Isaiah 65:13-25 Two Paths; Two Destinies
INTRODUCTION: When God created the cosmos, there was no material to begin with; He called every atom and molecule into existence out of nothing (significance as Owner of all). “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Heb 11:3). God created the universe as a stage or canvas upon which He determined to communicate or extend His glory. (Disbelieve His Word = worship cosmos as maker.)
The entrance of human and angelic sin did not take Him by surprise nor did it compromise His plan; the rebellion was a free act by his creatures written into the divine decree. The greatness of God in His power and perfect wisdom means that it is impossible that the transgression of men and angels should thwart His plan to extend His glory. For, God is determined to demonstrate both His mercy and His justice, His grace and His wrath. He shall have glory in both demonstrations. A day is coming when the earth will be filled with the knowledge and glory of the Lord as the ocean covers the seafloor (Is 11:9).
Much of Christianity today has a ‘domesticated’ god—with the truth concealed concerning His wrath; burning holiness; ferocity; and vengeance. What folks are willfully ignorant of is that God is putting His own character on display in redemptive history. Every individual will ultimately prove to be an eternal object lesson on where they stood in relation to God. Neutral ground in this matter is an illusion. Scripture insists upon a total contrast between those who are of the truth and those who are not. God will exhibit perfect discrimination between these two kinds of individuals when He brings history to its consummation. The Genesis flood is a paradigm of this perfect discrimination between believer and unbeliever—Jesus says so in Luke 17:26-27. On the last day it will be revealed that there are only two kinds of vessels: vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath—only two destinies: eternal life and eternal death.
The lie uttered by the serpent in the Garden of Eden was intended to blur the infinite distinction between the Creator and the creature. God is self-existent, we are utterly dependent upon Him, for our existence, and for all things. In theology God’s self-existence is termed a se, in other words, God is ‘of Himself’ (Latin), self-contained, He depends upon nothing, all things depend upon Him for their existence. Yet, the serpent’s lie offered our first parents something utterly impossible: self-determination, complete independence from God—as if mankind could be a se—'of himself’.
Autonomy from God is impossible, for Scripture states that every moment, God upholds all things by the word of His of power (Heb 1:3). Not only is our very existence sustained by Him every moment, but so is our grasp of meaning, knowledge, dignity, purpose, worth, and will, are upheld by Him constantly. This clash between utter dependence and imagined autonomy has a great deal to do with the moral revolution of our day: LGBTQ, abortion on demand, eugenics. Man’s carnal hunger for independence from God (a se) expressed in sinful rebellion, does not create a new reality anymore than Satan’s rebellion made him a god independent of his Creator. Yet, today’s prevailing sentiment is: nothing outside of me defines me, I will be whom I wish to be, I’ll forge my own identity (and gender). This is treason of the highest order. God Almighty is forever a se, (self-existent), and you are forever utterly dependent upon Him. For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things (Rom 11:36).
Our worshipful scriptural response to who God is as our Creator, Ruler, and Sustainer is reverential fear. The fear of God is the ‘ABC’s’ of wisdom of knowledge (Prov 1:6-7). The only wisdom which survives the grave is birthed by the fear of God. For, the fear of God produces a kind of goal-setting, and a kind of strategy for reaching those goals which is in accordance with the Word of God. Those who truly fear God exercise the wisdom of building upon Christ, the Rock. Those who lack this wisdom are ‘sand-builders’ who will suffer irretrievable loss on judgment day (Mt 7:22-24).
In Switzerland, there is a cemetery devoted entirely to mountain climbers who died while seeking to scale one of the lofty peaks. In some ways, this unique graveyard is a monument to failed strategies. For some of these climbers experienced equipment failure, poor conditioning, untested routes, bad weather forecasting, and host of other circumstances which not only kept them from reaching their goal, but also brought on their untimely deaths. That is a kind of picture of the foolish spiritual builder. He or she does not really fear God, so as a consequence, that person is building life upon a temporal sandy foundation instead of upon Christ, the Rock.
The world might suggest that the fear of God is something relative to each person (endless degrees of). But, not so, according to Scripture, a person either fears God or he does not. This great contrast is evident in many passages. For, how a person deals with his own conscience in the matter of daily sin is a shrewd revealer of whether or not he or she fears God. Our holy and omniscient God peers into the soul of the unbeliever; and sees the ‘heart talk’ and ‘hears’ the conversation going on there: “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.’ Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it” (Ps 10:11-13). This is the unbeliever attempting to bring peace to his defiled conscience by denying God’s attributes; especially God’s omniscience and justice. That is the polar opposite of fearing God. Those who fear God flee to Him in order to take refuge in His salvation. There are many passages which list the characteristics of those who fear God. Malachi chapter 3 is one of the most significant. “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’ So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him” (Mal 3:16-18) (see Jer 5:21-24 ‘heart talk’).
