Israel's Futile Idolatry

Isaiah 57

1 The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
a Merciful men are taken away,
b While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from 1 evil. 2 He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in c their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness. 3 "But come here,
d You sons of the sorceress,
You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! 4 Whom do you ridicule?
Against whom do you make a wide mouth
And stick out the tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
Offspring of falsehood, 5 Inflaming yourselves with gods e under every green tree,
f Slaying the children in the valleys,
Under the clefts of the rocks? 6 Among the smooth g stones of the stream
Is your portion;
They, they, are your lot!
Even to them you have poured a drink offering,
You have offered a grain offering.
Should I receive comfort in h these? 7 "On i a lofty and high mountain
You have set j your bed;
Even there you went up
To offer sacrifice. 8 Also behind the doors and their posts
You have set up your remembrance;
For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me,
And have gone up to them;
You have enlarged your bed
And 2 made a covenant with them;
k You have loved their bed,
Where you saw their 3 nudity. 9 l You went to the king with ointment,
And increased your perfumes;
You sent your m messengers far off,
And even descended to Sheol. 10 You are wearied in the length of your way;
n Yet you did not say, 'There is no hope.'
You have found the life of your hand;
Therefore you were not grieved.

11 "And o of whom have you been afraid, or feared,
That you have lied
And not remembered Me,
Nor taken it to your heart?
Is it not because p I have 4 held My peace from of old
That you do not fear Me? 12 I will declare your righteousness
And your works,
For they will not profit you. 13 When you cry out,
Let your collection of idols deliver you.
But the wind will carry them all away,
A breath will take them.
But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land,
And shall inherit My holy mountain."

  1. Cross References
    Psalms 12:1
    Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 14:13
    And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 16:14
    They buried him in his own tomb, which he had made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him in the bed which was filled with spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. They made a very great burning for him.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 1:4
    Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
    Matthew 16:4
    A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
  5. Cross References
    2 Kings 16:4
    And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 23:10
    And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.
    Psalms 106:37
    They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons.
    Psalms 106:38
    And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.
    Jeremiah 7:31
    And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
    Ezekiel 16:20
    Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter.
  7. Cross References
    Jeremiah 3:9
    So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
    Habakkuk 2:19
    Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awake!' To silent stone, 'Arise! It shall teach!' Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.
  8. Cross References
    Jeremiah 5:9
    Shall I not punish them for these things? " says the LORD. "And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
    Jeremiah 5:29
    Shall I not punish them for these things? ' says the LORD. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
    Jeremiah 9:9
    Shall I not punish them for these things? " says the LORD. "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
  9. Cross References
    Jeremiah 3:6
    The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
    Ezekiel 16:16
    You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be.
  10. Cross References
    Ezekiel 23:41
    You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil.
  11. Cross References
    Ezekiel 16:26
    You also committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke Me to anger.
  12. Cross References
    Hosea 7:11
    Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense - They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.
  13. Cross References
    Ezekiel 23:16
    As soon as her eyes saw them, She lusted for them And sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
    Ezekiel 23:40
    Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.
  14. Cross References
    Jeremiah 2:25
    Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.
    Jeremiah 18:12
    And they said, "That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.
  15. Cross References
    Proverbs 29:25
    The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
    Isaiah 51:12
    I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
    Isaiah 51:13
    And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?
  16. Cross References
    Psalms 50:21
    These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.
    Ecclesiastes 8:11
    Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
    Isaiah 42:14
    I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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