Isaiah 57 Can Be Divided

Isaiah 57 can be divided into three sections, according to the audience. The chapter addresses the righteous and those who have fallen into idolatry. The chapter opens with a message to the righteous, comforting them that they will have peace, while those that have fallen from righteousness will suffer and perish. Verses 3-13 serve as a warning to those that choose the wrong path. The third section of the chapter expresses God's anger with the wicked and serves as a call for the righteous to prepare the road. In the following exegesis, we will examine verses 3-'3, the message to the wicked. It will support the thesis that Isaiah's key message is not about the individual, but in the ability to build a society that was just and fair to everyone.

Outline and Verse Summaries

Isaiah, Chapter 57, verses 3-13 serve as a direct warning to those that have fallen from righteousness. In these verses, the speaker, presumably God, addresses the sings directly, particularly that of sacrifices. The verses are not vague and directly address the nature of the sinners.

I Audiences Identification

a. Verse 3. This serves as the opening of the address to the sinners. It tells them to come, calling them offspring of the most unsavory aspects of society: sorceresses, adulterers, and prostitues.

b. Verse 4. This verse suggests that the persons to whom God is speaking are present. It tells the audience reaction to the speaker. They are mocking him with sneers and sticking out their tongues.

c. Verse 5. This verse directly addresses the sins of the group being addressed, particularly lust and child sacrifice.

II. The Accusation

a. Verse 6. The audience is partaking in idol worship, offering drink and grains to them.

We find that they are living in a valley. The speaker asks if they should ignore this. This comment is made in a sarcastic tone.

b. Verse 7. The village is on a high hill, also a place of sacrifice.

c. Verse 8. This verse tells us what the sinners do behind closed doors. It suggests adultery and sins of the flesh. We find that the sinners are not only committing public sacrifices, but that they are also practicing pagan religions in their homes as well. It has permeated all levels of their life, even the most private parts.

d. Verse 9. When things did not go as planned, the audience of sinners increased their prayers and pagan ways and sent ambassadors far away to plead on their behalf.

e. Verse 10. When their sacrifices and pagan prayers did not work, they did not stop and relent, but continued with their practices and rituals. They persevered in their practices against adversity.

III., Warning and Punishment

Verse 11. God accuses them of losing their fear of him, but not because he has been silent. This verse suggests that the sinners chose not to listen to the voice of God. It was a personal choice, not for lack of presence.

Verse 12. God promises to expose the works of the sinners. He promises that their idolatry will not benefit them.

Verse 13. God tells them that the wind will blow away their idols and that in the end, they will not save them, but if they will return to righteousness, then they will be safe from harm.

Isaiah Chapter 57, verses 3-13 can be summarized as God's accusation of the Israelites, their fall from grace, and a warning of what will happen to them if they do not change their ways.

Analysis

Point-of-View

The first point of significance that distinguishes this text from the surrounding text is that it is in second person. It directly addresses the group to whom the speaker (presumably God) is speaking. It is delivered as if it is a direct message to the intended audience. This contrasts with the first two verses, and the final section of the Chapter, which are delivered in third person. In the first two verses and the final section, the speaker is talking about the audience. In verses 3-13, the speaker is directly addresses the intended audience.

The transition to second person gives the impression that the speaker is present. However, this may or may not be the case. It may be that the speaker is addressing the audience through the interpreter to be delivered at a later time. However, verse 4, supports that argument that the audience is present, as we are given clues as to what their reaction is to the message. If one takes a literal translation of the verse, it suggests that the audience is present and reacting to the speaker.

There is the possibility the when the speaker refers to the audience sneering and sticking out their tongues, it may be metaphorical. It may simply mean that by ignoring the word of God and continuing to participate in Pagan practices, it is like sticking our one's tongue at God. There are two interpretations of the audience contained in verse 4, depending on whether one takes a literal or metaphorical translation of the verse.

Audience

Verse 3 tells us quite a bit of information about the audience in very few words. The audience is the sons of those less savory elements of society. This means that they have no chance of knowing anything but the sins of which they are being confronted. There is an implication that because they were born into a certain lifestyle, they are more likely to follow it themselves. They have "inherited" the sins of the parents through learning and socialization.

Up until this point, the audience is considered to be innocent victims of the sins of their parents. They did not know that what they were doing was wrong. Their parents were guilty of knowingly abandoning God's commandments. Their children had little choice in the matter. However, this warning places the responsibility of salvation on the children. They have a choice and are being given a warning to change their ways.

Setting

From the clues in the text, it can be determined that the location of the speech, and the location of the transgressions, is near t deep valley with a lofty hill nearby. The village has been set up on the hill, as indicated in verse 8 regarding sleeping arrangements. They travel to the valley to make sacrifices and have erected idols there. This indicates that the valley is close to the living residences. Another view of these verses may point to a more spiritual translation, indicating that the verses reference spiritual concepts, rather than referring to a geographical place. Lofty may be a reference to pride and self-importance.

Once again, the interpretation of these verses depends on whether one takes a literal or metaphorical translation. Hanna Liss demonstrates numerous instances throughout the Book of Isaiah where the author used metaphors to depersonalize the meaning, making it relevant to a larger audience

A Commitment to Sin

By examining verse 4, we find that the audience of the message is inherits their state of sin from their parents. They have known no other way of life, but this still does not serve as a pardon in an of itself.

