An Exposition of

Isaiah

66:1-14

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Synthesis and Outline......................................................................................ii

Introduction.....................................................................................................1

Juxtaposition of the Faithful of the LORD to Those who Practice Empty Ritual (66:1-6)............................................................................................................1

The Faithful Recognize the Lord and Receive His Favor (66:1-2)...........2

Those receiving His Favor are Humble (66:2b)............................3

Those receiving His Favor are Contrite (66:2b)............................3

Those receiving His Favor are Reverent (66:2b)..........................3

The Unfaithful Will Face Punishment for Their Empty Ritual..................4

The Faithful Will Be Avenged by the Lord...............................................6

The Lord assures Israel of the Hope of Restoration.........................................7

Zion’s Restoration will be Sudden..........................................................7

Zion’s Restoration will be a Blessing to All People.................................8

Zion’s Restoration is the Instrument of Comfort from the Lord............10

Theological Contribution of Isaiah 66:1-14....................................................12

Application.....................................................................................................12

Bibliography...................................................................................................14

i

ii

Synthesis and Outline of Isaiah 66:1-14

Summary: The faithful of the Lord are rewarded by God’s promise of Zion’s restoration and are comforted with this restoration as the instrument of punishment for the unfaithful and the way by which the entire world is blessed.

Outline:

I. The LORD presents a juxtaposition of the faithful of the LORD to those who practice empty ritual (66:1-6).

a. The faithful recognize the LORD and receive His favor (66:1-2).

i. Those receiving His favor are humble (66:2b).ii. Those receiving His favor are contrite (66:2b).iii. Those receiving His favor are reverent (66:2b).

b. The unfaithful will face punishment for their empty ritual (66:3-4).

c. The faithful will be avenged by the LORD (66:5-6).

II. The LORD assures Israel of the hope of restoration (66:7-14).

a. Zion’s restoration will be sudden (66:7-9).b. Zion’s restoration is a blessing to all people (66:10-11).c. Zion’s restoration is the instrument of comfort from the LORD

(66:12-14).

ii

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Introduction

The first fourteen verses of the final chapter of Isaiah are part of the

final section of Isaiah beginning in chapter fifty-six. Generally, the subject of

this section is salvation and the Lord’s deliverance of Zion. This deliverance

will not transpire in obscurity but will come about before the eyes of the

world as the Lord affirms His love for His people and His authority over the

nations. The judgment His people will have endured will purge them of their

unfaithfulness and truly make them able to bear His name to the nations.1

In many ways, this is an exhortation or a word of encouragement to

both the Lord’s people and to those who are not the Lord’s people. Many of

the themes presented in Isaiah 66:1-14 are not new but are brought to their

conclusion or presented again in a final form. The eschatological portions of

Isaiah 66 lie mostly beyond the scope of this research yet there is the

overtone of predictive prophecy (from at least the perspective of the time it

was written) throughout the passage.

The idea running throughout this passage is the faithful of the Lord are

rewarded by God’s promise of Zion’s restoration and are comforted with this

restoration as the instrument of punishment for the unfaithful and the way

by which the entire world is blessed. The following layout and presentation

of Isaiah 66:1-14 flow from this ideology.

Juxtaposition of the Faithful to Those Who Practice Empty Ritual

(66:1-6).

1 J. Gordon McConville, Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 29.

2

Isaiah 66:1-6 presents a contrast between those faithful to the Lord

and those who attempt to seek His favor through ritual divorced of their

hearts and lives. The faithful remnant of the Lord would find themselves

suffering at the hands of the religious and Isaiah’s final chapter returns to

the familiar theme of the Lord’s desire for the heart of His people. This

section in Isaiah references the time when Nehemiah will rebuild the city of

Jerusalem and when Jerusalem will be a central place of worship for all

people.2

The Faithful Recognize the LORD and Receive His Favor (66:1-2).

These verses in Isaiah recall the prayer of Solomon in 1 Kings 8:27-30

when similar words were spoken. In this instance, however, some

hypothesize that Isaiah 66:1 presents the Lord’s opposition to a temple being

rebuilt after the return from the exile. The language of the immediate

passage does appear to suggest this is the case, but that idea would stand in

direct contradiction to the Lord’s commands to build it (cf. Haggai 1).3

The greater context of Isaiah also casts serious doubt on this

hypothesis. Isaiah 56:7 reaffirms Isaiah’s message is not against rebuilding

the temple or the sacrificial system the Lord established. The greater

message of Isaiah remains affected by His vision of the Lord in Isaiah 6. The

Great King “is not just interested in one small temple building, one small

2 John D. W. Watts, vol. 25, Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 34-66, Revised Edition, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 2005), 929.

