Isaiah 65

Isaiah 65:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations God’s promises to his special people An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 58 to 66 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 65 Chapters 65-66 refer to subjects in Chapters 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).

Verses 1-7

These verses describe the same situation in the *Old Testament. There are many *Israelites who would consider themselves to be the ‘people of God’. But their daily behaviour does not agree with their words (see Jeremiah 35:15; Ezekiel 33:11).

Verse 3

The people are not content merely to leave God out of their lives. They are boldly insulting God on purpose. They say that they do not need God. They are self-sufficient (in other words, they depend only on themselves).

 They *worship their home-made *idols. The people know that their action is against God’s law (see Exodus 20:4-5). The people do not realise that they are in fact giving *worship to devils (see Leviticus 17:7; 1 Corinthians 10:19-21). Such people are therefore allowing evil spirits to control them. The result of such behaviour can only be a terrible end for these people.

Verse 4a (that is, the first part of verse 4)

God does not allow human efforts to contact the spirit world or to contact people that have died (see Deuteronomy 18:9-11). It is a very dangerous practice.

Verse 4b (the second part of verse 4)

The meat of pigs was in the list of foods that God’s people were not to eat (see Deuteronomy 14:8). God’s command about pig’s meat could have been for reasons of health. Pig’s meat contains toxic (poisonous) substances. If people do not cook the meat sufficiently, it can cause illness or even death.

 But God’s order about pig’s meat had a more serious reason. To eat pig’s meat was not only a *Gentile practice (see Matthew 8:30). It was part of *idol *worship.

 Only when God’s special Servant (*Messiah) came to offer his life as the one perfect *sacrifice, did the situation change. The death of Jesus the Christ (*Messiah) on the Cross opened heaven to the *Gentiles. So God cancelled the limit on what his people could eat (see Mark 7:19b; Acts 10:10-15).

Verse 5

Those who proudly pretend to be ‘holier’ than other people make God very angry. Such people proudly consider that they do not need God. The picture language of ‘smoke up the nose’ describes what God’s feels about such a vain opinion.

Verse 6

The only real judge of what makes a person ‘holy’ is the holy God himself. A holy person obeys God at all times (see Exodus 19:5-6). Any person who carries out evil behaviour is clearly not truly holy.

In this and the next verse, God uses the picture language of a debt. Punishment is due for the people’s evil deeds. And like a debt that someone must pay, the punishment must happen in full (completely).

Verse 7

God warned people long ago that their guilty lives will affect later *descendants (see Exodus 20:5-6). This means that later *descendants will copy the bad behaviour. Therefore they too will receive punishment. God’s loyal people are special v8 ‘But I will not *destroy all the people,’ says the *Lord. ‘Nobody throws away good *grapes with the bad ones. The good *grapes are worth the trouble to keep them in order to make wine. Neither will I *destroy the loyal people who serve me truly. v9 I will preserve them. And I will give them the country called Israel as their home. They and their *descendants will serve me there. v10 Sheep and goats will find food in Sharon in the west. And other animals will lie down in the quiet valley called Achor in the east. It will all belong to my people who serve me.’

Verse 10

The plain called Sharon is the level land that is south of the mountain called Carmel. The valley called Achor was famous for the great trouble that happened there (see Joshua 7:24-26). The whole region has very good soil for agriculture. Now the area will provide peace and plenty, both for God’s loyal people and for their animals. Contrast the fate of people for and against God v11 ‘But it will be so different for you who have left me, the *Lord. You care nothing about my sacred *Temple. But you offer gifts of food and wine to give honour to the gods that you call Gad (Good Luck) and Meni (Fate). v12 Therefore your luck will run out and your fate will be death by the sword. Because you did not answer when I called you. Nor did you listen when I spoke to you. You chose on purpose not to obey me, but to do evil things.’ v13 Therefore the *Lord declares: ‘You will starve.

But my loyal servants will have food to eat. You will have no water. But they will have plenty to drink. You will be miserable and ashamed. But they will be full of happiness. v14 You will cry bitterly because of your troubles and despair. But they will shout aloud for joy. v15 My loyal people will use your name as a *curse word.

