Isaiah 59 Devotional

When No One Could Intercede

“He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him.”Isaiah 59:16 (BSB)

Isaiah begins by clearing God's name. The LORD is still strong enough to save and still listening. The problem is on the other side: the people's sins have built a wall between them and their God (59:1-2). The charges follow: bloodstained hands, lying lips, and no one pleading honestly in court (59:3-8). Then the people confess it. They grope like the blind at noon, and they know their sins testify against them (59:9-15).

What God does next is the turning point. He sees that there is no one to intercede, and so his own arm brings salvation (59:15-16). He puts on righteousness and salvation like armor and acts alone (59:17). A Redeemer will come to Zion for those who turn from their sin (59:20). Paul cites this promise when he speaks of God taking away sins (Romans 11:26-27). When no one else could close the gap, God closed it himself. Hope still begins there, not with your ability to reach him, but with his reaching you.

To think about: Where have you been trying to bridge the distance to God yourself, instead of trusting the Redeemer he has sent?