One Way Rescue • 06.01.25
Jack Flaherty   -   June 1, 2025

One Way Rescue

Isaiah 59

Unpacking God’s powerful promise to single-handedly save sinners

  1. The Prophet’s Declaration: You have a sin problem
  2. The People’s Confession: We have a sin problem
  3. The LORD’s Salvation: He alone can intervene and redeem

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Good morning! My name is Jack Flaherty and I serve as one of the pastors here at Harvest. It is a privilege to be able to open the Word of God with you this morning as we continue studying the prophetic writings of Isaiah. Before we do, I would like to dismiss our 4th-5th graders. For the rest of us, lets turn in our Bibles to Isaiah 59. Ushers will get you a copy.

 

Our title today is “One Way Rescue” and as you find your way to Isaiah 59, let me set this idea up by sharing one of my favorite movies from growing up: The Sandlot. Besides enjoying our own variety of sporting activities in a vacant lot in my neighbor with friends growing up, I loved this movie because of the drama surrounding when the main character Smalls hits his first homerun into the yard where the biggest dog in the neighborhood, named “Beast”,  lives who is owned by supposedly scary man. This ball was stolen from his dad and signed by Babe Ruth. Uhoh!.  They try a lot of things to try and retrieve the ball including using a vacuum, an erector set, and suspending a kid on a pulley system. But the best scene is where Benny “the Jet” Rodriquez pickles the beast, by hopping the fence and then an epic chase ensues. They do get the ball back and end up meeting the owner who is very kind said they could have just asked for help! Also he had played with Babe Ruth so had some better material Instead of trying their own ideas with limited resources they simply could of acknowledged their problem and asked the one most capable of rescuing the ball to help.

 

Our text today wants us to come to grips with the reality that we have a big problem which we need rescued from. Unlike this movie, and many movies for that matter, what we see in the Bible is that there are no ideas and no resources from within ourselves which can handle it. Sin is that big of a deal! And there is only one way to handle it. God must enter from outside in with his idea and his resources because we don’t have the stuff to do it.

 

Last week we could summarize Isaiah 58 as “love God and love others. This week we could summarize Isaiah 59 as the picture-perfect example of the series title “The Lord saves.” It is the gospel message of sin, Christ, response. Today in Isaiah 59 we are Unpacking God’s powerful promise to single-handedly save sinners. The people have been called out in order to expose what lies beneath their religion. And for those who SEE the massive problem beneath the surface and plea for repentance, they have the promised hope of rescue and blessing.

 

Before the promise we need to see the problem, spelled out from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah. Read Isaiah 59:1-8. The first layer to unpack regarding God’s promise to save is…

 

  1. The Prophet’s Declaration: You have a sin problem

If you remember back to the beginning of Isaiah 58 the people cried out because apparently God was not responding to their fasting and praying. So God told Isaiah to cry out to the people and tell them he is not listening because of their sin and transgression. Essentially says “your mindless religious motions are the problem. You’re fasting for self-seeking reasons and ignoring the Sabbath thinking you can find pleasure elsewhere. STOP that fake religion and follow what is true, love for God and love for others.” That’s what Isaiah has done. Ultimately this is a gracious call out in hopes that the people recognize their problem or SINFULNESS.

 

What we just read is a continuation of Isaiah calling out their sin. It’s as if he anticipates the people saying “ok well that’s just two things, but were doing everything else right.” So Isaiah declares that it is bigger those two issues, this indictment is about all whole bunch of things. Ultimately the prophet tells the people “God’s not the problem, YOU are the problem!” You will notice in v1-8 the repetition of “you/your” or “they/their.” Follow the pronouns in order to see the flow of this text.

 

So looking at Isaiah 59:1-2 what the prophet says is that this declaration regarding sin shows a separation from blessed relationship with God. God has no hearing problem. God isn’t lacking power to act. Not Gods inability but man’s iniquity. God is not a genie in a bottle to be manipulated and their sin has gone too far for any hypocritical religious action to move him. Even further, its not just their hypocrisy but the total rebellion and blindless their sin has brought.

