What does it mean that "all we like sheep have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6)?

This thought is again emphasised in verse 6, and it is made plain that His substitutionary work was the fruit of an act of Jehovah, for He it was who laid our sins upon Him. In these verses, we must remember, the "we" and the "us" are those who believe, whether ourselves today or the godly remnant of Israel presently. And those who believe are those who have first confessed their sinnership; all going astray like lost sheep, though the way we took may have differed in each case. Sin is lawlessness; the doing of our own will, regardless of God's will, and the going of our own way independently of Him.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

What words are like God's words? Here in two brief sentences there is described our character and condemnation. Like sheep we have strayed and have, in our straying, shown the folly of our sin; "we have turned every one to his own way," and thereby have declared the wilfulness, the wickedness of our sin. What but the just condemnation of God could fall upon us, after we had so definitely and deliberately declared what we are? But God has undertaken for us, and whether it be the folly or the wilfulness of our sin — all our iniquity He laid upon our Surety. It is the saved remnant of Israel that is speaking in these wonderful words, but every believer may use them, for "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).

This is what takes away not only guilt but guile, and stablishes him that had been dishonest and deceitful, in integrity even in God's sight. The mouth is all the freer and fuller to own its wicked folly: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each to his own way." There was no exception: all astray, yet each in his own evil way. Yet in the face of all wrongs, and in His own spontaneous and all-overcoming goodness Jehovah caused to light upon Him the iniquity of us all.

There is an old text which used to be quoted a great deal more by Gospel preachers in former days than it is now; it runs like this, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way." Those solemn words were true of every one of us once; they are true today of every man who has not listened to the voice of the God-appointed Shepherd of His sheep. Yes, whether you follow some demagogue with the silly crowd, or choose a leader from the learned amongst men, or refuse to be cajoled by any, and tread an independent road of your own, you go astray. You can only tread the paths of righteousness which end in the eternal glory of God as you follow the One whom God has ordained to be your Leader.

There is an old text which used to be quoted a great deal more by gospel preachers than it is now; it runs like this, "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way." Those solemn words were true of every one of us; they are true to-day of every man who has not listened to the God-appointed Shepherd of His sheep. Yes, whether you follow some demagogue with the silly crowd, or choose a leader from the learned amongst men, or refuse to be cajoled by any, and tread an independent road of your own, you go astray. You can only tread the paths of righteousness which end in the eternal glory of God as you follow the One whom God has ordained to be your Leader.

Looking back at our unconverted days, it is not hard to see that "we turned every one to his own way." We lived to please ourselves. If such a course had pleased God, well and good; but if not, our defiant hearts proudly said, It shall be our way all the same!

Fourthly, "They are all gone out of the way". This describes the self-will of the flesh that deliberately forsakes God's way, and chooses its own way. It is not simply that we are out of the way, but that the natural man deliberately turns his back on God and takes a way of his own choosing. The prodigal deliberately left his father's house and went his own way.

Fifthly, "They are together become unprofitable". Not only does the flesh choose its own path, but men drag one another down. Men seek to forget God in the social circle. If the self-will of the prodigal led him to choose his own way, and so travel into the far country — having arrived there — he plunged into the social round and sought to forget his father in company with a crowd of evil-doers.

201 Here, in the first act of the young man, the whole mischief was done. To turn his back on his father was doing his own will. Scripture says, there is "no difference" before God; there is in wickedness and vice, of course; but all have sought their own pleasure and their own way. When he crossed the threshold he was in will as much a sinner as when with the swine. There are differences among men; quite true. And man reaps what he sows. But as regards his state of soul, the young man was as much a sinner then as when eating the husks; and what is more, he was nearer returning when there; there was no pretence then that he was not perishing. It is the principle of all men, everywhere, to say, "Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me." We like our own will; we like to be free from God to do our own will. It is perfectly immaterial what it is; that is our history as men: "we have every one turned to his own way," and that brings these wretched fruits. That is what all are; some have come back; but looked at as children of Adam, you have your back upon God, and your face on your own pleasures. There is no return till that is confessed.

Seeing the chief aim of these parables, it would not be amiss to see the sinner in three different aspects; specially may we do so, if other scriptures disallow not, but approve. "All we like sheep have gone astray," is true of all of Adam's children. And this view is given in Romans 3, where the sinner is alive, but alive to do evil — feet swift to shed blood, he has no fear of God before His eyes.

This is true of everyone of us, like silly sheep we have all turned our backs upon the God who made us — our best friend really.