Isaiah 59:1 “Behold the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;”

What follows is a long list of the reasons that the people are not being saved and their prayers are not being answered. When you finish reading the rest of the chapter, you begin to understand that the problem is not with God. Isaiah quotes God as saying that the problem is sin. Sin separates, and they sinned. God can still save, and God can still hear, but the iniquity of the people has created a gulf between them and the saving arm of God. This is a long passage of pointing out the sins of the people and the reasons they are not being rescued at the moment.

This is not to say that they won’t be saved or that God will never heal them, but obviously, they must change their behavior. Isaiah has been talking about the coming messiah and explaining how he will intervene and save his people. The coming of the messiah is a gift from God and is not deserved by the people, but God will send Him out of love and compassion. It is grace at work. However, we find in the promise of a redeemer, there is also a requirement of repentance or change of heart among the people.

Task for Today: Jesus came. The Messiah arrived with healing in His wings. He came with salvation for all men, but the salvation was conditional. Those who would be saved must be repentant, must place their faith in Jesus, and must enter the new birth through baptism. Have you responded to His call and obeyed His words?