Isaiah 59 contains one of the most poignant and dismal descriptions of human sinfulness in the entire Bible. The catalog of iniquity includes violence and injustice as well as hypocrisy and dishonesty. The social evils and personal malice leave a trail of destruction worthy of condemnation by God (v 3-7a). And at the heart of it all is the human heart. The wickedness flows from within: “They think only about sinning. Misery and destruction always follow them. They don't know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good. They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment's peace” (v 7b-8, NLT). The apostle Paul quotes these verses in the New Testament to describe how urgently we need a Savior. Apart from the cross of Christ, this is who we are. The seed of every conceivable sin lies in the heart of every single person. Isaiah is writing to people who have returned from exile, but they have not changed. They are still unable to produce the kind of righteousness that God requires of them, though they are confident they have done enough to secure His blessing. So why has God failed to bless them? The prophet insists that what defeats us is not any failure in God, but only in ourselves. The LORD does not lack power, and He is always listening. But when we live in blatant, unconfessed sin, we are in no position to receive His blessing (v 1-2). Finally, the hearts of the people begin to soften, and together they humbly admit that God is in the right after all, and they are in the wrong. There is a reason they are stumbling in the darkness, gloomy and confused. They have been living as if God does not even exist, turning their backs on Him and ignoring His laws. This is not regret over a few unfortunate mistakes. This is a recognition of serious offense against the Creator Himself (v 9-13). The dishonesty and injustice are so extreme that even God seems astonished (v 14-15). So then, are we humans doomed to continue in sin, despite our best efforts and noble intentions? Not at all. Since none of us are adequate to redeem the mess we’ve made, the LORD personally undertakes this mission, doing for us what we could never accomplish on our own. By His own mighty arm, God brings our salvation, defeating sin at the cross and waging war against evil until His victory has a worldwide impact. When Christ returns, He will be greeted by repentant people all over the globe who have turned from their transgression to revere Him and give Him glory (v 16-21). For further meditation: