Isaiah 57

The Lord Has Power to Heal

In the last four verses of Isaiah 56, Isaiah began speaking directly to the people about their sins. His warnings continue through chapter 59. Isaiah 57 records the strong words He spoke against idol worshipers. He again used the symbol of marriage to represent the covenant relationship between Israel and the Lord. If those who made covenants with the Lord were symbolically married to Him, then those Israelites who worshiped other gods were “adulterers.” Isaiah spoke of what would happen to them because of their sins and showed that sometimes we are punished just as much by our sins as we are for them. Isaiah also spoke of what the Lord would do for those who stayed true. Staying true at that time was difficult because most of the people had forsaken the Lord, and the whole nation was feeling the effects. Consequently, the Lord used words like “revive” (v. 15), “heal” (vv. 18–19), and “comforts” (v. 18).