it has been worth, and the price is going higher all the time.

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE LORD WILL GRANT US SPACE FOR REPENTANCE.

Isa 59:5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

Ø Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.



ISA 59:6 THEIR WEBS SHALL NOT BECOME GARMENTS, NEITHER SHALL THEY COVER THEMSELVES WITH THEIR WORKS: THEIR WORKS ARE WORKS OF INIQUITY, AND THE ACT OF VIOLENCE IS IN THEIR HANDS.
Isa 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

All of this in the name of, and in defense of RELIGION. But, of course, we are free from such things today. This is referring to men of medieval times. ?????

Isa 59:8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

Denominational strife opens the gate for all other forms of human carnality, and before long we are completely devoid of Spiritual harmony and blessing.

Ø Jam 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Ø Jam 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Ø Jam 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

ISA 59:9 THEREFORE IS JUDGMENT FAR FROM US, NEITHER DOTH JUSTICE OVERTAKE US: WE WAIT FOR LIGHT, BUT BEHOLD OBSCURITY; FOR BRIGHTNESS, BUT WE WALK IN DARKNESS.

THE CHURCH DOES NOT HEAR FROM GOD BECAUSE OF OUR BENT TO CARNALITY.

Isa 59:10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
Isa 59:11 We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
ISA 59:12 FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS (REBELLIONS) ARE MULTIPLIED BEFORE THEE, AND OUR SINS (HABITUAL SINFULNESS) TESTIFY AGAINST US: FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS (REVOLTINGS) ARE WITH US; AND AS FOR OUR INIQUITIES (PERVERSITIES), WE KNOW THEM;
Isa 59:13 In transgressing (quarreling) and lying (FALSE DEALING) against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression (fraud) and revolt (apostacy), conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood (feignedly).
ISA 59:14 AND JUDGMENT IS TURNED AWAY BACKWARD (RETREATS), AND JUSTICE STANDETH AFAR OFF: FOR TRUTH (STABILITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS) IS FALLEN IN THE STREET, AND EQUITY (STRAIGHTFORWARDNESS) CANNOT ENTER.
Isa 59:15 Yea, truth faileth (is missing); and he that departeth (turn from crime) from evil maketh himself a prey (ends up ruined): and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment (discretion).

The Church, as we know it today, has not accomplished what it should have done if it had not become fractured and splintered by divisions of doctrine and practice.

Ø Isa 26:18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

ISA 59:16 AND HE SAW THAT THERE WAS NO MAN, AND WONDERED THAT THERE WAS NO INTERCESSOR: THEREFORE HIS ARM BROUGHT SALVATION UNTO HIM; AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, IT SUSTAINED HIM.

The Lord put on the armour that He had enjoined US to put on, and will do what a UNIFIED Church WOULD have been able to do. The Lord will do it Himself, because we have disqualified ourselves by our bickering and fighting.

Ø Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ø Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Ø Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Ø Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ø Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Ø Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Paul, and other Apostles, left us an example of Christian warfare, but we have not followed the example.

Ø 2Co 6:3 Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
Ø 2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
Ø 2Co 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;
Ø 2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
Ø 2Co 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
Ø 2Co 6:8 By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
Ø 2Co 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
Ø 2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Isa 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

It was SO EASY to drift into factions and division. The price of such misguided activity, however, has been very high.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands (Nations) he will repay recompense.

A PROMISE TO ALL WHO RESPOND TO THE CALL OF THE SPIRIT.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. WHEN THE ENEMY SHALL COME IN LIKE A FLOOD, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM.

What a wonderful promise this is. God will be MORE THAN VICTOR.

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to ZION, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Isa 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them (OVERCOMERS), saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever.

What a source of Comfort and Encouragement! We can, forever, depend on the Spirit and Word of God.