What is the meaning of Isaiah 57:6? Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. • Isaiah pictures the people choosing “smooth stones” in the low places as their inheritance instead of the living God. The phrase exposes a tragic trade-off: they have abandoned “the LORD’s portion” (Deuteronomy 32:9) for lifeless rocks. • Valleys were common sites for Canaanite fertility rites and child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10). By settling their identity there, Judah aligns with the idols of the land rather than the covenant promises given on higher ground (Exodus 19:3-6). • The contrast is deliberate—while Joshua set up memorial stones in the Jordan to remember God’s faithfulness (Joshua 4:6-7), these smooth stones celebrate rebellion. Jeremiah makes the same indictment: “They have polluted My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols” (Jeremiah 16:18). • Practically, whatever we prize most becomes our “portion.” Psalm 16:5 affirms, “The LORD is my chosen portion” (cf. Psalm 73:26); Isaiah shows the emptiness of any rival claim. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. • Offerings that belonged exclusively to God (Leviticus 2:1; Numbers 28:7) are here diverted to idols. The people perform religious acts, but their devotion is misplaced. • This echoes Hosea 2:8, where Israel “prepared Baal with her grain and new wine,” and Isaiah 65:11, which condemns those who “set a table for Fortune.” God is not against ceremonies; He is against counterfeit loyalty. • Notice the progression: first they accept the stones as their lot, then they actively nourish the relationship with worship. Sin rarely remains passive; it demands ongoing tribute (Romans 6:16). • The worship resembles the true but lacks the object of truth. Paul later warns of the same danger—“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). Should I relent because of these? • God poses a rhetorical question: Will ritualistic idolatry persuade Him to withhold judgment? The implied answer is a firm no. • Isaiah had already relayed the Lord’s stance on empty worship in chapter 1: “I have had enough of your burnt offerings… I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls” (Isaiah 1:11). Parallel rebukes appear in Amos 5:21-23 and Micah 6:6-8. • The question underscores God’s unchanging holiness. Acts of worship gain value only when directed to the One who is worthy (John 4:24). • For believers today, the verse cautions against thinking religious habits—giving, singing, serving—can cancel out divided hearts. Proverbs 21:27 warns, “The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more when brought with evil intent!” summary Isaiah 57:6 exposes Judah’s decision to trade the Lord for lifeless idols, to feed those idols with offerings meant for God, and then to expect divine favor all the same. The passage reminds us that whatever claims our deepest trust becomes our “portion.” Ritual cannot mask rebellion; only wholehearted allegiance to the Lord satisfies Him and secures the inheritance He alone can give. |
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