Life-Study of Isaiah, by Witness Lee

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I. JEHOVAH’S HAND NOT BEING SO SHORT
THAT IT CANNOT SAVE

Jehovah’s hand is not so short that it cannot save, and His ear is not so heavy that it cannot hear (59:1). But Jacob’s iniquities have become a separation between them and their God, and their sins have hidden His face from them so that He does not hear (v. 2).

II. THE SINS AND INIQUITIES OF JACOB

Verses 3 through 8 speak of the sins and iniquities of Jacob. Iniquities are much more evil than sins.

III. THE ISSUE OF JACOB’S SINS AND INIQUITIES

Verses 9 through 15a describe the issue of Jacob’s sins and iniquities.

IV. THE SAVING OF JEHOVAH’S ARM TOWARD JACOB

For our sins and iniquities, we have the saving of Jehovah’s arm (vv. 15b-19). Jehovah’s arm is Christ as the Servant of Jehovah, who has the dynamic might of Jehovah.

Verse 20 says that a Redeemer will come to Zion and unto those who turn from transgression in Jacob. Then verse 21 continues, "As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says Jehovah: My Spirit which is upon you and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed’s seed, says Jehovah, from now and forever." This covenant is Christ as the reality and surety of the covenant (42:6; 49:8; 54:10).

Our mouth is for three things: breathing, eating, and speaking. Among these three, the most crucial is speaking. We need to know what to speak, when to speak, where to speak, and to whom to speak.

We can control our breathing and our eating but not our speaking. It was by her speaking that Eve committed sin. If she had not spoken to the serpent but had turned to Adam, she would have overcome the serpent’s temptation. However, she spoke to the serpent, and by her speaking she fell into sin. This illustrates the fact that speaking is a problem to us all. Our speaking may minister life to others, or it may minister death to others. Whether we build up others or damage them, whether we minister life or death, depends on how and what we speak. If the saints in the church life could be corrected in their speaking, every church would be revived.

(Life-Study of Isaiah, Chapter 30, by Witness Lee)

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