I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
After striking in anger over greedy iniquity while the sinner still persisted stubbornly in his own crooked and forward path, God declares that He fully sees that conduct yet will not contend forever or stay always angry, but will heal, lead and comfort again. The healing is spiritual healing of spiritual disease, the leading is renewed divine guidance and restored favor, and the restored comfort is peace and consolation given both to the penitent and to those who mourn over and with him for sin. This mercy belongs to the humble and contrite who tremble at His word, and is given only when they turn in repentance, confession and forsaking of sin to do right, not to those who refuse reproof and nurse rebellion in their own way. Made possible because Christ gave His life to save those led into sin, it converts from error, forgives for His own name's and righteousness' sake, and fills those far off and near with salvation, praise and peace, in contrast to the wicked who have no peace, though God does not annul His law or undo sin's work in showing mercy.
Setting and Wording
The promise comes after anger for the iniquity of covetousness, when God struck the sinner and hid Himself in wrath, yet the sinner still went on stubbornly in the way of his own heart. His rebuke for iniquity and correction of waywardness precede mercy and restoration after discipline. The discipline does not mean He will contend forever, for He is compassionate toward the contrite and able to bring peace and healing.
"I have seen his ways" means God fully knows the person's conduct, including continued stubbornness and persistence in a wrong path. Those ways are covetous and froward, perverse and stubborn, crooked from wandering, grieving both God and His people. He visits covetousness and unsanctified plans with rebuke and will not let the froward and independent succeed.
Though He punished covetousness and rebuked wrongdoing, He will not contend forever nor stay always angry. If He dealt with people according to their sin and perversity they could not endure His full displeasure, so in judgment He remembers mercy. His correction is not meant to continue forever, but to open restoration even to those who have gone their own way.
"Will heal him" is spiritual healing of spiritual disease, "will lead him" is renewed guidance, care and restored favor, and "restore comforts" is comfort and peace given to the penitent. He does not leave people to find their way in uncertainty or to rely on their own understanding, but gives light and knowledge as their Teacher. The healing and guidance are renewed care for the contrite and humble, turning them back to favor.
"Him and his mourners" means both the sinner and those who mourn with him, over him and for him. The mourners grieve over sin, see the evil in unconverted character, repent, and grieve over a life that poorly represented Christ. They include those grieving over one led astray and deceived.
The healing is joined to peace to him that is far off and to him that is near, with the promise "I will heal him" repeated. That salvation, praise and thanksgiving reach the penitent whether near or far. The contrast is with the wicked, who have no peace, including those of corrupt and treacherous conduct. Though sin brings its own retribution, God does not annul His laws or undo the work of sin in showing this mercy.
The verse belongs to the promise to the humble and contrite with whom God dwells, reviving the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite. Though high and holy with glory filling heaven, He looks with pitying tenderness on all who tremble at His word. He hears the prayers of all who come to Him in necessity with a humble and contrite heart, manifests Himself to them, and they are the special objects of His care and love even when they scarcely dare hope for mercy.
Healing for the Repentant
The healing and leading and restoring of comfort are given when the one who has gone astray turns back with a humble and contrite heart, in repentance and confession, forsaking sin and doing what is right and works of righteousness, honoring God's name and keeping His ways. God has seen the sinful, covetous, perverse and froward ways, yet He promises to heal the sinner, to lead him, and to restore comfort to him and to those who mourn over him, with peace to the penitent. That comfort is a response to those who come to Him in contrition for transgression of the law, humbling their hearts and confessing and forsaking their sins. It is not given to those who refuse reproof and persist in their own way, for while rebellion is nursed there is no healing; the promise comes only when the person is repentant, contrite, and sorry for working at cross purposes with God.
When he repents, God converts him from the error of his ways, forgives, guides, and restores him to favor and consolation. His mercy limits anger because people could not endure His full displeasure if He dealt with them according to their sin, and in judgment He remembers mercy toward the humble and contrite. The penitent near and far off are then filled with salvation, praise and thanksgiving, seeing His salvation, with His message placed in the lips of those who will not be perverted. Even those deceived by unconsecrated men and led astray share in that salvation when they repent, do righteousness, honor His name and keep His ways.