 

This depravation is spelled out in v3-8. Though there was nothing wrong back in v1-2  with God’s arm or ear there is plenty wrong with these people. As v3 says their hands defiled and fingers bloody. Nothing they do is good. Lying lips and wicked tongues. Everything they say is evil. Further evidence in v4 they literally lack anything within themselves. Hollow men and women who only bring more iniquity. In word and deed they are against God and others. This is both individual and corporate as whole society understanding of justice is corrupt.

 

Isaiah uses vivid prophetic poetry to illustrate this in v5-6. We see two of the more disagreeable members of animal kingdom indicating two different negative consequences—poisonous effects for and flimsy instability for self. It’s one thing to do evil, another thing to poison and ensure others! Not just that but they try to cover. But just like fig leaves failed in the garden v6 says these webs are see through and don’t hide their evil from God’s sight. This behavior and its attempted concealment is not coerced but it comes naturally as the verbal tenses of hatch and spin indicate both fixed character and habitual conduct.

 

Look at v7-8 showing more of the wickedness. They RUN and are SWIFT to the wicked roads. This is with quickness and intention, not just an accident, And it’s not just word and deed but their thinking is gone too. It says in v8 they know not the way. As we will see more in the next section, it’s not just rebellion its blindness. And v8 is really the summary statement of the declaration. They have no peace and don’t know the way to get there as they have twisted their paths to their own demise. This verse is an answer for the question in Isa 58:3 of why God wasn’t moving  As one commentator said, “Given this list of sins I can’t believe they had the nerve to wonder why God wasn’t hearing and answering their prayers!”

 

This is a strong declaration from the prophet about the people–“YOU have erected the barrier that stand between you and God.” Yet this gracious God is calling this sin problem out because he wants them to experience all the covenant blessings that would be theirs if they turn from the windy ways of the world and accept the invite to run to him. The calling out is for their good! To expose these things not just to feel bad and hide BUT to see the glory on the other side.

 

Before we move on and see if they will listen, let me ask will you listen? You might say “tough for Israel they were a bunch of bums. Not me!” OR maybe even a step further “Ehhh sin isn’t as big a deal. Didn’t God call us good? Aren’t I already ok? Even if I read the Bible can we even really know right from wrong based on distance and time from the Bible?”

 

Well this is where Paul comes in. In Romans 3 he gives what is arguably the clearest depiction of sin in the whole Bible. And Paul supports his explanation of human sinfulness as unfathomable, universal, radical, and a problem known to be personal for all people including me and you by reaching for Isaiah 59. Read Romans 3:9-19  “9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

 

Multiple OT texts here, but Rom 3:15-17 is direct from out text. Also could argue the others texts cited either have Isaiah in view or he had them in view. For all of these OT texts, being used in Romans 3 means their declarations aren’t just for Israel or even just for OT times people or even just NT time people. It’s a problem in our day! and like the wispy webs already illustrated, we cannot cover our wickedness. As Isaiah 64:6 will state even our best deeds are filthy rags.

 

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Our consciences, that little voice inside our head, even if seared and confused still tells us the facts: we know we are guilty. We can try to respond to these declarations by covering but it won’t work. This covering can take many forms. It can look like saying it doesn’t matter; it can look like trying to be good enough; or it can even look like trying to self-flagellate bad enough. This is pride on all ends as all those options take it back to self. We don’t see it. We can’t fix it. We can’t fix it and are just the worst so just leave me alone. At times each of those can be appealing, but NONE of those are good options. This first section is meant to help us realize its too real of a problem to ignore. Hear this declaration by God through the prophet and don’t cover but confess! that’s where the text heads next.

