How does Isaiah 57:20 describe the state of the wicked's inner turmoil? Opening Scripture “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest; its waters churn up mire and mud.” — Isaiah 57:20 Restless Seas: A Picture of Turmoil The verse paints a vivid image: the sea in perpetual motion, unable to settle, forever dredging up sludge from its depths. That is God’s chosen picture of the inner life of the wicked. Key Observations • “cannot rest” — an ongoing, inescapable condition, not a momentary lapse • “tossing” — constant agitation; no still point or anchor • “mire and mud” — impurity surfaces again and again, defiling everything nearby • God, not human opinion, defines this reality; the description is factual, not metaphorical conjecture What This Reveals About the Wicked Heart • Perpetual unrest: sinful desires churn like waves that never reach shore • Polluted thoughts: bitterness, lust, and pride rise to the surface uninvited • Self-perpetuating chaos: the more the heart stirs, the more debris it pulls up • No natural capacity for peace: true rest must come from outside intervention (cf. Isaiah 48:22, “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”) Contrasting Peace for the Righteous • Isaiah 26:3 — “You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.” • John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you… Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The righteous experience a divinely granted calm, the very opposite of the churning sea. Echoes Throughout Scripture • Psalm 1:4 — “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff blown away by the wind.” • James 1:6 — “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” • Jude 13 — “Wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame.” From Old to New Testament, Scripture consistently portrays the ungodly as unstable, unsettled, and destructive. Living Application God’s word unmasks the inner reality of life lived in rebellion: ceaseless motion, mounting filth, no rest. In Christ alone is the stillness every soul craves. “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). |
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