And I, the *Lord, will strike you dead as a result. But, to those who obey me, I will give a new name (and a new name means a new life). v16 People in the country will ask me to bless them,’ says the *Lord. ‘They will be praying to the God whose name is Truth. And people in the country will make a vow (serious promise) to me. They will be doing so to the God whose name is Truth. I will no longer keep in my mind the reason for your troubles in the past.’

Verses 11-12

False gods cannot decide the future of people who *worship them. The *Lord will make that decision. He alone is in complete control. And the *Lord’s judgement will be severe against those that deny his authority.

 Some people are loyal to God. But other people refuse to give him honour. And there is a clear difference between them. The different fates of the two groups do not happen immediately. A similar picture of the human relationship with God appears all through the Bible (see Genesis 18:23; Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:1-11; Galatians 6:7-8; Revelation 20:11-15).

Verses 13-14

The form of God’s punishment is the result of the bad people’s own choice.

It is God who creates all things. When bad people cut off their relation with God, they cut off the source of their food. God’s loyal people have the opposite attitude. They obey God. So they benefit from all that God creates. The result is that they have plenty of food.

Verse 15

For another example of the use of a name as a *curse, see Jeremiah 29:22.

Verse 16

The ‘God whose name is Truth’ means ‘the *Lord is always true to his promises’. His people can trust him completely at all times. In the original language, the word ‘Truth’ is ‘Amen’ (see 2 Corinthians 1:20; Revelation 3:14).

 The ‘troubles’ of these people are what they had suffered because of previous bad behaviour. But now these people have turned to God. That changes the situation. What God will create v17 ‘See! I am creating new heavens and a new earth. People will not even remember what happened in the past. v18 Be full of joy, because of what I am doing. For I am creating New *Jerusalem, a city that is full of happy people. v19 And I too will be full of joy, because of *Jerusalem and all its inhabitants. There will be no more tears in the city and no more cries for help. v20 Neither will a baby die in the city after a life that lasts for just a few days. Nor will there be an old man who does not live a long life.

It will be normal for a young man to live to the age of 100 years. If someone did not reach the age of 100 years, people would suppose that person’s death to be God’s punishment. v21 People will build houses and they will live in them. They will plant *vineyards and they will enjoy the wine. v22 They will not build houses, only for other people to occupy them. Nor will they plant *vineyards, only for other people to enjoy their fruit. My special people, the people that I chose, will live to be as old as great trees. And they will long enjoy what they themselves have produced. v23 Their labour will not be in vain.

Nor will they have children who suffer unhappy fates. But the children will share their parents’ good gifts from the *Lord. v24 Before they call to me, I will have the answer ready. While they are still speaking, I will have replied. v25 The *wolf and the lamb (young sheep) will eat grass together in the same field. The lion and the ox (farm animal) will eat straw from the same box. The snake will have dust to eat! No animal or person will cause pain or death anywhere on my holy mountain.’ This is what the *Lord has declared.

Verses 17-18

At the present time, the people can see nothing but the great damage that enemies have done. Those enemies ruined both the *Temple and the city. But this situation will not continue. The *Lord is making his preparations for new heavens and a new earth. That will include a new *Jerusalem.

 When God makes something ‘new’, he creates something of a nature previously unknown (as in the title ‘*New Testament’).

Verse 19a (the first part of verse 19)

So there is every reason for the people to be full of joy. And God himself will enjoy their delight.

Verses 19b-23

Every part of life will bring complete satisfaction. And there will be total harmony (agreement, peace and happiness). There will not be any sad or painful memories from an earlier life.

Verse 24

The *Lord has prepared everything, even before his people pray.

Verse 25

The present natural habits of animals will also completely change (see Isaiah 11:6-9).

© 2007, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

October 2007

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var w13 = new Array;w13[0]=’<b%3ELord</b%3E ~ God’s name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s names mean ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.’;w13[1]=’<b%3EZion</b%3E ~ the mountain in Jerusalem where God’s holy Temple was.