Isaiah 55 Study: Leaving Sin Behind, Finding God’s Compassion

Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. - Isaiah 55:7

Today, sin is talked about commonly in two ways: it’s either glorified or used as a tool for spiritual abuse. Neither is Biblical.

So, what are we missing?

We’re continuing our verse-by-verse study of Isaiah 55. Picking up from verse 6, we now reach the second part of what it means to seek or call upon God: leave your sin behind — because God is worth it.

Forsake: What Does it Really Mean? 

First, let’s zoom in on the Hebrew word for forsake: ʿăzab – to turn away from, abandon or leave behind. This doesn’t just mean that we stop something. It means we leave it behind to begin something different. 

But it’s even stronger than that: we turn in a new direction. We aren’t just drifting from sin; we’re deliberately facing another way. We are abandoning it. Forsaking is not glancing over our shoulders — it’s choosing to turn our heads and walk forward without looking back. 

This verse calls us to forsake two things: our ways and our thoughts. 

Why Forsake Our Way?

Forsaking our way means turning away from what we’re naturally drawn towards: sin. We can’t abandon something while still holding onto it. True forsaking means we can’t hold onto our idols while claiming to seek God. We leave our sin in the dust when we turn to Him. 

→ Side bar on “wicked” and “unrighteous”: these aren’t terms reserved for “really bad people.” They refer to anyone who hasn’t received God’s righteousness. That includes all of us, apart from Christ. We are all in need of God. Christians don’t live in our own goodness, we’re covered in His. 

It’s precisely in recognizing our lack of righteousness that leads us to return to God. We won’t come to Him if we think we’re fine without Him. 

This verse doesn’t just ask us to admit we’ve sinned, but it calls us to leave it. C.H. Spurgen puts it like this, “It does not say, ‘Let him own that his way is bad.’ … The wicked may know that their way is sinful—but they must give it up.”

Another translation for “way” is journey. Everyone is on a path – either toward life with Christ or toward death in our sins. God asks us to turn around and walk toward Him. We aren’t able to walk in opposing directions. 

Which means it isn’t just what we’re doing, but what we’re thinking that we have to change. 

Why Forsake Our Thoughts?

Let’s not get this confused — God isn’t asking us not to think. He very much wants us to use our brains. Afterall, He created us with them so that we could use them. 

But our thoughts often become our actions. What we dream of can show us what we ultimately worship. It only makes sense that God would want our thoughts to turn away from sin too. Our view of God impacts how we see the world, ourselves and others. In the following two verses, we’ll tease this out more. 

God is asking us to forsake our ways and our thoughts, doesn’t that seem controlling of Him? But He won’t ask us to abandon something that is good for us. He wants the very best for us.

When we empty our lives of our idols, He’ll carefully refill us with His presence. Timothy Keller shares the hope in this way, “Repentance becomes the pathway to life, not a burdensome duty.”

God’s Compassion on Us

If you’ve followed along for a while, you know I often quote Isaiah 30:18. It’s worth repeating again here: 

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him. - Isaiah 30:18

He is waiting for us to accept our need for Him, so that like a doting Father He can shower His love on us. Despite our sin-bent selves, He delights in us.

God doesn’t need us to fulfill Him. As a Triune God, He lacks nothing. His goodness and Deity doesn’t change based on our acceptance of Him. He invites us into His love so we can share and delight in Him. 

Sin is Difficult to Leave

Our sin often doesn’t feel bad. If we don’t see the beauty in who God is, He will appear a needy, greedy god who demands us to give up all our toys and freedom. 

But the truth is, sin it steals from us — our peace, independence, joy, and fulfillment. Sin entangles itself as a gnarly thornbush, climbing up the walls of our hearts. It blinds us with short-cuts to joy, which will never satisfy. 

But what if God is offering us more – so much more? Could we let go of what sin is holding us back from and break free towards the person God created us to be?

I wonder what potential God sees in us. I know for a fact it’s far greater than any life we’ve dreamed up on our own.

Will you drop your sin and reach for more with God?