What is the meaning of Isaiah 57:17? I was enraged by his sinful greed • God speaks of “sinful greed” as the root of Israel’s rebellion. Covetousness is more than wanting too much; it is idolatry that displaces the Lord (see Isaiah 2:7–8; Colossians 3:5). • His “rage” is righteous, the settled opposition of a holy God toward sin (Isaiah 5:25). • Greed here pictures grasping after idols, alliances, and wealth instead of trusting the Lord—exactly the pattern condemned in Jeremiah 6:13 and Ezekiel 33:31. So I struck him • Divine anger moves to action; God “struck” His people through exile, loss, and hardship (2 Kings 17:18; 2 Chronicles 36:16–17). • Such striking is discipline, not caprice. Hebrews 12:6 reminds, “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves.” • The blow is intended to awaken conscience, calling sinners back to covenant faithfulness (Leviticus 26:14–17). And hid My face in anger • To “hide” His face is to withdraw favor and protection (Deuteronomy 31:17; Psalm 13:1). • Separation is the inevitable result of unrepentant sin: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). • God’s hidden face leaves His people to feel the barrenness of life apart from Him, prompting repentance (Hosea 5:15). Yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart • Even chastened, the nation remained stubborn, circling back to the same cravings (Jeremiah 3:10; Acts 7:51). • This reveals the depth of human depravity: external pressure alone cannot cure a rebellious heart (Romans 1:24–25). • Only God’s promised new heart—foretold in Ezekiel 36:26—can break the cycle and draw sinners to lasting obedience. summary Isaiah 57:17 shows the faithful character of God and the faithless character of His people. Sinful greed provokes His righteous anger. Loving discipline follows, including painful blows and the withdrawal of His felt presence. Yet human hearts, left unchanged, relapse into the same desires. The verse therefore exposes sin’s seriousness, God’s just response, and our desperate need for inner renewal that only He can provide. |
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