3 John N. Oswalt, Isaiah: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 694.

3

people group, or things on small planet (Earth) in the vast heavens.”4 The

Lord’s perspective is eternal, reaching through time and space, and revealed

in a manner of His own preference and occasion. Additionally, the materials

that would be used to rebuild His temple were things of His own creation.

Unlike the gods of other nations, Yahweh created all matter and exists in

transcendence compared to His creation. There would be no building

capable of containing One so great in majesty.

The key to receiving the Lord’s favor is acknowledging Him. This is the

message of the second part of Isaiah 66:2. The Lord’s “favor” rests on those

of humility, contrition, and reverence. In Hebrew, the phrase (in the NIV)

rendered “look on with favor” is a single verb, nābaṭ and means to “look

upon, consider, or regard.”5 In supplying the English word “favor,” the NIV

translators are presumably attempting to convey the graciousness of the

Lord’s mercy. The message of this phrase is clear: the Lord’s grace is not

bound to a location or a building but bound to the condition of the heart.6

Humility

In looking on the human race, the Lord looks for humility. This is the

opposite of the self-exaltation so typical of humanity. This is the putting of

oneself below others and in this case is recognition of the superior position of

4 Gary Smith, vol. 15B, Isaiah 40-66, New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 728.

5 Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, electronic ed. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 2000), 613b.

6 Smith, 730.

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the Lord. Power does not come from human ingenuity but is a function of

the Lord. Being humble puts humans in a position of reliance on the Lord.7

Contrition

By the Lord looking on those who are “contrite in spirit,” He seeks

those who are dependent on the Lord for their help. Being contrite does not

refer to being in a depressed state of mind, but being of a spirit readily

expressing its need of the Divine for help.8

Reverence

The Lord also looks with favor on those who, in the words of the Lord,

“tremble at my word.” This metaphor does not mean people are terrified of

the Almighty, but instead recognize with awe and wonder, the greatness of

Yahweh. Instead of the fear of Mount Sinai at the giving of the Decalogue,

there is reverent obedience for the commands the Lord has given.9

The Unfaithful will Face Punishment for Their Empty Ritual (66:3-4).

In stark contrast to the humility, contrition, and reverence of the

faithful, the unrighteous are presented by comparing a list of acceptable

sacrifices with practices that are unacceptable. These comparisons with

their relative lack of explanation have proven difficult for commentators and

expositors.

7 Oswalt, 694.

8 Smith, 730.

9 Geoffrey W. Grogan, "Isaiah", in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 351-52.

5

Although the NIV (and many other modern translations) supply the

interpretive language necessary to create a complete English sentence, the

original text does not directly include this help. If verses three and four are

polemic statements against the sacrificial system as a whole, then other

passages in Isaiah become contradictory (cf. 19:21; 43:23-24; and 60:7).

Several interpretive plans have been forwarded including understanding

these comparisons with insertion of words or as a simile. Remaining faithful

to the text, an interpretive insertion of “is” harmonizes these verses with

statements earlier in Isaiah and in other prophets. This is the practice of the

NIV and NASB. This insertion furthermore underscores the text’s emphasis

on the person in question and not on the practice itself.10

These individuals keep the external rituals without the attitudes

marking the righteous. Absence from these attitudes, these people are

guilty of practicing the worse of sins. When these people practice these

empty rituals, their practices of outward religion become the very actions

condemning them because they have neglected the more important

aspect.11 Their actions were for their own benefit and their emptiness were

their joy.

The choices of these individuals produce the Lord’s judgment located

in verse four. The unfaithful chose the path of unrighteousness and

abomination; therefore, the Lord has chosen His punishment for them. The

10 Watts, 931.

11 Grogan, 352.

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grammatical construction of the sentence leaves little room for confusion:

the punishment was a result of the crime committed. Although it was the

Lord’s decision to address their sinfulness at this time and in this way, the

commands of the Lord also included the desire for the heart’s love to the

Lord. The vacuous nature of their ritual was their choice and the Divine

Judge has chosen this time to give them what they dreaded.12

These unfaithful worshipers were so entranced in their empty practices

they were deaf when the Lord called (verse 4b). As the Lord called, He heard

only silence in return. When He spoke, these people had grown deaf to His

voice. In insisting in their own methods of appealing to the Lord, they could

not discern His message. This part of verse four, then, further validates the

Lord’s message: it was not He who was silent, but these unfaithful people.

