Isaiah 57:16, commentary and pictures

God will not keep striving against sinners forever nor stay angry without end, for human strength would give out before Him and the lives He created would perish under unending displeasure. He holds back in this way because He made human souls and pities their weakness, dealing with them to restore and preserve life rather than to crush them and leave them without hope. His anger was stirred by the guilt of covetousness and selfish going on in the way of the heart, yet He who inhabits eternity dwells with the one of contrite and humble spirit to revive the humble and the contrite. Having seen the sinner's ways He promises to heal and lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners, creating peace to the far off and to the near, a mercy made possible by Christ giving His life as a sacrifice to give men and women opportunity to return to allegiance. That healing and restored favor are for those who humble their hearts in contrition, confess and forsake the sins that stirred His wrath and do what is right, while those who continue in transgression remain like the troubled sea that cannot rest and have no peace from God.

Meaning of the Words

God will not contend forever nor remain always wroth, because the spirit would fail before Him and the souls which He has made would fail and perish under unending wrath. His anger and smiting were for the iniquity of covetousness, yet the sinner went on stubbornly and frowardly in his own way, a condition seen at the Review and Herald Office. His reproof is meant to turn men toward humility and contrition, for He can bring peace and healing to those who acknowledge their need, but those who persist stubbornly in their own way refuse that peace and healing. This limiting of wrath was made possible by Christ giving His life as a sacrifice for sinful human beings, to give men and women opportunity and every incentive to return to allegiance and by obedience to win back what was lost, keeping His holy law and standing on vantage ground before the heavenly universe. He dwells in the high and holy place with him of contrite and humble spirit to revive the humble and the contrite, and having been wroth with covetous iniquity and smiting while the sinner went on frowardly, He heals, leads, and restores comforts to him and to his mourners when in contrition they repent of transgression of the law, creating peace to him that is far off and to him that is near.

This restraint is grounded in His having made human souls and lives, reflecting compassion for human weakness and care to preserve life. His dealings aim at restoration, not destruction, and are not meant to leave people crushed or without hope. In judgment He remembers mercy, seeing the sinner's way and healing, leading, and restoring comfort and favor to those who repent and do what is right and works of righteousness. After rebuking the person for sin, He will heal, lead, and comfort, turning back those who repent.

For His own name's sake He stops contending and limits displeasure and wrath, because His people could not endure being dealt with according to their perversity. In judgment He remembers mercy while still visiting the froward and independent for perversity. Having seen the perverse, covetous, froward ways of every sinner, He promises to heal, lead, convert and restore favor and comfort to him who repents and does works of righteousness and to everyone who honors His name, including those deceived and led astray and the mourners and penitent nigh and far off who have kept His ways, putting His message and praise and thanksgiving into lips that will not be perverted. For the sake of His cause and truth He heals those who honor His name, and the penitent receive His salvation.

Context and Promise

God's anger and smiting in this setting were for the iniquity of covetousness, with selfishness and self-indulgence going forward in the way of the heart. He struck and hid Himself, yet the sinner went on stubbornly and frowardly in his own way. That anger is not rejection without remedy but a response to sin that points to willingness to restore.

The high and holy One who inhabits eternity dwells in the high and holy place with him that is of contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite. Value in His sight is not riches in the wealth of the world but a meek and contrite spirit, whom He acknowledges and honors. He hears those who come to Him humbly and in need with contrite hearts and revives their spirits and hearts. His chosen temple is the soul of the humble and contrite, with His peace and grace shining into mind and soul.

Having seen the sinner's ways, He promises to heal him and lead him and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. He will convert him from the error of his ways and restore him to favor when in contrition there is repentance for transgression of the law. He creates peace to him that is far off and to him that is near, bringing healing, restored comfort to mourners, and leading by Himself instead of leaving them led by and dependent on men. His reproof is meant to turn people toward humility and contrition, and His judgment is tempered with mercy toward those who repent and do what is right and works of righteousness.