This return was made possible because Christ gave His life for sinful human beings, longing to save those led into sin. God gives men and women ample opportunity and every incentive to return to allegiance, so that by obedience they may win back what was lost, keep His holy law, and stand on vantage ground before the heavenly universe. He forgives and restores for His own name's sake and for truth's and righteousness' sake. He is true and righteous and does not tantalize His people with empty promises, but after wrath for the iniquity of covetousness still promises to heal, to lead, and to restore comforts to the sinner and to his mourners, reviving the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite.
Though sin brings its own retribution, God does not annul His laws or undo the work of sin in granting this mercy, yet He will not contend forever lest the spirit fail.
Fulfilled in Past History
The promise applies to Jacob after he reaped his fraud in his brother's hatred, twenty years of exile, and evil cropping out in his sons. His repentance, endeavor to atone, and prevailing weeping supplication brought blessing and deliverance not only from his outraged brother but from himself. The evil power in his nature was broken, and he was transformed from supplanter to prince with God. There was light at eventide in his recognizing the God who fed him all his life and the Angel who redeemed him from all evil, so that through grace the curse worked out a blessing. After the consequences of his deception and the harm in his family, repentance and forgiveness brought his healing and transformation.
The same mercy met Jerusalem after its destruction and the Babylonian captivity brought for iniquity and covetousness. When the people in humiliation sought the Lord with repentance and confession and compassion, He promised not to contend forever nor stay always angry, but to heal and guide them and give comfort again. After disciplining His people for their iniquity, He saw their sinful ways and offered healing, guidance, and comfort to them and to those who mourn. This produced for a time a reformation when they returned from captivity.
The promise is the very thing needed in Battle Creek and in Oakland and in all churches when people have turned from God to listen to the counsel of men. It is needed when they have been led by men, depended on men, and relied on human counsel. When they humble their hearts by repentance and confession to God and forsake the sins that stirred His wrath, especially covetousness, selfishness, self-indulgence and pride, He promises spiritual restoration and restored divine guidance to those who seek Him individually. Even those deceived by unconsecrated men and led astray can share in salvation and see it near and far off when they repent, do works of righteousness, honor His name and keep His ways.
The verse also foretells the great and solemn work of presenting the warning message to the world and explaining why believers believe as they do. That work is to be done through camp meetings that give the information people desire, requiring money. It includes establishing sanitariums in different parts of the world as an educating power to reform people and restore in them the moral image of God through conversion by knowledge of God's Word. It includes arousing slumbering senses to see departure from the Lord's ordinances by adopting worldly policy and conforming to worldly principles that bring transgression against God's law.
Comfort and Present Call
The fifty-seventh chapter means much to God's people and is full of precious instruction with a lesson to be learned. With chapters 55 to 58 it is to be studied carefully and prayerfully, and diligently by pastors and people, to become wise unto salvation and to be aroused from spiritual stupidity. Richness in worldly wealth does not increase value in God's sight, while the meek and the contrite are acknowledged and honored by the Lord. The verse belongs to a whole field of encouragement for times of discouragement, trial and sorrow, where there is an open door to enter and meet with God by seeking Him earnestly so He will be found. Affliction can reveal faults so they may be overcome by grace, for God's ways may seem obscure but their end is salvation.
Those who show Christ's meek and humble spirit are tenderly regarded and valued by God even when the world scorns them. Although He is high and holy with glory filling heaven, He looks with pitying tenderness upon all who tremble at His word, and they are special objects of His care and love even when they scarcely dare hope for mercy. He has seen the ways of the contrite and promises to heal and lead and restore comfort to them and to those who mourn with them. Receiving this comfort calls for the meekness Christ showed, humbling the heart before God and standing in right relation to Him. The promise proves that God continually instructs and leads those in His service and that communication with heaven through Christ's mediation is still open, so all workers must remain learners willing to be taught better methods with expanding and enlarging ideas. God's Spirit softens and subdues the humble, contrite heart that receives truth, making people willing to be refined and purified by the truth.
When sinners humble their hearts and confess and forsake their sins, God will not leave such repentant ones to become the sport of Satan's temptations. This call is to those in the cities who profess present truth to wake up and give to others what the Lord has given them and the precious light of the gospel message. They are to arise and shine because their light is come, and to see the glory of God as they give that light to others. They may go forth with full assurance that angels of God will make impressions upon the minds of those for whom they labor.
