Faith Cross Pastor/Line Supervisor at a car parts factory

To understand Isaiah 59:5, you must read it in context of the chapter. In verses 1-8, Isaiah is talking of his people who have lost faith in God's ability to act on their behalf because their iniquity has ovrtaken them. They speak lies, act out in mischief, and their land is covered in acts of violence instead of peace. Then verse nine starts, "Therefore", there is no justice and righteousness. We want light but get darkness.

The reference to serpent eggs, spider webs and vipers is similar to the rebukes that both John the Baptist and Jesus gave to the pharisees, when they called them, "you brood of vipers." 

In Matthew 3:7-8, John said, "Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance."

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus said, "Offspring of vipers! How can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." And again in Matthew 23, Jesus again rebukes them. He even says that their father is the devil. So these references to vipers, serpents and spider eggs are Satan's works within us that we deceitfully cover on the outside, but don't deal with on the inside.

In Matthew 23:25-26 Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also."

It is helpful when viewing our sin, to differentiate between iniquities and transgressions. Transgressions are the acts of sin that we do, speak, act outwardly against ourselves or others. Our iniquities are our inward sins, our thoughts, our ways that are so common to us that we don't often even recognise it as sin. We transgess outwardly, because of the inward ways of our iniquity.

Yet in dealing with our own sin, we can rejoice that Isaiah also prophesied of Jesus death in Isa. 53. In verse 5 it says, "He was wounded for our transgressins, He was briused for our iniquities. The chastement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

Jesus bled outwardly for our outward sins, our transgressions. And He was bruised, bled inwardly for our iniquites, our inward sins. His blood covers all sin, inward and outward. And we receive His cleansing blood to wash away all sin, transgressions and iniquites, by faith on His work on the cross. Even our guilt and anxiety is removed because the punishment was received by Him so that we can have peace, and because of His cleansing blood we can also be healed.

It is finished!

August 28 2014 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report