 

Read Isaiah 59:9-13. The second layer of unpacking God’s promise to single-handedly save is…

 

  1. The People’s Confession: We have a sin problem

As we continue following the pronouns we see an interesting shift here. We move from the second and third person to first person plural “we/us” language. There is a new emphasis that its not just a declaration of the sinfulness about the people by someone else, the people with Isaiah as their spokesperson now acknowledge what was just said to be true. They see that wickedness, evil, inquity, sin, wrong speaking, acting, thinking and say “Yes that’s US.” They are not taking the road of covering proud avoidance OR of pouty false humility. As v12 says they KNOW their iniquities. Let’s unpack a bit more of what it is they know in v9-13.

 

First in v9 we see “therefore” and we should always ask “what’s that therefore.” It’s a connector to something. Its looking back to the declaration of the prophet and saying their confession is coming because after its calling out they have seen their sin! They know they are from from justice and righteousness, key words in all of Isaiah and especially this chapter. The theme of light which is unique to Isaiah’s prophecy is what they want but they are in darkness and gloom. This is made more clear in v10 as they literally cannot find their way. they are blind, worse they have no ideas. Its not just that they need eyes fixed its that they don’t exists. This is metaphorically speaking of course, but the idea is no spiritual sight OR ability to see right from wrong. This is quoting the covenant curses of Deut 28:29 that Moses pronounced would happen to the Israelites If they forsook the One who showed He alone was God in the way he saved them from Egypt. This verse also is exactly what Isaiah was told would happen to the people in response to his preaching back in Isaiah 6:10. As an old man nearing the end of his ministry he has seen the people willingly ignore his warnings.

 

So v11 is the heart behind this confession This is a communal lament! Weeping. End of self-justification and self-trust. In fact an acknowledge of lacking justice and salvation. What should exist among God’s people living obediently before God and between one another is gone. In its place is what is spelled out in v12-13 where there is multiplied transgression and sin. Three verbs against God and three verbs against others. Yes sin brings problems to horizontal dimension which we’ve discussed the past couple weeks and is an issue. But the vertical dimension even more significant as evidenced in v13. Lied to God, turned backs on God, rebelled against God’s holy commands, and sin is coming from our hearts…not superficial, not biological, not environmental, not he/she made me do it. They have a problem at their core and know this. They don’t argue because the declarations are true, they have a sin problem.

 

This type of heartfelt confession is model for the redeemed in every generation! There is grief at the reality of sin! I am challenged by the peoples response. They don’t cover with pouty despair or proud denial. They don’t try to skirt by with a “my bad” and moving one. They feel the weight and speak plainly and movingly. This type of actual confession ought to be convicting for us. When is the last time we could use words like growling or moaning at the sight of sin and its affects in my life and in the lives of others?

 

But this is how we ought to respond when our sinful reality is called out. In fact we see this all over the Bible. Most immediate context is when Hezekiah was moaning like a dove facing the reality of death in Isa 38:14. Creation is said to be groaning in Rom 8 as it experiences the effects of sin. Jesus wept and was repeatedly moved in response to sin he saw. Are we moved like this by sin? And not just in the lives and impacts of others, but in ourselves? Because when we are rightly affected, that actually brings us to act.

 

We are told guilt and shame are to be avoided. So much so we stop calling things wrong and correcting error. But guilt and shame when rightly understood are merely emotions meant to move us to rightly respond. If we’ve done wrong, it’s for our good to be told about it, to feel it, and to address it! Repentance does not come easily to any of us, and it is hardest of all for people who have become accustomed to using religion as a cover for their sin. So maybe more specifically for those of us who have been around the Lord for a while, deal with things rightly! May we respond like this text with Isaiah as spokesperson for the people. We are in the same spot. Apart from God we are stuck in darkness v9, helplessness v10, bitterness v11, hopelessness v11, & are personal guilty v12-13. Our hope is not our own ideas & resources but confession.