After striking in anger over greedy iniquity while the sinner still persisted stubbornly in his own crooked and forward path, God declares that He fully sees that conduct yet will not contend forever or stay always angry, but will heal, lead and comfort again. The healing is spiritual healing of spiritual disease, the leading is renewed divine guidance and restored favor, and the restored comfort is peace and consolation given both to the penitent and to those who mourn over and with him for sin. This mercy belongs to the humble and contrite who tremble at His word, and is given only when they turn in repentance, confession and forsaking of sin to do right, not to those who refuse reproof and nurse rebellion in their own way. Made possible because Christ gave His life to save those led into sin, it converts from error, forgives for His own name's and righteousness' sake, and fills those far off and near with salvation, praise and peace, in contrast to the wicked who have no peace, though God does not annul His law or undo sin's work in showing mercy.
Setting and Wording
The promise comes after anger for the iniquity of covetousness, when God struck the sinner and hid Himself in wrath, yet the sinner still went on stubbornly in the way of his own heart. His rebuke for iniquity and correction of waywardness precede mercy and restoration after discipline. The discipline does not mean He will contend forever, for He is compassionate toward the contrite and able to bring peace and healing.
"I have seen his ways" means God fully knows the person's conduct, including continued stubbornness and persistence in a wrong path. Those ways are covetous and froward, perverse and stubborn, crooked from wandering, grieving both God and His people. He visits covetousness and unsanctified plans with rebuke and will not let the froward and independent succeed.
Though He punished covetousness and rebuked wrongdoing, He will not contend forever nor stay always angry. If He dealt with people according to their sin and perversity they could not endure His full displeasure, so in judgment He remembers mercy. His correction is not meant to continue forever, but to open restoration even to those who have gone their own way.
"Will heal him" is spiritual healing of spiritual disease, "will lead him" is renewed guidance, care and restored favor, and "restore comforts" is comfort and peace given to the penitent. He does not leave people to find their way in uncertainty or to rely on their own understanding, but gives light and knowledge as their Teacher. The healing and guidance are renewed care for the contrite and humble, turning them back to favor.
"Him and his mourners" means both the sinner and those who mourn with him, over him and for him. The mourners grieve over sin, see the evil in unconverted character, repent, and grieve over a life that poorly represented Christ. They include those grieving over one led astray and deceived.
The healing is joined to peace to him that is far off and to him that is near, with the promise "I will heal him" repeated. That salvation, praise and thanksgiving reach the penitent whether near or far. The contrast is with the wicked, who have no peace, including those of corrupt and treacherous conduct. Though sin brings its own retribution, God does not annul His laws or undo the work of sin in showing this mercy.
The verse belongs to the promise to the humble and contrite with whom God dwells, reviving the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite. Though high and holy with glory filling heaven, He looks with pitying tenderness on all who tremble at His word. He hears the prayers of all who come to Him in necessity with a humble and contrite heart, manifests Himself to them, and they are the special objects of His care and love even when they scarcely dare hope for mercy.
Healing for the Repentant
The healing and leading and restoring of comfort are given when the one who has gone astray turns back with a humble and contrite heart, in repentance and confession, forsaking sin and doing what is right and works of righteousness, honoring God's name and keeping His ways. God has seen the sinful, covetous, perverse and froward ways, yet He promises to heal the sinner, to lead him, and to restore comfort to him and to those who mourn over him, with peace to the penitent. That comfort is a response to those who come to Him in contrition for transgression of the law, humbling their hearts and confessing and forsaking their sins. It is not given to those who refuse reproof and persist in their own way, for while rebellion is nursed there is no healing; the promise comes only when the person is repentant, contrite, and sorry for working at cross purposes with God.
When he repents, God converts him from the error of his ways, forgives, guides, and restores him to favor and consolation. His mercy limits anger because people could not endure His full displeasure if He dealt with them according to their sin, and in judgment He remembers mercy toward the humble and contrite. The penitent near and far off are then filled with salvation, praise and thanksgiving, seeing His salvation, with His message placed in the lips of those who will not be perverted. Even those deceived by unconsecrated men and led astray share in that salvation when they repent, do righteousness, honor His name and keep His ways.