Taking the rituals the Lord commanded, these people had perverted them to

the point where His praises and His purposes were no longer connected.13

In one final statement before pronouncing His judgment, the Lord

announces the charge against them: they chose to do evil. Restating it was

their choice to walk paths away from their loving Creator, their knowledge of

the commands of the Law left their souls without the nourishment to discern

the real necessity of the rituals: to point the heart towards the Lord.

Therefore, instead of the hope of delight of the Lord, only judgment awaits.

The Faithful will be Avenged by the LORD (66:5-6).

12 Smith, 733.

13 Oswalt, 694.

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The call to the faithful identifies them as those who revere the Lord

and His commands and reminds the reader (and hearer) of the words from

Isaiah 66:2. The faithful are hated by those described in verses three and

four and have been excluded as a result (cf. 66:5). Whether this exclusion

refers to excommunication from the community or an economic exclusion is

beyond the text. More likely, it is the antisocial result of the unrighteous

hating the righteous.14

In their false piety, the unfaithful “pray” for the Lord’s glory and for His

joy to be upon them. The utterances of the unfaithful are at best irony but

are more likely their taunt to those who truly are seeking the Lord’s glory

and His joy. The sobering word of the Lord declares that shame is the

reward for their actions.15 The Lord Himself will avenge His remnant. The

faithful could rejoice in the fact that the Lord has not overlooked the taunts

of the unrighteous.

It is no small irony: the temple the unrighteous desired to rebuild for

housing their empty rituals is precisely the command center the Lord will use

to exact vengeance on them for their unfaithfulness. Those preferring the

denial of the real presence and power of the Almighty believe the Lord is at

their command because of their practices. However, the reality is they are

God’s “enemies” (verse six) and will face His judgment.16

14 Smith, 736.15 Grogan, 352.

16 Oswalt, 695.

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When the Lord will move in judgment on the unfaithful, He will do so

from His temple. Just as He was seeking the faithful ones to worship in that

temple, so the Lord will exact His retribution on those who have chosen

unfaithfulness from His temple and His city. For those who considered

themselves righteous when, in fact, they were not, the Lord’s punishment

moving through the temple would come as an incredible surprise.17

Those practicing empty piety and exclusion of the righteous remnant

of the Lord will receive the only payment they deserve: punishment. The

ritualistic approach to the Lord’s worship has resulted in the end of His

patience with these people. The resulting “uproar” and “noise” (verse six) is

the terrifying sound of the Lord’s wrath being released on the unrepentant.

To the faithful of the Lord, however, this sound represents the deliverance

for which they have longed.18

Assurance to the Faithful of the Hope of Restoration (66:7-14)

Isaiah began in chapter one with a message of judgment that quickly

turned into a message of hope of restoration. Isaiah 66 mirrors this with this

further assurance of restitution. The promises made in chapter one becomes

a reality in this section. The focus become very specific as the fulfillment

turns from the nation to Zion itself.19

Zion’s Restoration will be Sudden (66:7-9)

17 Edwin C. Webster, 1986, "A rhetorical study of Isaiah 66." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament no. 34: 93-108. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed October 2, 2011).

18 Watts, 938.19 Oswalt, 695.

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In verses seven through nine, the Lord presents a riddle through His

mouthpiece, Isaiah. This word play presents a question with its answer

serving as an introduction to verses ten through fourteen. Webster

illustrates that the Hebrew word translated “deliver” in verse seven is in the

hiphel and carries a dual meaning: one to the birth of a child and another to

the idea of salvation or rescue. Furthermore, the sudden restoration of the

city is a cause of celebration and echoes Isaiah 54:1. Webster further

asserts that if this is the correct interpretation, then verses seven through

nine could be paraphrased:

In the years of her desolation, Zion neither travailed nor brought forth but with the return of the exiles, she was inhabited in one day, in one moment. Will not the Lord who brought this about see that her people increase and prosper?20