 

Lets ask ourselves honestly, is there sin, iniquity, transgression, denial of God, revolt against His ways and plans in our lives? Do we have desires, thoughts, or actions we are trying to cover rather than confess? God already knows the worst thing about us we are sinners. Other people already know the worst thing about us, we are a sinners. I invite you to stop actively covering and  acknowledge and confess it to God, openly, simply, plainly, specifically. Don’t hide with activity. Don’t skipping over the conviction the Spirit might be prompting this moment. Confess it.

 

This type of meditation on sin is not one we like, but is necessary for unpacking the truth that rescue cannot come from ourselves. And it ought to be freeing if we see it rightly. We can’t save ourselves AND we don’t have to. We can be patient in trials because we overcome not in our own strength. We don’t complain when things don’t go our way because its not about our way being right anyways! All of this is meant to pull the rug out and put a needle in our balloon so that we would take this accurate diagnosis of our spiritual condition and look to the one who unilaterally promises to save. Which is where the text goes next.

 

Read Isaiah 59:14-21. The final box to unwrap in God’s powerful promise to save is…

  1. The LORD’s Salvation: He alone can intervene and redeem

As we look to v14-15 Its not just the prophet and the people who know the issue, YHWH knows. He knows they are not right with him and he sees that things are so bad even if they try on their own to depart from evil they will be preyed upon the wicked society. As the God of righteousness and justice and truth, this all displeases! God is not aloof buy keenly aware. This depravity offends God! Yet it also stirs his heart to help in the way that only he can.

 

As we look to v16, he is wondering/devastated at the reality of no possible help. There is no man, no one to intercede or to intervene. This anthropomorphic language, meaning describing God in human words in a way we can understand, is used to reveal how shocking the true condition is and how zealous for his own glory God truly is. What will this faithful covenant keeping God do?!

The picture here is incredible! His arm which lacks no power will act to save. His ears have heard the people’s confession as light has shown them their sin. Thus he will burst forth as a warrior to rescue. As a warrior, God suits up for battle in v17. He deals with the deeds of the wicked according to v18 with righteously proportionate wrath as a God who is slow to anger but wont let sin go unpunished. And as v19 says the viewing of the display of his saving and judging work brings worldwide salvation for those who fear him, from east to west his name is glorified. This description of coming like a rushing stream is dramatic! You may have seen the glacier that crushed a city in Switzerland this past week. That’s the kind of idea! The wind of the Lord, also could be spirit of the Lord, does this. Then v20 says not just all over the world but even right at home the Redeemer from Zion will reach the house of Jacob. The word “turn” is the Hebrew word “shuv” which also is translated “repent.” Change of heart leading to change of action. They’ve been sinning from the heart in their speech and deed and now God has brought a total change of direction.

 

He intervenes against the enemies so that all will bring him praise! He alone can save! As we’ve been following the pronouns did you catch HE/HIS in this section? This is God’s intervention and salvation, declares the Lord!  Oh we need this! We need not only to be stunned by the depth of our sin BUT even more so by the salvation of our God.  It is not our own strength, effort, religious motions that save. We are saved by the arm of the Lord! We serve for his glory and from his salvation. We seek not our own desires but his in response to his radical redemption. Not only that, it gets even better in v21 as He establishes an eternal covenant relationship with all who turn from transgression. Marked by the work of the Spirit and the word, this is looking forward to the new covenant! And what is crucial here is still the pronouns.

 

“This is my covenant with them.” It’s God setting the terms with his penitent people. “My Spirit is upon you and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from you, your offspring, your offsprings offspring.” This “you” which God places his Spirit upon and words in is a masculine singular you. This is God saying there is one Anointed One who will accomplish the establishment of this covenant. This is the promised child and king of Isaiah 1-37, and the Servant of Isaiah 38-55. The is the Anointed One who will be talked about in the next several chapters through Isaiah 66. As declared when is read from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue of Nazareth this one empower by the Spirit to proclaim the word of God and accomplish the New Covenant is none other than Jesus Christ!

