CHAPTER 57
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 1
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 1
When good men die, people say “why did God take such a good man?” But sometimes He takes people to protect them from the evil in the world. We should be totally submitted to God’s will for us and our loved ones. We have no idea what His reasons are, but we know for sure that they are the BEST!! (Isaiah 55:9)
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 2
He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 2
That person is resting in the glorious peace of God, and those who didn’t think he was worth much, are resting in their self-righteousness, which will get them nothing.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 3-4
3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 3-4
He is speaking of people who ignore Him and His love and choose money, power, fun,…the shallow things of this world, which are sources of false happiness, and call those who put God first, fools.
They may seem happy now, but God knows their hearts, and He knows their refusal and ignoring attitude toward Him, which will cause their separation from Him, even as He is still trying to convince them to draw near to Him to try to save them.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 5
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 5
He is speaking further to those who love the world more than God, and ignore, or participate in the killing of children both literally by abortion and infanticide, and spiritually by denying the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and thus condemning their children to ignorance. Jesus told us how important this is when He said in Mark 9:42,
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 6-7
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 6-7
When we do this, we are akin to satan, as the serpent, and our place is under a stone. Even as that, under satan’s influence, we will turn things around with trickery, and make motions of worship, our hearts being far away. Smooth stones were worship items for some pagans. He’s saying that if we’re not going to worship in Spirit and Truth, which is the only true worship, (John 4:23-24), we aren’t any better than a pagan.
The society we live in is turning to these things publicly. Abortion is the hideous killing of infants for money. It is nothing less than the worship of Molech when people burned their first born in the red-hot arms of a statue of the hideous creature they worshiped, in exchange for “blessings” from the god in the form of prosperity, health, and happiness. How different is the modern day worship of this demon? They don’t want to be bothered with a child, who could cost them money and hinder their careers. They don’t have time for a child. They must do their beauty treatments, and gloat over themselves while torturing others with their mean responses and criticisms.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 8-9
8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 8-9
He’s speaking of our covenant with Satan before we were saved, listening to him merely by not listening to God. Putting God anywhere but first in our lives is the same as rejecting Him and accepting demonic lies.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 10
Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 10
We weren’t happy in that situation even though we sometimes thought we were–finally we come to realize that, and feel there must be a better way.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 11
And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 11
Why didn’t we come to Him sooner, He asks—why were we afraid?
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 12
I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 12
“I will declare thy righteousness and thy works, for they shall not profit thee.” This is a very important statement for the Old Testament, because it foretells the coming of the New Covenant of Christ…our works are worthless in saving ourselves. Its only through Christ that we are saved.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 13
When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 13
When we come to our breaking point, nothing we or our friends can do will save us, but he that puts his trust in Christ shall possess the land…Only in trusting in Jesus Christ can we gain salvation and strength and also help in this world.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 14
And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 14
He refers to taking away the stumbling block, which prevents us from seeing that we need salvation. Jesus is called a stumbling block to the unsaved, but he certainly isn’t to us, after we have the veil taken from our eyes to see Him. (Ezekiel 3:20, Romans 11:9 and 1 Corinthians 1:23)
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 15
God said, “I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit…”
He says again that He dwells with us. We dwell in the high and holy place with Him, if we humble ourselves to Him, and give our lives to Him. We are in heaven right now. We’ve already been changed into the new creation that will inhabit heaven and the New Earth. Praise the Lord!!!
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 16
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 16
God has seen mankind, His beloved creations and children turn to evil and ignore his loving guidance,but he says he won’t be angry forever, because He doesn’t want mankind to die, as we would without the life of Christ.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 17
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 17
For Man’s greediness and pride, he was angry and he let them go in their ways for a time, as he sometimes does with each of us individually, so that at length we see the error of our ways. His patience is so unbelievable!!
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 18
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 18
But He has mercy on us—He heals us of our evil ways through Christ, who also restores and comforts us.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 19
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 19
He says he creates the Fruit of the lips. He tells us what to say, how to pray, and how to praise Him,and he gives us peace, and each day He heals us more, and brings us nearer to Him.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 57, VS 20-21
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 57, VS 20-21
The wicked have no peace, they will always be striving with greed, frustration, etc., and in that striving and churning of the mind, evil thoughts and deeds are formed and carried out. They will never be peaceful without resting in the Lord, because peace only comes through Him.
Of course, after death, they will have no peace either.
END OF CHAPTER 57