With this interpretation, the hearer is challenged to consider how labor

and delivery normally progress. As this process rarely happens suddenly, it

draws special attention to the suddenness of the Lord’s “birthing” of Zion. In

addition, there is the uniqueness in this delivery in that there is no pain

associated with it. Not only does the Lord deliver the city quickly, He does so

with little effort due to His infinite power and greatness. Verses seven

through nine, then, point to the miraculous nature of this salvation by the

Lord.21

There is also another peculiar thought to note. This “labor” does not

result in the birth of an individual child, but gives birth to a nation. The

20 Webster, 97-98.

21 Smith, 738-739.

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sudden, miraculous delivery, creates a group of people instantly. Moreover,

since God Himself has orchestrated all things thus far, it would be Him Who

brings this delivery to fruition. These are His words in verse nine. The Lord

started the process of deliverance and it will be Him Who brings it to its final

and miraculous resolution.22 The eventual result of the Lord’s action is He

“promises not only a speedy but a complete work”.23

Zion’s Restoration is a Blessing to all People (66:10-11).

Jerusalem’s sudden restoration is a blessing to all people in the world.

These blessings, however, are not a form of universalism. Instead, the

blessings of the future restoration of Zion spread outward to those who

“love” and have mourned for Jerusalem (verse ten). Although it is easy to

assume this group of people refers to the Jews themselves, the context of

Isaiah 66 indicate that Gentile nations will also love this place.24

Verse eleven begins with a preposition in the NIV and the underlying

Hebrew can also be translated as “on account of or for the sake of.”25 In

Hebrew, this word begins the sentence and modern English translations

choose different ways of translating it. The NIV presents it with the

understanding that the gladness and rejoicing they experience is a direct

result of the satisfaction and delight Zion’s restoration brings to them.26 If

22 Watts, 938.

23 Grogan, 352.

24 Smith, 740.

25 Brown, Driver, and Briggs, 775a.

26 Smith, 740-741.

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the NIV interpretation is correct, then the world rejoices because of this ever-

expanding circle of blessing emanating from Jerusalem. Particularly, the

blessing of Zion is the blessing of the world.

As the Lord has given blessings in abundance to those who are faithful

to Him, now the entire world receives the blessing of Zion’s restoration. The

needs of the world are met by the faithfulness of the Lord and this is

indicated by the references to nursing. An infant is incapable of fulfilling its

needs or wants but must rely exclusively on its mother. In the same way,

the world will “nurse” in the ample supply of the Lord having recognized they

must rely exclusively on the Lord.27

The supply from which the world “will drink deeply and delight” (verse

eleven), is out of “overflowing abundance.” “Overflowing” in the NIV is

based on the Hebrew noun kevôd and means “abundance, honor, or glory.”28

“Abundance” from the NIV is the Hebrew noun zîz and refers to a breast or

nipple.29 Together, these words graphically indicate a nursing mother whose

milk completely satisfies an infant or, perhaps, never runs out due to its

limitless abundance. Other passages in Isaiah advocate the nations of the

world bringing this abundance into Zion (cf. Isaiah 49:23 and 60:4-16), but in

the end, it is the Lord who is the cause of consolation and provision.30

27 Oswalt, 695.

28 Brown, Driver, and Briggs, 458b.

29 Ibid., 265b.

30 Smith, 741.

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Zion’s Restoration is the Instrument of Comfort from the LORD (66:12-

14).

Starting this final section of the passage, the Lord proclaims He will

“extend peace” (verse twelve). As Watts states, “‘peace’ means much more

than absence of conflict. Its completeness includes health and prosperity.”31

This peace, verse twelve asserts, will proceed “like a river” in that it is

continuous and constant. Unlike what Zion received on past occasions, this

peace will not be temporary or trepidatious. This peace will continue

unbridled.32 The waters of peace bring a feeling of comfort.

Just as a mother cares for her child, so the Lord will care for His people.

Verse thirteen displays a tenderness from the Almighty as He states that it

will be Him who provides the comfort. This comfort, in context of the

passage, is the restoration of Zion itself. The Lord brings comfort by

restoring Zion and Zion is comforted and gives comfort to the nations by her

existence. In the time of this passage’s fulfillment, there will be no more

want or need. This demonstrates the strength of the Lord’s love for His

people. The entire book of Isaiah has proven His love for them and now the

benefits of their covenant relationship with them reaches its expected end.33

The encouragement the book of Isaiah brings is that the Lord’s

restoration of Zion is a tangible reminder to the world of His power and

capability. The sinfulness that weighed down the Lord’s people and 31 Watts, 939.

