Isaiah 57:15 Meaning and Explanation

Here is the answer to everything that came before. The high and lofty One, inhabiting eternity (beyond time, beyond change), whose name is Holy (holiness is His very nature, His essence), this One, who by rights might be expected to dwell only in the unreachable heavens, in the high and holy place, declares where He truly dwells. 'With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.' Contrite means broken, shattered, aware of sin in its deepest dimension. Humble means empty of self-exaltation, stripped of false confidence. This is where the Most High dwells. Not in the grand temples built by human hands, not in the false righteousness of works, not in the assemblies of the powerful. But here, in the shattered heart. And His purpose is 'to revive', to give life to, 'the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite ones.' Revival. Resurrection. The giving of new life to those who are, in their own eyes, dead.

This is the gospel in miniature. The God who is beyond all is intimate with the broken. The One who needs nothing finds His dwelling place in the contrite and humble. There is a mystery here that runs counter to every instinct. We expect the high to dwell with the high, the mighty with the mighty. But God reverses all expectation. 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' 'Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.' The broken are not abandoned by the Holy One; they are visited by Him. He revives them. This is the consolation and the summons at the end of judgment. Have you been brought low? Then lift up your head, for God has chosen precisely your place as His dwelling. This is where He is found.