Isaiah 65:6-12 – Promises for the Remnant; Destruction for the Hypocrite
It’s as if God is saying in verse 6, “It’s all written down, all of your sin.” There is a payoff for sin. God does not leave his debts. God does something about them, either in this life, or in the life to come, or both. Judgment must come down upon sin. We see specific sin laid out in verse 7. They’re following along in the same sins as their ancestors. One sort or another of idolatry is mentioned here. There were other things going on in unrighteousness Israel. But the original and master sin was that of idolatry, worshiping false gods or worshiping God in the way they wished, placing their own likes and desires above what He had revealed. And the payoff of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
In verses 8-10 we have delightful promises to the remnant, the chosen, the true Israel of God. We have a picture here of a vine with many dead branches and pathetic, little, sour grapes. But then it’s discovered that there are some good grapes in it, so it is pruned and kept. God is acknowledging that there is a remnant of His people. He is not forgetting about them. He is not about to see them harmed, nor will He root them out with the rest. Now, there are a couple of aspects to this preservation. One is that God will save the lost who are His elect. Verse 9 looks at our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the delightful Saviour of this remnant. He is the offspring. He is the possessor of God’s mountains. He is the elect One in Whom all God’s chosen ones are found. That is how His servants are able to dwell there. And there in God’s house we shall always dwell. In verse 10 we see a delight that comes about after grief. Sharon is a place of beauty, a place of delight, where the flocks could graze and do well. The Valley of Achor which had been a place of trouble for Israel after their defeat at Ai due to the disobedience of Achan – even it is made to be a place of wonder and delight. God shall make all the trouble of the remnant into delight. It’s a place where there shall be peace, prosperity, joy, and the goodness of the Father evident everywhere.
In verses 11-12 we go back to those who are only externally the people of God. They are hypocrites and apostate. A hypocrite is somebody who pretends to be something that they’re not. An apostate is somebody who claims to be a believer and then goes away from Jesus, from Scripture, from God’s people, from truth. The hypocrite and the apostate will not give God their hearts. Their lives are given over to other gods. In verse 12 we read of their reward. Their end is not triumph, but destruction!
Question
- What promises are here for the remnant?
Prayer Points
- Pray for those you know who have walked away from the faith.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.