This return was made possible because Christ gave His life for sinful human beings, longing to save those led into sin. God gives men and women ample opportunity and every incentive to return to allegiance, so that by obedience they may win back what was lost, keep His holy law, and stand on vantage ground before the heavenly universe. He forgives and restores for His own name's sake and for truth's and righteousness' sake. He is true and righteous and does not tantalize His people with empty promises, but after wrath for the iniquity of covetousness still promises to heal, to lead, and to restore comforts to the sinner and to his mourners, reviving the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite.
Though sin brings its own retribution, God does not annul His laws or undo the work of sin in granting this mercy, yet He will not contend forever lest the spirit fail.
Fulfilled in Past History
The promise applies to Jacob after he reaped his fraud in his brother's hatred, twenty years of exile, and evil cropping out in his sons. His repentance, endeavor to atone, and prevailing weeping supplication brought blessing and deliverance not only from his outraged brother but from himself. The evil power in his nature was broken, and he was transformed from supplanter to prince with God. There was light at eventide in his recognizing the God who fed him all his life and the Angel who redeemed him from all evil, so that through grace the curse worked out a blessing. After the consequences of his deception and the harm in his family, repentance and forgiveness brought his healing and transformation.
The same mercy met Jerusalem after its destruction and the Babylonian captivity brought for iniquity and covetousness. When the people in humiliation sought the Lord with repentance and confession and compassion, He promised not to contend forever nor stay always angry, but to heal and guide them and give comfort again. After disciplining His people for their iniquity, He saw their sinful ways and offered healing, guidance, and comfort to them and to those who mourn. This produced for a time a reformation when they returned from captivity.
The promise is the very thing needed in Battle Creek and in Oakland and in all churches when people have turned from God to listen to the counsel of men. It is needed when they have been led by men, depended on men, and relied on human counsel. When they humble their hearts by repentance and confession to God and forsake the sins that stirred His wrath, especially covetousness, selfishness, self-indulgence and pride, He promises spiritual restoration and restored divine guidance to those who seek Him individually. Even those deceived by unconsecrated men and led astray can share in salvation and see it near and far off when they repent, do works of righteousness, honor His name and keep His ways.
The verse also foretells the great and solemn work of presenting the warning message to the world and explaining why believers believe as they do. That work is to be done through camp meetings that give the information people desire, requiring money. It includes establishing sanitariums in different parts of the world as an educating power to reform people and restore in them the moral image of God through conversion by knowledge of God's Word. It includes arousing slumbering senses to see departure from the Lord's ordinances by adopting worldly policy and conforming to worldly principles that bring transgression against God's law.
Comfort and Present Call
The fifty-seventh chapter means much to God's people and is full of precious instruction with a lesson to be learned. With chapters 55 to 58 it is to be studied carefully and prayerfully, and diligently by pastors and people, to become wise unto salvation and to be aroused from spiritual stupidity. Richness in worldly wealth does not increase value in God's sight, while the meek and the contrite are acknowledged and honored by the Lord. The verse belongs to a whole field of encouragement for times of discouragement, trial and sorrow, where there is an open door to enter and meet with God by seeking Him earnestly so He will be found. Affliction can reveal faults so they may be overcome by grace, for God's ways may seem obscure but their end is salvation.
Those who show Christ's meek and humble spirit are tenderly regarded and valued by God even when the world scorns them. Although He is high and holy with glory filling heaven, He looks with pitying tenderness upon all who tremble at His word, and they are special objects of His care and love even when they scarcely dare hope for mercy. He has seen the ways of the contrite and promises to heal and lead and restore comfort to them and to those who mourn with them. Receiving this comfort calls for the meekness Christ showed, humbling the heart before God and standing in right relation to Him. The promise proves that God continually instructs and leads those in His service and that communication with heaven through Christ's mediation is still open, so all workers must remain learners willing to be taught better methods with expanding and enlarging ideas. God's Spirit softens and subdues the humble, contrite heart that receives truth, making people willing to be refined and purified by the truth.
When sinners humble their hearts and confess and forsake their sins, God will not leave such repentant ones to become the sport of Satan's temptations. This call is to those in the cities who profess present truth to wake up and give to others what the Lord has given them and the precious light of the gospel message. They are to arise and shine because their light is come, and to see the glory of God as they give that light to others. They may go forth with full assurance that angels of God will make impressions upon the minds of those for whom they labor.