I. Those who are on the path of life fear God.
God is our Sovereign King, He is to be feared, revered, and held in awe. ‘God favors those who fear Him’ (Ps 147:11). But, so many who profess to know Him have but a ‘God concept’. They do not pant after God; nor do they hunger and thirst for righteousness. God is constantly active in His involvement with the creation. He rules over the nations—He appoints their time in history as well as their destruction. No one can thwart His sovereign decree. He creates, controls, judges, wars, blesses. He subdues nations, He is to be feared (Ps 47:2-3, 7-9; 98:2-9).ⁱ God does whatever He pleases in the entire universe, “. . . in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Ps 135:6). This is a cause of deep abiding reverence and awe. Every person who fears God takes refuge in Christ.
A. The fear of God is associated with obedience to His commands—obey, walk, do, listen, hear, fear, heed—thus it is inseparable from appropriate moral conduct and awe in worship. The fear of God must be learned from His Word. “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children’” (Deut 4:10).
B. The fear of God underlies wise decision-making (Eccl 3:14). The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments—this is ‘rational’ in view of the fact that God will bring every act to judgment; whether good or evil (Eccl 12:13-14). A true understanding of who God is inspires worship; even trembling (Ps 55:5-6; 90:11). The hard-hearted do not have the fear of God (Is 63:17).
C. Those who fear God exalt God’s justice in His judgments. That sentiment is certainly is not innate in us. Our natural tendency is to quarrel with God over what our sin deserves. You might call this a controversy with God. The natural man (unregenerate man) defines God’s grace in terms which do not involve God’s justice and Christ’s perfect propitiatory sacrifice at Calvary. Therefore, the natural man hopes for leniency from God; and as a result of his false definition of grace, he cannot exalt God’s justice. By contrast, the true believer has placed all of his trust in Christ, and finds rest for his conscience in the fact that Christ his Savior is his sin-bearer.
II. A great shaking is coming which will reveal eternal destinies. An
important aspect of exalting God’s justice is understanding the reasons for the cross of Christ, and the reasons for the great and terrible Day of the Lord which precedes the second coming. Christ’s authority as King will be exerted when He sends moral judgments upon mankind during the 7 years of tribulation just before His glorious return. Thus, Scripture indicates that the coming of the Kingdom of God will be preceded by a great ‘shaking’ of everything that can be shaken.
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’ This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:25-29).
“A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; the LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (2, 3a). “Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken up by Him. The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, and will pursue His enemies into darkness” (Nahum 1:6-8).
“Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, ‘for the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal. ‘For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder’” (Zeph 3:8-9). “And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one” (Zech 14:9).
III. The doctrine of God’s perfect discrimination is about God distinguishing between the righteous and the wicked.
This doctrine is central in our text this morning, and is pervasive throughout Scripture. It is known as the doctrine of God’s perfect discrimination. In other words, we are dealing with the truth about God’s ability to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked; between those who know Him and those who don’t know Him; those who have a relationship with Him and those who are yet alienated from Him by their sin. This distinguishing between persons is a perfect expression of God’s wisdom and righteousness.
A. Those who are safely hidden in Christ, having taken refuge in the Savior are dearly beloved of the Lord and known by Him, “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness’” (2 Tim 2:19).
B. Perfect discrimination focuses upon God distinguishing between the destinies of the righteous and the wicked. Isaiah chapter 65 contrasts the respective destinies of the righteous and the wicked. Despite the Lord’s constant admonishments of Israel (sending prophets who rise early), many rejected Him and embraced pagan religious practices. Such stubbornness demanded harsh punishment. However, the Lord would exercise discrimination in judgment. He would preserve the righteous and give them the promised land as a reward.
IV. There is no greater contrast imaginable than the difference in destinies between the righteous and the wicked.
65:13–16 – Contrasts between people who are the Lord’s servants and those who have departed from Him are dramatically presented in these verses. His servants will eat … drink, and rejoice, while the rejectors will be hungry … thirsty, and shamed. God’s servants will sing for joy whereas the rejectors will wail, be cursed, and put … to death. God’s servants … will receive another name, that is, given a new character (cf. 62:2), so that they will take oaths honestly (by the God of truth; not by false gods cf. Ps. 31:5). The calamities caused by your sins will not visit you again, the remembrance of them is “hid from Mine eyes” by the magnitude of the blessings I will confer on you (Is 65:17, &c.). God will forget their previous difficulties and sins because of His grace.