In verse 8, God demonstrates his omnipotence by telling the audience that he knows what they do inside of their own homes. They cannot hide their transgressions from him.

Several times throughout this passage, the audience demonstrates that they do not have a desire to discontinue their ways. In verse 8, we find that not only do they sin, they have a personal connection and a sense of commitment to these acts. They do it in private, and engage in pagan worship in their own homes. This demonstrates that the audience feels a connection with the ritual and are not just acting one way in public and another in private. They feel a religious connection to their sinful ways. Verse 10 supports this level of commitment, when they will not stop their ways, even when it would seem "hopeless."

God's Wrath

Verses 5-10 describe the sinners and their action. We find out that they are committed to their ways and are presented a list of their transgressions, including child sacrifice. In verse 9, we find out that they are participating in Molech worship. Molech was the Canaanite god of fire, but is also found referenced in Assyrian texts

. The recipient of the message of the book of Isaiah was intended for the Israelites as a proclamation of God's righteousness and to provide a vision of the world that he intended for them

Isaiah 57, 3-13 is a response to a resurgence of the "old" religions of Canaan. In Verse 11, we find that God has not abandoned them, but that they simply were not listening any longer. Verse 12 expresses clear anger with the children of Israel. God informs the children of Israel of what he will do. There is an implied suggestion that they can change their ways and avoid the catastrophes that will befall them.

In verse 13, God directly challenges the false Gods to save the Israelites. God tells them that their idols will do them no good and that he can and will destroy them. God also reiterates his promise to the righteous that he will keep them safe and the land will be theirs. This verse demonstrates God's ultimate authority and superiority over the old pagan gods. It proclaims his undisputed position and his intolerance for the worship of other deities.

Chapter 57: It's Place in Isaiah

According to Isaiah, it is the duty of every Israelite to adhere to the morals and commandments of God

. Isaiah viewed Assyria as God's tool for doling out punishment to the rest of the world for transgressions

. Isaiah, Chapter 57 is a plea for the Israelites to take action as a nation so that they do not collectively suffer as sinners.

The Great Isaiah Scroll

The Isaiah scrolls are divided into two sections. It is one of the most complete of the scrolls in existence today. An examination of the original scroll reveals that the scribe ended and began a new paragraph between verse 2 and verse 3

. The next paragraph begins with verse 14

. This separation indicates that verses 3-13 are to be taken as a separate section from the rest of the text. In addition to this paragraph break, a large space in verse 13 divides the verse into two parts. The second part is like a short verse for memorization, "he who trusts in me shall divide the earth and inherit my holy mountain"

The separation of verses 3-13 separates the message contained for emphasis. The Israelites that continue to worship the old Gods are of special concern to the Prophet Isaiah. They are separated to receive special attention in the text. Spacing of the original scroll can provide important clues as to the proper message and translation of the passage. These spacing are important to the translation of the text.

Scholars largely agree that the Isaiah scroll was written over a span of approximately 300 years and that it contains the work of at least four authors

. The First Isaiah spans from chapters 1-23 and from 28-31. It is believed to be the work of Isaiah of Jerusalem in the late 8th Century. The Second Isaiah is from chapters 40-55 and questionably chapter 35. This author was unnamed and lived in mid-6th Century Babylon

. The Third Isaiah is the author of Chapter 57. His work spanned chapters 56-66 and perhaps 24 and 7. It is thought to be a later writing than the first two. The Fourth Isaiah is a narrative taken almost word for word from Second Kings 18-20

Scholarly opinions regarding authorship disagree with traditional Christian teachings, which teach that the scroll is written by a single Prophet, Isaiah

. Scholarly opinion is supported by scientific evidence, such as carbon dating. Differences in literary style also support the multiple author hypothesis. The key question in gaining an understanding of the text is not whether the work is by one or multiple authors, but whether this affects is use and message in Christian ideology. In order to understand this question, let us examine the content and themes found in the Book of Isaiah.

Content and Themes

The Book of Isaiah centers on the connection between the worship practices and moral behavior in its practitioners. In chapter 57, God berates his people for following a form or worship that leads to treating others poorly. The fact that God is intolerant of idol worship is clear in the passage. However, the reason for this intolerance is not clear from reading the passage. However, if one examines the content from a macro perspective, God's reasoning becomes clear.

God specifically lists the activities of the audience of which he does not approve. These include sorcery, adultery, prostitution, telling lies, child sacrifice, idolatry and forbidden sexual practices. In this list, one can find a number of violations that are strictly forbidden in the ten commandments. When the Israelites began to worship the deities of the Canaanites, they began to take on all of the aspects of that religion. As one can see, not only did they engage in idol worship, they were led astray from the just and moral path set forth by God. With idol worship came an entire plethora of immoral behavior that would eventually lead to the downfall of their society. Isaiah uses symbolism in his description of the sacrifice of he children, referring to the "smooth stones of the valley." This reference brings to mind the torrential streams of Canaan, rather than the lazy canals of Babylon