God's Answer to the Rebellious
Study note
God answers the prayer by saying that he has been reaching out all along. He made himself available to a nation that did not call on his name. He stretched out his hands all day long to a rebellious people who followed their own ideas and constantly angered him to his face. They offered pagan sacrifices in gardens, burned incense on altars of brick, sat among graves during the night, ate pork, and made disgusting broth, all things forbidden by God's law. Worst of all, they said to others, 'Stay away from me! I am holier than you.' God says these people are like smoke in his nose, a fire that burns all day. He has kept a record of their sins and will pay them back in full.
1 "I made myself available to people who were not even looking for me. I was found by people who were not even searching. I said, 'Here I am! Right here!' to a nation that never called on my name." I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
2 "All day long I held out my arms toward a stubborn people. They kept following their own ideas and walking down the wrong road." I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
3 "These people constantly provoke me right to my face. They make offerings in gardens and burn incense on altars made of bricks." A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
4 "They sit in graveyards at night and hide out in caves. They eat pork and fill their pots with broth from forbidden meat." Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5 "They say, 'Keep your distance! Do not touch me — I am too holy for the likes of you!' These people are like smoke that never stops irritating my nose, a fire smoldering all day long." Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
6 "Look — I have it all written down before me. I will not stay quiet. I will pay them back in full." Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
7 "I will settle the score for their sins and the sins of their ancestors together," says the Lord. "They burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hilltops. I will measure out their complete punishment." Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.
A Remnant Will Be Spared
Study note
God uses the picture of a grape cluster to explain that he will not destroy everyone. Just as someone finds a good grape and says, 'Do not destroy it, there is a blessing in it,' so God will spare a remnant of faithful people. From Jacob and Judah will come descendants who will inherit God's mountains. Sharon, the fertile coastal plain, will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor will be a place for herds. But those who abandon the Lord and forget his holy mountain, who set a table for the pagan god of Fortune and fill cups for the god of Destiny, will meet a different fate. God contrasts the future of his servants with the future of the rebels: his servants will eat, but the rebels will go hungry; his servants will drink, but the rebels will be thirsty; his servants will rejoice, but the rebels will be ashamed.
8 Here is what the Lord says: "When someone finds juice in a cluster of grapes, they say, 'Do not throw it away — there is something good in it.' I will do the same for my servants. I will not destroy them all." Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
9 "I will bring descendants from Jacob and from Judah to inherit my mountains. My chosen people will take possession of the land, and my servants will settle down and live there." And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
10 "Sharon will become a meadow for flocks. The Valley of Achor will be a resting spot for herds -- all for my people who came looking for me." And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.
11 "But you who leave the Lord and forget my holy mountain are in trouble. You are the ones who set out a feast for the god of Fortune and fill wine cups for the god of Destiny." But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12 "I will make the sword your destiny, and all of you will kneel for the slaughter. When I called, you did not pick up. When I spoke, you tuned me out. You did evil before me and chose the very things that displease me." Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
13 So here is what the Lord God says: "My servants will have plenty to eat, but you will go hungry. My servants will have plenty to drink, but you will be parched. My servants will celebrate, but you will be put to shame." Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
14 "My servants will sing from hearts bursting with happiness, but you will cry out in anguish and howl from shattered spirits." Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
15 "Your name will become a curse word among my chosen people, because the Lord God will put you to death. But he will give his servants a new name." And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:
16 "Anyone asking for a blessing in the land will ask it from the God of truth. Anyone taking an oath will swear by the God of truth. The old troubles will be forgotten and wiped clean from my sight." That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
Study note
God announces the creation of new heavens and a new earth, so wonderful that the former things will not even be remembered. He will create Jerusalem to be a place of joy and its people to be a delight. There will be no more weeping or crying in the city. No baby will die in infancy, and no elderly person will fail to live a full life. People will build houses and actually live in them. They will plant vineyards and actually eat from them, unlike in times of war when enemies took everything. They will not work in vain or have children only to see them destroyed. God will answer their prayers before they even finish asking. The chapter closes with a beautiful picture of peace: the wolf and the lamb will eat together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all of God's holy mountain.
17 "Pay attention! I am creating a new sky and a new earth. Everything that happened before will fade away and never cross anyone's mind again." For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 "Instead, be thrilled and celebrate forever over what I am creating. I am making Jerusalem a city of pure joy and its people a source of delight." But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 "I will celebrate over Jerusalem and take delight in my people. The sound of crying and weeping will never be heard in the city again." And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 "No baby will die young there, and no older person will fail to live a complete life. Someone dying at a hundred will be thought of as still young. A sinner who dies at a hundred will be thought of as cursed." There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 "People will build houses and get to live in them. They will plant vineyards and get to eat the fruit." And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 "They will not build houses just to have someone else move in. They will not plant crops just to have someone else eat them. My people will live as long as trees live, and my chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their own hands." They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 "They will not work for nothing, and they will not have children who are doomed. They and their descendants are a people the Lord has blessed." They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
24 "Before they even open their mouths to ask, I will already be answering. While they are still forming the words, I will already be listening." And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 "The wolf and the lamb will eat together peacefully. The lion will munch on hay just like the ox, and snakes will eat nothing but dust. Nothing will cause harm or destruction anywhere on my holy mountain," says the Lord. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.