Isaiah 29 - When God’s People Draw Near with Their Lips

Text: Isaiah 29

God desires genuine worship, spiritual understanding, humility, and faith rather than outward religion without inward obedience.

God cannot be deceived by religious appearance. He sees the heart, exposes spiritual blindness, humbles human pride, and calls His people to return to Him in genuine faith and obedience.

Isaiah 29 is one of those chapters that speaks with remarkable power to both ancient Israel and the church today. The circumstances, culture, and historical setting are different, but the spiritual problems addressed in this chapter are surprisingly familiar. Isaiah speaks to a people who had the temple, the sacrifices, the religious traditions, the Scriptures, and the outward appearance of devotion, yet their hearts had drifted far from God.

The chapter begins with a solemn announcement of judgment against Jerusalem, identified as "Ariel." Yet as the chapter develops, Isaiah exposes something deeper than political problems or military threats. The real problem was spiritual. God's people had become outwardly religious while inwardly resistant to God. They honored Him with their mouths, but their hearts were not truly submitted to Him.

Isaiah 29 therefore challenges us with an important question: Is our relationship with God genuine, or have we become satisfied with religious activity while our hearts remain distant from Him?

It is easy for Christians to become familiar with church attendance, Christian vocabulary, Bible reading, singing hymns, giving, serving, and even teaching God's Word without continually examining whether our hearts are walking closely with the Lord.

Isaiah does not condemn worship itself. He condemns worship that has become merely external. God is not impressed by religious performance when the heart has abandoned Him.

 

As we study this chapter, we will see several major truths: God judges empty religion, spiritual blindness is real, human wisdom cannot replace divine revelation, God's grace can restore spiritual understanding, and genuine repentance produces a changed life.

The central verse within this chapter is Isaiah 29:13: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me."

That verse serves as one of the chapter's central themes. Everything around it helps us understand how and why God's people can become religious on the outside while being spiritually distant on the inside.

I. GOD SEES BEYOND RELIGIOUS APPEARANCE

Isaiah 29:1-4

1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

3 And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

Isaiah begins by addressing Ariel: "Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt!" The name Ariel is associated with Jerusalem and carries the idea of a place connected with God's altar or God's presence. Jerusalem was the city of David. It was the city where the temple stood. It was the center of Israel's worship.

The word Aerial in Hebrew also means “Altar Hearth.” By using this word in this chapter, God is speaking to the very heart of the Jewish religion.

Isaiah says, "Add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices." In other words, Jerusalem continued its religious activity. The sacrifices continued. The ceremonies continued. The people continued doing religious things.

But their religious activity did not protect them from God's judgment because their hearts were not right with God.

This gives us our first lesson: Religious activity cannot substitute for a right relationship with God.

A person can sit in church every Sunday and still be far from God. A person can carry a Bible and never allow the Bible to correct him. A person can sing about surrender while refusing to surrender. A person can speak Christian language while living according to worldly values.

The problem is not the church service. The problem is the heart.

A. God sees what people cannot see.

Human beings are impressed by outward appearance, but God examines the heart. First Samuel 16:7 says, "For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

We often judge ourselves by comparison. We may say, "I attend church." "I give." "I serve." "I know Scripture." "I have been saved for many years."

Those things may all be good, but they do not automatically prove that our hearts are walking closely with God. God sees beneath the activity. He sees our motives. He sees our attitudes. He sees our secret thoughts. He sees what happens when nobody else is watching. He sees whether our obedience is motivated by love or merely by habit.

B. Religious tradition can become empty routine.

Isaiah describes people who were still performing sacrifices, but something had gone terribly wrong spiritually.

Religious practices are valuable when they express genuine faith. But practices can become empty when we perform them without a heart of devotion.

 

Prayer can become routine. Bible reading can become routine. Church attendance can become routine. Giving can become routine. Singing can become routine. Even preaching and teaching can become routine.

The danger is that we can continue doing the right things while losing the right heart. Jesus addressed this same problem in Matthew 15:8-9 when He quoted Isaiah: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

Notice that Jesus did not say these people were completely irreligious. They were religious. Their problem was that their religion had become separated from their hearts.

C. God disciplines His people because He loves them.

Isaiah's warning is severe, but God's judgment is not evidence that He has stopped caring about His people. Hebrews 12:6 says, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth."

