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Isaiah 48:22 states, “There is no peace . . . for the wicked.” This statement is reiterated in Isaiah 57:21. In both instances, the proclamation follows the Lord’s condemnations of evil nations and wicked practices. Isaiah 57:20 elaborates: “The wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.” The assertion that the wicked lack peace appears contradictory to the observation that many ungodly individuals seem to live lives of comfort and enjoyment. Outwardly, the wicked often seem to experience a degree of peace (Psalm 73:3-12). So, what does God intend to convey when He states that there is no peace for the wicked?
Jesus informed His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” «Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. », (John 14:27). Jesus was clarifying the distinction between worldly peace and divine peace. Favorable circumstances can create a false sense of peace as long as everything is going well. However, the peace offered by the world is superficial and susceptible to sudden changes. The stock market crash of the 1920s immediately shattered the peace of investors. Natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes disrupt the external peace of millions. When our peace relies on our circumstances, it is fragile and temporary.
Those who rely solely on external peace must constantly strive to sustain it. Their efforts to preserve personal peace often lead them to encroach on the peace of others, resulting in wickedness. Burglaries, addictions, adulteries, outbursts of anger, and a myriad of other vices are efforts to achieve peace through wrongful means.To obtain a measure of peace for those who commit sins. As long as we believe we are accountable for creating our own peace, we can rationalize the methods we use to achieve it. We may try to justify adultery: “I had to leave my wife for this other woman because I couldn’t find happiness without her.” We may try to justify riots: “I am enraged by the injustices in society, so I can loot and destroy businesses to gain the peace I believe I deserve.”
When God stated that there is no peace for the wicked, He meant that lasting peace is only attainable when we are in a right relationship with Him. Every human heart holds the awareness of eternity «He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. », (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Before we come to know God, there is an unfulfilled yearning that we cannot articulate. There are moments when profound questions arise: Why am I here? Does life hold significance? Is there something more out there that I am overlooking? Our souls find no genuine peace apart from God.
The beautiful, the influential, and the wealthy grapple with the same inquiries. Wealth, fame, and power can merely offer a fleeting peace. What occurs when that peace starts to fade? Those who have turned away from God are unfamiliar with the peace that comes with the forgiveness of sins, so they strive to prolong their beauty, amass more power, or increase their wealth. They create false deities, seek diversions, or engage in charitable acts in the hope of discovering peace.
It is gratifying to do good, and individuals have endeavored to earn God’s favor through good deeds since ancient times. Cain might have been the first wicked individual to offer sacrifices out of obligation (Genesis 4:3-5). He viewed the outward act of offering a sacrifice as a means to attain peace. However, peace did not come. Ki
King Saul also attempted to use sacrifice as a means to ensure ongoing peace from God, but the Lord was angry at his blatant disobedience (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Similarly, many individuals today believe that church attendance, tithing, or various other Christian activities will secure the peace they desire, only to be let down. They honor God with their words, but their hearts are distant from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8).
We were all once enemies of God, wicked individuals who had no means of securing peace on our own (Ephesians 2:1-3). However, God sent Jesus, the Prince of Peace “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”, (Isaiah 9:6), to reconcile the world to Himself. Those who have faith in Him discover that Jesus indeed came “to guide our feet into the path of peace” “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”, (Luke 1:79).
The peace of God protects the hearts and minds of His children, and it is a peace that “surpasses all understanding” “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”, (Philippians 4:7). Jesus’ way of granting us peace is contrary to the ways we would naturally choose. Conventional wisdom suggests that holding onto our lives and our selfish desires is the path to finding peace.
Ace. Jesus said that we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him «And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. », (Luke 9:23). Peace will elude the wicked as long as they persist in their own way. However, when the wicked repent and surrender their lives to the lordship of Jesus, even they will discover enduring peace (Ephesians 2:13-15).