This limiting of wrath was made possible by Christ giving His life as a sacrifice for sinful human beings. By that sacrifice God gives men and women opportunity and every incentive to return to allegiance and by obedience to win back what was lost, keeping His holy law and standing on vantage ground before the heavenly universe.

Those who continue in transgression remain wicked like the troubled sea that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. In that state they continually accuse and falsify those through whom God is working. To them there is no peace from God.

History and Experience

Spoken through Isaiah, the verse outlines the condition at the Review and Herald Office, where God had been angry and had struck for covetousness but the people continued in stubborn ways. It declares that He will not remain angry or contend forever, because the human spirit and the souls He has made would fail before Him under unending wrath. It was fulfilled toward Jerusalem when its iniquity and crime brought destruction and Babylonian captivity, and many in humiliation sought the Lord in repentance. Upon their return there was a time of reformation in which God restrained judgment, though His wrath had been kindled by the iniquity of covetousness so that He smote His people, and then promised when He saw their ways to heal, lead, and restore comfort to them.

It applies to Jacob as one who suffered the consequences of his deceit, repented, and sought to make things right, so that God brought healing and restored him. Though He chastises for wrongdoing, His anger and correction are not endless because continued wrath would overwhelm the people He created, and He sees their ways, heals them, leads them, and restores comfort and peace. In Jacob this meant hope remained under retribution for resorting to fraud to gain the birthright already his by promise and reaping his brother's hatred, twenty years of exile being wronged and defrauded, flight for safety, and evils of his character cropping out in his sons. He was not overwhelmed in distress but repented, endeavored to atone for the wrong to his brother, sought God when threatened with death from Esau, prevailed over the Angel with weeping and supplication and was blessed there, standing forgiven no longer as supplanter but as prince with God. He gained deliverance not only from his outraged brother but from himself, with the power of evil in his nature broken and his character transformed, for God does not annul His laws or undo the work of sin but through grace transforms so the curse works out blessing and repentance bears fruit of righteousness unto life, with comfort restored to him and his mourners and peace given to the far off and near.

The verse belongs to the prophecy in Isaiah 41, 42, 43, 49 and 55-58 that foretells the great and solemn work of presenting the warning message to the world. That work tells why this belief is held, using camp meetings to give the information people desire. It uses sanitariums to educate and reform people and to restore in them the moral image of God through conversion by the Word of God.

Study and Application

The fifty-seventh chapter means much to God's people and should be studied carefully and prayerfully. Such study makes the reader wise unto salvation. Its teaching is linked with God's acknowledgment and honor of the meek and contrite spirit, for value in His sight is not riches in the wealth of the world but such a spirit. Its lesson is full of precious instruction.

With Isaiah 55, 56, and 58 it is to be diligently studied by pastors and people to arouse them from spiritual stupidity. It calls those in the cities who profess present truth to wake up and give to others what the Lord has given them, to arise and shine because their light is come, and they will see the glory of God as they give others the precious light of the gospel message. They are to go forth with full assurance that angels will impress minds and make impressions on those for whom they labor. It is a whole field of encouragement where there is an open door to enter, to meet with God, to seek Him earnestly, and He will be found, giving comfort and encouragement.

The promised healing, leading, conversion, restored favor and comfort, with peace to him that is far off and to him that is near, are for those who humble their hearts and repent in contrition for transgression of the law. They are for those who confess to God and forsake the sins that stirred His wrath, and do what is right and works of righteousness, including those deceived and led astray and the penitent mourners nigh and far off who honor His name and keep His ways. When they so repent, He converts them from the error of their ways and restores them to favor, putting His message and praise into lips that will not be perverted. Then instead of leaving them led by and dependent on men and the sport of Satan's temptations, He leads them Himself. Those who persist stubbornly in their own way refuse that peace and healing, and to them there is no peace from God.

The verse supports a call to lay aside anger and contentiousness, to live contrite lives before Him and hope in His mercy. It warns against a harsh, contentious spirit, for His correction is restrained and compassionate and He desires to revive the humble and contrite. It is connected with hearts being softened and subdued by God's Spirit to receive truth with humility and willingness to be refined and purified.