God's discipline is intended to bring His people back to Him. Sometimes God allows circumstances to expose what we have been hiding from ourselves. A difficult season may reveal misplaced priorities. A disappointment may reveal an unhealthy dependence upon circumstances. A trial may reveal that our faith has become more dependent upon comfort than upon Christ. God may use adversity not to destroy our faith but to purify it.

Isaiah begins by showing us that God sees beyond the surface. But the question naturally follows: What happens when people continue in outward religion while resisting God's truth? Isaiah's answer is sobering. God may allow spiritual blindness to become part of His judgment.

II. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS CAN MAKE PEOPLE UNABLE TO SEE THEIR CONDITION

Isaiah 29:5-12

5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

6 Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10 For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

Isaiah describes a dramatic situation in these verses. Jerusalem's enemies would surround the city, but God would intervene. The Lord would ultimately demonstrate His power over those who opposed His people.

Yet Isaiah moves from the physical situation to a spiritual problem. In verses 9-10, he says, "Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink."

 

The people were spiritually intoxicated. They could not see clearly.

Isaiah says, "For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes." This is a frightening picture because blindness is dangerous when a person does not realize that he is blind.

A. Spiritual blindness affects our ability to understand God's truth.

Verse 11 says, "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed." God's revelation was available, but the people could not properly understand it. This reminds us that possessing a Bible is not the same as understanding it. We need the ministry of the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's Word. I Corinthians 2:14 says, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God."

Spiritual truth cannot be understood properly merely through human intelligence. A person can possess tremendous academic ability and still be spiritually blind. A person can understand grammar, history, geography, and literature and yet miss the central message of Scripture.

Why? Because Scripture ultimately points us to God, and the heart must be willing to submit to Him.

B. Spiritual blindness often begins with spiritual unwillingness.

There is an important distinction between not understanding something and refusing to obey what we understand. Sometimes we genuinely do not know what God wants. At other times, we know exactly what Scripture says, but we do not want to obey it. That is much more dangerous.

When people repeatedly reject God's truth, their hearts can become increasingly hardened. Hebrews 3:15 warns, "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." The tragedy is that a person can hear truth repeatedly and become less responsive rather than more responsive.

Every sermon can either soften the heart or harden the heart. Every Bible study can either bring us closer to God or give us more knowledge that we refuse to apply.

 

C. Spiritual blindness can exist alongside religious knowledge.

The people Isaiah addressed were not ignorant of religion. They knew the sacrifices. They knew the traditions. They knew the Scriptures. They knew the language of worship. Yet they had become spiritually blind. That should cause us to examine ourselves. Knowledge is valuable, but knowledge alone is not spiritual maturity. James 1:22 says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only."

The purpose of Bible study is not simply to fill our minds. It is to transform our lives. The knowledge of Scripture should produce humility, obedience, love, holiness, and Christlikeness.

Isaiah has shown us that spiritual blindness can prevent people from recognizing their own condition. Now he takes us directly to the heart of the problem. The issue is not simply ignorance. The issue is misplaced worship and a heart that has moved away from God.

III. GOD REJECTS WORSHIP THAT IS ONLY LIP SERVICE

Isaiah 29:13-14

13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Isaiah 29:13 is perhaps the best-known verse in this chapter: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me." This is the central spiritual indictment against Israel. Their mouths were close. Their lips were close. Their hearts were far away. That is a powerful description of empty religion.

 

A. The mouth can say what the heart does not believe.

It is possible to say the right words without having the right relationship with God. A person can say, "Praise the Lord," while harboring bitterness. A person can sing, "I surrender all," while refusing to surrender one particular area of life. A person can say, "God is in control," while living in constant unbelief. A person can say, "I trust the Lord," while trusting only his own plans.

Words matter, but God is interested in whether our words correspond with our hearts.

B. God wants the heart.

The Lord did not say, "You have removed your religious activity from Me." He said, "You have removed your heart far from Me." God wants more than our attendance. He wants our affection. God wants more than our service. He wants our surrender. God wants more than our songs. He wants our worship. God wants more than our money. He wants our stewardship. God wants more than our knowledge. He wants our obedience.

Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice." True worship involves the whole person.

C. The heart of worship is relationship with God.

Biblical Christianity is not merely a collection of religious practices. It is reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. We do not worship to earn God's love. We worship because, in Christ, God has demonstrated His love toward us. John 3:16 reminds us that God "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The gospel changes the motivation for worship. We are not trying to earn God's favor. We respond to the grace we have already received through Christ.