V. Those on the path of life will inherit a whole new world.
65:17–25. A new world was coming, in which purified Jerusalem would be the focal point. The troubles of the past would be forgotten, and God’s blessings would abound. Life-spans would dramatically increase; the people would enjoy the fruits of their labor; God would respond immediately to their prayers; all dangers (man, beast, weapon of war) would be eliminated; and peace would prevail.ⁱⁱ
In these verses the Lord described the millennial kingdom, which is seemingly identified here with the eternal state (new heavens and a new earth). In Revelation, however, the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21:1) follow the Millennium (Rev. 20:4). Most likely Isaiah did not distinguish between these two aspects of God’s rule; he saw them together as one. After all, the Millennium, though 1,000 years in duration, will be a mere pinpoint of time compared with the eternal state. The need for new heavens and a new earth is suggested in Isaiah 51:6 (earth will ‘wear out’). During the Millennium Jerusalem will be a place of joy (65:18). Also the Lord Himself will rejoice over it, for sorrow will be vanished (v. 19). Though death will still be present, life-spans will be extended (v. 20), the lifespan of people in the first age of the world shall be enjoyed again. None shall die without attaining a full old age. ‘Child die hundred years’—that is “he that dies at a hundred years old shall die a mere child.” “The sinner that dies at an hundred years shall be deemed accursed,” that is, his death at so early an age (100 years), will be regarded, as if it were mere childhood. This passage proves that the millennium, though much superior to the present, will not be a perfect state; sin and death shall still be found (compare Rev 20:7-8), but much less frequently than now. v. 21. People will enjoy safety, and the produce of their vineyards (vv. 21–22) (see Amos 9:14ff.). God’s blessing will be on their work and families (v. 23) and He will speedily answer their prayers (v. 24). V. 25. and the lion shall eat straw like the ox—(See Is 11:7). Wild animals will lose their ferocity (cf. 11:6–8; Hosea 2:18-20) and harmony and safety will prevail under God’s good hand (65:25). (On God’s holy mountain—‘as the waters cover the sea’ 11:9.)ⁱⁱⁱ (EX. ‘Beulah land’ Is 62:4 – “It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ Nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; but you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ (Hephzibah) and your land, ‘Married’; (Beulah) for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married.”) The curse shall remain on the serpent, (Ge 3:14; Mic 7:17). “To lick the dust” is figurative of the perpetual degradation of Satan and his emissaries (Is 49:23; Ps 72:9).
Satan fell self-tempted; therefore no atonement was contrived for him, as there was for man, who fell by his temptation (Jud 1:6; Jn 8:44). It has been conjectured that the cause which excited Lucifer’s rebellion was God’s declaration that human nature was to be raised into union with the Godhead; this was “the truth” concerning the person of the Son of God which galled his pride that a lower creature was to be raised to that which he had aspired to (1 Ti 3:6). How exultingly he might say in the Garden, when man fell through him, “God would raise manhood into union with Himself; I have brought it down below the beasts by sin!” At that very moment and spot he was told that the seed of the abhorred race, man, should bruise his head (1 Jn 3:8). Due to the fall of our first parents, Satan became “prince of this world”; Jesus Christ supplants the usurper, and as “Son of man” and regains the lost inheritance (Ps 8:4–8). The steps in Satan’s overthrow are these: 1) he is cast out, first, from heaven (Rev 12:7–9) on earth; 2) next, he is bound a thousand years (Rev 20:2-3);
- finally, he is cast into the lake of fire for ever (Rev 20:10).ⁱᵛ
CONCLUSION: But two paths (Mt 7:13-14): The conflict of the ages between truth and error, sin and righteousness, the worship of God or idols means that there are but two paths; only two ultimate destinies (Deut 30:19-20). Therefore, there is but one supreme wisdom—a life wholly dedicated to living unto God. To live wisely in Yahweh’s world is to live according to His justice, and not by fleshly desires, and the world’s wisdom. This is Yahweh’s world, that’s why secret sin is ‘a lie lived out’— there are no compartments in our lives that are not in Yahweh’s world (Ps 26:2; 90:8;139:7-23). “He who fashions their hearts knows all their works” (Ps 33:13-15). Our secret sins are an ‘open book’ in the sight of heaven. “Our secret sins are in the light of Thy presence” (Ps 90:8).