32 Ibid.33 Smith, 742.

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confirmed their need for His grace, finds the ultimate expression of that

grace in the comfort offered by Jerusalem’s restoration. This promise of

restoration serves as a constant reminder that their sin will not hopelessly

separate them from the Lord but will find atonement and restoration.34

This section closes in verse fourteen with the expectancy that the

Lord’s people can “rejoice” and “flourish” when they observe this coming

into realization. This verse also addresses those who love Zion and hope for

her restoration. They, too, will be exceedingly glad with this revelation of the

Lord’s mercy and kindness. In telling them they will “flourish like grass,” the

presence of grass covering the earth is the picture intended.35 The message

is repeated: Israel’s comfort is the world’s comfort.

As Oswalt asserts, “if judgment is never God’s intended last word,

neither is hope without conditions.”36 The judgment of the Lord for

covenantal disobedience would be before them as the exile drew closer.

Furthermore, during the exile, the Jewish people would always need to

remember their sin put them in that situation. Should they find themselves

once again standing against the Lord, His “fury” would soon follow. In an

eschatological sense, the Lord’s fury will not be poured out as punishment

for His people in discipline. At that time, the Lord’s indignation will be

34 Oswalt, 695.

35 Watts, 939.

36 Oswalt, 695.

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directed towards those who have refused to accept Him and have chosen to

be His enemies.37

Theological Contribution of Isaiah 66:1-14

Isaiah unfolds with, and ends with, Jerusalem. Throughout the book,

this city comes to the fore. Theologically, the constant reminder in Isaiah

66:1-14 is the Lord is larger than any one city yet what this city represents is

precious to Him. However, the pride, self-reliance, empty ritual in this city

had reached a point where the Lord needed to purge it.38 Verses one

through six vividly demonstrate this ritualistic approach to faith and the

Lord’s disgust with it. When these people thought they were the safest, the

Lord’s punishment was nearing its arrival.

In the second part of the passage, the theme of the Lord’s control of all

the nations returns as they are all blessed through Zion’s restoration. Their

deliverance was directly related to Israel’s deliverance because the Lord is

God over all the earth and not just one small nation. The Kingdom of God

would be brought about by the Lord’s sovereign will as He worked through

history and nations thereby demonstrating that He is the one, true God.39

Application

The Lord still desires exclusivity among His people. He is not willing to

share His glory with another god. Just as Isaiah 66:1-6 chided the unfaithful

37 Smith, 743.

38 Samuel J. Schultz and Gary V. Smith, Exploring the Old Testament (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2001), 169.

39 Ibid.

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for their hypocrisy and their empty ritual, so Christians today must

continuously evaluate their actions to ensure they are not guilty of the same

crime against the Lord. James 4:2-3 echos the concept that the motivation

behind a Christian’s actions are as important as the action themselves.

The church today is just as likely as Israel (and Judah) of yesterday to

“have a form of godliness” but live without the power (2 Timothy 3:5). The

motions of piety are much easier to reproduce than the heart the Lord

requires. Christians must avoid the temptation to slip into a ritualistic

practice of Christianity and deny the life-changing and life-giving power

associated with life in the Kingdom.

The hope of deliverance is still a much-appreciated theme in the

modern church. Although the American church has not endured the same

degree of suffering as Christians globally, the church universal still echoes

the desire for the Lord’s comfort and His blessing. Isaiah 66:1-14, although

presenting challenges in exegesis and application, exhorts the readers today

with the same exhortation the original hearers and readers received. Of

those who consider themselves religious, persistent and relentless

evaluation of themselves is required to verify their identity as the Lord’s

servants or His foes.

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Bibliography

Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver and Charles Augustus Briggs. Enhanced Brown-Driver-

Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. electronic ed. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research

Systems, 2000.

Grogan, Geoffrey W. "Isaiah". In The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah,

Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.

McConville, J. Gordon. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets. Downers Grove,

IL: InterVarsity Press:, 2002.

Oswalt, John N. Isaiah: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,

2003.

Schultz, Samuel J. and Gary V. Smith. Exploring the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway

Books, 2001.

17

Smith, Gary. Vol. 15B, Isaiah 40-66. New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman &

Holman Publishers, 2009.

Watts, John D. W. Vol. 25, Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 34-66. Revised Edition. Word

Biblical Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 2005.

Webster, Edwin C. 1986. "A rhetorical study of Isaiah 66." Journal for the Study of the Old

Testament no. 34: 93-108. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed October 2, 2011).