 

 

D. Christ exposes empty religion and calls us to genuine faith.

Jesus repeatedly confronted religious people who had outward forms without inward transformation. In Matthew 23, He repeatedly says, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" The word hypocrisy describes a person whose outward presentation does not match the inward reality. That does not mean every religious person is a hypocrite. It means that hypocrisy is a danger whenever our outward profession becomes disconnected from our inward condition.

The cure is not abandoning church, worship, or religious practices. The cure is bringing the heart back to God.

E. Genuine worship changes how we live.

True worship does not end when the service ends. If we worship God on Sunday but dishonor Him on Monday, something is wrong. If we sing about forgiveness but refuse to forgive others, something is wrong. If we preach grace but treat people with cruelty, something is wrong. If we proclaim holiness but deliberately tolerate sin in our own lives, something is wrong. Worship must reach beyond our lips and into our lives.

What is the difference between participating in worship and actually worshipping God? Our participation describes what we do outwardly, while worship involves the heart's response to God.

Isaiah has exposed the danger of empty worship. But there is another problem beneath it. Why do people resist God's truth and continue trusting themselves? Because human pride often competes with divine wisdom.

IV. HUMAN PRIDE CANNOT HIDE FROM GOD

Isaiah 29:15-16

15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Isaiah says, "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark." The people apparently believed they could operate in secret while God remained unaware. Isaiah then says, "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay."

A. We cannot hide from God.

Psalm 139:7 asks, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?"

The answer is nowhere. God knows. God sees. God understands. There is no secret room where God cannot enter. There is no thought He cannot see. There is no motive He cannot examine. No sin can ultimately remain hidden from Him. Hebrews 4:13 says, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight." That truth should frighten the unrepentant sinner, but it should also encourage the believer. The same God who sees our failures is the God who offers forgiveness and restoration through Christ.

B. Pride reverses the proper order of creation.

Isaiah's imagery is striking. The clay cannot tell the potter how the potter should make it. Isaiah asks, "Shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?" The creature does not have authority over the Creator.

Yet humanity often attempts to reverse that relationship. We say, "I know what is best. We say, "I don't agree with God's Word. We say, "I will determine right and wrong for myself. We say, "God would not really require that. That is the essence of human pride.

C. God's Word has authority over our opinions. One of the greatest challenges facing Christians today is the temptation to interpret Scripture according to culture rather than allowing Scripture to correct culture.

If God's Word disagrees with me, I need to change. If God's Word challenges my preferences, I need to submit. If God's Word exposes my sin, I need repentance rather than excuses. II Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Notice that "reproof" and "correction" are included. The Bible is not merely given to make us feel good. It is given to make us holy.

Human pride attempts to put the creature in the place of the Creator. But Isaiah now turns from exposing pride to a beautiful promise. God can take spiritually blind people and open their eyes. He can take people who have wandered from Him and restore them.

V. GOD CAN RESTORE SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

Isaiah 29:17-24

17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

22 Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

The tone changes dramatically beginning in verse 17. Isaiah begins speaking about a future work of God that would bring transformation. Verse 18 says, "And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness."

This is a wonderful picture of spiritual restoration.

A. God can open blind eyes.

Earlier in the chapter, the people were spiritually blind. Now Isaiah speaks of eyes being opened. This reminds us that salvation itself involves God bringing light into darkness. II Corinthians 4:6 says, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts. The gospel does not merely give us additional information. The gospel gives spiritual light. It reveals who God is. It reveals who we are. It reveals the seriousness of sin. It reveals the sufficiency of Christ. It reveals the hope of salvation.

B. God can transform sorrow into joy.

Verse 19 says, "The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD."

Notice the connection between humility and joy.

The humble person can rejoice in God because he has stopped demanding that life revolve around himself. Pride says, "I deserve better. Humility says, "Everything I have is a gift of grace. Pride complains about what is missing. Humility gives thanks for what God has provided. Pride focuses on self. Humility focuses on God. And Isaiah says the meek "shall increase their joy in the LORD."

C. God will ultimately deal with oppression and injustice.

Isaiah 29:20-21 speaks of the removal of those who oppress others. God is not indifferent to injustice. He sees the wickedness that people commit against one another.

He sees dishonesty. He sees oppression. He sees corruption. He sees false accusations. He sees the abuse of power. The Bible repeatedly reminds us that God is righteous and that ultimate justice belongs to Him.