The hypocrite denies, hides, and justifies his sin, but the man or woman of God wants to be examined by God (Ps 139:23-24). Thus, our obedience is to be universal— a whole-life response to God. We are to please Him in all areas of life by respecting the divine order He has constructed in the world. “Teach me Thy way O Lord, I will walk in Thy truth. Unite my heart to fear Thy Name. I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God with all my heart and will glorify Thy Name forever” (Ps 86:11-12).ᵛ
God’s Word was given to us to allow us to recall during times of temptation the boundaries God has set. To be conversant with these boundaries helps the man who fears God to do what is right and what pleases God in times of temptation. “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; it shall not fasten its grip on me” (Ps 25:12-15; 101:3).ᵛⁱ That’s a ‘path of life’ description—what Jesus described as the narrow way.
It is certainly possible this morning that after hearing from the Word about these two paths that you have concluded that you are not on the narrow way that leads to life. In your conscience you know that you have been nonchalant about your sin—you have not grieved over it as that which dishonors God. And you have had little interest in taking up your cross, denying yourself, and following Christ.
My friends, concerning where these two paths end up; both of these paths, the narrow and the broad, will take you to your Creator. You will either face Him as your merciful Savior who satisfied divine justice on your behalf, OR, face Him as your sin-avenging Judge who will demand justice against you. This is perfect discrimination.ᵛⁱⁱ
Know this, that the person whom the Spirit is convicting in conscience of sin is crushed over his sin, he is no longer making excuses for it. And, that person experiences a growing recognition that the kind of righteousness God requires in order to have His favor must come from outside of self—from Another, and not themselves (Rom 10:1-4). To those who are convicted, drawn, and called by the Spirit of God in this way, Christ is exceedingly beautiful. The awakened sinner gladly falls at the feet of Christ and calls upon Him for life-giving, forgiving mercy. For, our Lord has promised: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (Jn 6:37).
It is common for an inquiring sinner to feel that salvation is blocked by doubts, uncertainties, difficulties, stubborn sinful habits, hypocrisy—but it is for helpless sinners that Christ came to earth. If you look to Christ and His fitness to save, you will find your difficulties cleared away. For all that Christ did as Redeemer, He did in the place of sinners—He entered their law-room, their courtroom to bear their guilt.
I want you to hear how justified sinners think upon their beloved Savior: He accomplished for me a most blessed exchange: He was condemned, that I might be acquitted. He was spared not, that I might be spared. He became sin so that I might become the righteousness of God in Him. He left heaven, that I might gain heaven. He became a citizen of earth so that I might become a citizen of heaven. He became poor, that by His poverty, I might become rich. He became the object of God’s wrath, that I might be saved from God’s wrath and become the object of God’s favor. He became a bondservant obedient unto death, that I might be delivered from the bondage of sin and death. He obeyed as a perfect Son, that I might be adopted as a son. He fulfilled all of the requirements of a conditional covenant, that I might be brought into an unconditional covenant of grace. He became alienated from the Father, that I might be forever reconciled to the Father. He became a curse for me, that I might we might be redeemed from the curse. He was born under the Law so that I might be delivered from the condemnation of the Law. He was glorified in my nature, so that my nature might be glorified in Him. He had my sin put on His account, that I might have His righteousness put on my account. He was made lower than angels for a little while, that I might be raised above angels forever. He suffered for the truth, that I might come to know and love the truth. He became a man of sorrows, that I might have His joy. He emptied Himself, that I might be filled. He became thirsty, that I might never thirst. He partook of my flesh so that I might partake of His Spirit. His soul was distressed unto death, that my soul might have perfect rest in Him. He suffered all sorts of temptation, that He might come to my aid and deliver me from temptation.
There is no greater contrast than between these eternal blessings which are in Christ, and the destiny of the lost in endless hell. Therefore, there is urgency in this matter of coming to Christ. This boundless exchange that Christ has made for guilty sinners is only experienced and enjoyed by those who come to Him for salvation from their sin. A response is required from you, in which you repent of your sin and consciously cast yourself upon Christ for deliverance from your sin and guilt.
He made all of our soul’s enemies His enemies that we might be delivered from them and become His friends forever. He entered the crushing “gears” of God’s justice, to reap the penalty of what I had sown. He lived a perfect life that I might reap the benefit of what He had sown in righteousness. He left glory to occupy a body of dust so that we might go from dust to glory. He took the sting out of death for me so that I might be delivered from the second death. He left His Father’s throne so that we might sit upon His throne with Him.
END NOTES:
i Lawson, “The Psalms,” lesson one, p.17; lesson. two, p. 62.
ii Chisholm, R. B. (1998). The Major Prophets. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p. 290). Nashville,
TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
iii Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the
Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 1119–1120). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
iv Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, pp. 502
–503). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
v Ibid., pp. 38
vi Steve Gallagher, At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry, (Pure Life Ministries, 1986), pp. 257, 258.
vii Mike Gendron, www.proclaimingthe
gospel.org.