 

Jesus is this one way rescuer and Redeemer. He alone is the way truth and life. He alone deals with vengeance and justice in himself. Back to Romans 3, this is where Paul went after talking about the sinfulness of man. Romans 3:21-26 “21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

This is incredible. God looks and finds none so he becomes the ONE. We cannot come to God so he comes to us. He cannot stand by while he people are destroyed. When no justice he becomes justice and justified. He will not ignore BUT will come to redeem. He puts on clothing for battle and did some by taking on flesh. Dying for our sin. Our confession isn’t just that we are wicked but that God is gracious and we trust in the ONE WAY he made for us to be rescued, the life, death and resurreciton of Jesus. God alone can intervene in your life and save. Do you believe that this morning!? Today can be the day of salvation! Trust him!

 

And if you already have, for the believer, what does this mean for us? For our it should quicken us to confession and stir us to praise. But also, we have some helps for living daily life. You may notice connection here to Eph 6. In Eph 6:10-12 Paul encourages the believers to find their strength in the Lord to fight against the real spiritual enemy that we face. One who is after our souls and against our Savior.  Then in Eph 6:13-18 Paul intentional drawing from Isaiah to tell us to put on the armor of God.

 

Ephesians 6:13-18a 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

 

I wanted to talk through these all more specifically BUT you will have to come to HIGH FIVE CAMP for that . In all seriousness, the more you read Isaiah and also Ephesians the more it is clear that Paul had Isaiah in mind not just for the pieces from ch59 but also from places like Isaiah 11; 43; 49; 54; 61 and probably more! I also think it is not a coincidence as we consider where Paul goes after the armor. In short, because of what Christ did, we can put on the pieces of the armor he wore for us. Every time we see “put on” or “in Christ” that’s what this means. He has won the victory eternally but we put on the garments of spiritual warfare daily to fight sin. To battle the sin problem we acknowledged we have. And not only that personally, but to share the message of hope in Christ with others. That’s what we see in Isaiah that the message of salvation goes out from east to west. I think that’s what Paul had in mind where he goes next in  Ephesians 6:18-20 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

 

Christian, see the resources that are powerfully promised to you through the single-handledly secured victory of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was upon him and he breathed it upon his disciples to show the promise that all who repent will be indwelt with God’s Prescence! He preached the word and told his disciples to do that same so that all who might believe would continue to proclaim this saving truth. The Spirit and the word are the resources we still have today. Not to fight some physical war against the enemies of God. The Anointed One has defeated death and will return to complete vengeance and salvation. Until then all of his spiritual family are called to fight sin, push against the enemy, and invite others to join the winning side by the power of the Spirit and through the proclaim the word of God. Personally acknowledging and publicly proclaiming the desperate, helpless, hopeless state regarding where and how men and women boys and girls will spend eternity apart from turning to the Lord. He is the one way to be rescued!

 

We were saved not by our own efforts. We don’t fight sin in our own efforts. We don’t fight the world around us with weapons of man’s warfare shedding blood, making crooked ways, trampling on the ways of peace. Instead we look to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, seeing the victory he has won on our behalf, and abide in him by his word and Spirit.

 

This one-way rescue is experienced not because of our own great ideas nor because of our great resources. As Jonathan Edwards is supposed to have once famously said “We bring nothing to the table except the sin that makes it necessary.” Hear and feel the weight of that sin rightly. Don’t deny or despair but rather confess and repent. Then rejoice and rest in the glorious savior who brings the plan and the power to accomplish it all single-handedly. Rejoice in and share of this Redeemer to others!

 

Pray. God you alone are free from sin and mighty to save. You alone are merciful enough to acknowledge sin and you alone are powerful enough to redeem all who turn to you. You will repay the wicked and spare the penitent. In light of that, may we be a people who know our problem and rightly run to you. May be rightly fear you name and testify to you glory from east to west. May we rest in your Spirit and dwell on your words from this time forth and forevermore. May we also spread this one way rescue message to the nations around us and generation behind us so that they two might come and worship our holy God.