Romans 12:19 says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

That does not mean Christians should ignore injustice. It means we do not have to become consumed by personal vengeance because God remains the righteous Judge.

D. God restores those who return to Him.

Verse 22 says, "Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham."

The word "redeemed" is important. God identifies Himself as the One who redeems. Israel's hope was not found in its religious performance. Its hope was found in its Redeemer. That points us forward to Jesus Christ. The greatest need of humanity is redemption from sin. Jesus came to redeem sinners. Mark 10:45 says that the Son of man came "to give his life a ransom for many. “I Peter 1:18-19 reminds believers that we were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ."

The message of Isaiah ultimately finds its greatest fulfillment in the redemptive work of Christ.

E. Genuine restoration produces genuine change.

Isaiah 29:23 says, "But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name."

When God restores His people, their response is worship.

They do not merely receive blessing; they respond by honoring God.

Verse 24 says, "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. This is a beautiful description of transformation. Those who had errors will understand. Those who murmured will learn. Those who were spiritually confused will receive understanding. Those who were far away will return. God's grace does not merely forgive us; it changes us.

 

VI. ISAIAH 29 POINTS US TO JESUS CHRIST

Although Isaiah 29 addresses a specific historical situation, its themes connect directly with the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 in Matthew 15:7-9 and Mark 7:6-7. That is significant because Jesus Himself applied Isaiah's warning about empty worship to religious leaders in His own generation. The problem had not disappeared. The people of Isaiah's day had drifted into outward religion. Centuries later, religious leaders could still do the same thing. And today, the danger remains.

A. Jesus is the answer to spiritual blindness.

John 8:12 records Jesus saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

The answer to spiritual darkness is not simply more information. The answer is Christ.

B. Jesus is the answer to our sin.

Our greatest problem is not merely that we misunderstand God. Our greatest problem is that we are sinners who need redemption.

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." But Romans 5:8 gives us the good news that Christ died for sinners. The gospel takes us from condemnation to forgiveness, from darkness to light, and from spiritual death to spiritual life.

C. Jesus is the answer to empty religion.

Christianity is not simply an improved religious system. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

We are not saved by religious performance. We are saved by grace through faith. But that saving faith produces a changed life.

Ephesians 2:10 immediately follows by saying that we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Good works do not save us, but genuine salvation produces good works.

VII. PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Isaiah 29 is not merely a chapter to understand. It is a chapter that calls us to examine ourselves.

1. Examine your heart, not merely your religious activity.

Ask yourself: Am I close to God, or am I merely accustomed to church?

Those are not necessarily the same thing. A person can be familiar with the church without being intimate with Christ. David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart." That is a good prayer for every believer.

2. Ask whether your private life matches your public profession.

Who are we when nobody is watching? Our private character eventually reveals our true spiritual condition. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, "For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." What comes out of us under pressure often reveals what is inside us.

3. Let God's Word correct you.

Do not read the Bible merely looking for verses that support what you already believe. Read it asking, Lord, what do You want to change in me?

Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that God's Word is "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." The Word cuts because the Word heals.

4. Guard against spiritual pride. The more we know about Scripture, the more humble we should become. If Bible knowledge makes us arrogant, we have missed its purpose. I Corinthians 8:1 says, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." Truth should produce humility.

5. Do not allow disappointment to push you away from God.

Isaiah's message reminds us that God's people may experience difficult seasons. But God remains faithful. When circumstances are confusing, remember what you know about God's character. God is sovereign.

God is holy. God is righteous. God is merciful. God is faithful. And God has demonstrated His love through Jesus Christ.

6. Make sure your worship involves your whole life.

Romans 12:1 calls us to present our bodies as "a living sacrifice."

That means worship includes every aspect of our lives. True worship is not confined to a building.

7. Remember that God restores people who turn back to Him.

Isaiah 29 ends with hope. The purpose of God's correction is not simply condemnation. God always desires restoration.

Isaiah 29 begins with judgment, spiritual blindness, religious hypocrisy, and human pride. But it does not end there. It ends with restoration, understanding, humility, and worship. That is the grace of God.

Let us therefore ask God to search our hearts, expose anything false, humble anything proud, restore anything that has grown cold, and help us to worship Him not merely with our lips, but with our whole lives.

The Lord does not expose our spiritual condition to embarrass us. He exposes it so that He can heal us.

The people of Isaiah's day had become religious on the outside while their hearts had moved far from God. Their lips honored Him, but their hearts were distant. That same danger exists today.