Isaiah 51
Notes
Transcript
Comfort for Zion…Look to the Future
Comfort for Zion…Look to the Future
Isaiah has been painting a picture lately in these last few chapters of the coming up, there were be a future for God’s people in the days to come, even after their captivity.
For some, they wondered if they would ever know the hope their families talked about, They wondered if God had forgot them, if they would experience His help.
And He has always been with his people, we know this…They sinned, violated the laws and sought to live chasing after other gods.
In sin the were chastised, they were taken into captivity but God’s plans, His purposes were being fulfilled, God is sovereign.
So lets go ahead and see what is happening in this chapter.
Verse 1
1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the Lord:
look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
As we open the text we see the first of three important thoughts that God is sharing with his people. So He calls them to Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord...
The righteous Hebrews God is speaking to are the ones who follow Him, they have not rebelled against God.
To pursue righteousness means they maintain a life characterized by a desire to live just that way in front of God. Pure before him, acting justly. They love others and and they love God.
They seek God, they are remaining in a relationship with God. With a single purpose and attitude of their heart they put God first and do not depart from His ways.
And God calls them to learn from their past experiences by looking to the rock, the quarry from which they were hewn or dug. They came from those two Abraham and Sarah. The one who the world thought was dried up and barren God sent a son who would be the beginning of the embodiment of their promises.
God brought forth a miracle in bringing the nation into existence as two people followed God.
Now verse 2
2 Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
that I might bless him and multiply him.
There is that phrase again, “…look to”.... they were called to consider Abraham…their father and Sarah, their mother who brought them into the world through God’s blessings.
They were singular when God called them, but God’s desire was to multiply them, and to bless them if they would follow.
Zion is like Abraham before God , they were bereaved and barren, but if they would follow they could enjoy much more...
God’s plan was still in existence for his people, but they must follow in faith like Abraham did...
Verse 3
3 For the Lord comforts Zion;
he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Isaiah reminds the children of God that God comforts His people, He has compassion for them and will act on their behalf.
And look at what he says… He will comfort all her waste places… He will have pity on the state of her city, Jerusalem will rise again.
He will make her wilderness like Eden, God will transform her deserts, it will bloom with plants, the garden will bubble up with water to transform the land.
Joy and gladness will be found there among the people, for them will be able to live in the land again and that will result in thanksgiving and praise coming from her voice.
How wondrous it is to see the future of Zion foretold.
Now lets move to verse 4
4 “Give attention to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
So with all that God has said he calls for the righteous people to give their attention to Him.
And he calls for them to listen and hear.... what He has promised to them.
They need to pay attention to what he has previous said in past oracles, because in the last days God will cause his law, his teachings and instruction to do out and will cause his justice to come quickly as a light to all the nations.
So think of this… the establishment of his justice among the nations will function as a light to the nations. His future rule will effect the world in a way that brings the world to Him.
Verse 5 Isa 51:5
5 My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coastlands hope for me,
and for my arm they wait.
This verse follows closely to verse 4. The impact of his work is summarized in that fact that God sends His salvation out to the world. The servant is coming, the Lord Jesus and his work both in his first coming as a Savior to died and then later in a future kingdom will have an effect on this world.
The law and the light of God results in the just rule of God. The coastland will look to God, hopeful in their waiting, for the working of God’s strong arm of justice.
The work of God, his mission is consistent to what He promised Abraham in Gen 12:3 ...
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The coming of the Savior will change the world both at that present time, but for all future time as well. God desires to draw the world to himself. He loves the world and all who are in it and He calls for them to come and know the Savior.
Verse 6
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
I love this, that will the world, the heavens and the earth will pass away, the loving kindness of our heavenly Father will not.... His salvation will endure for forever.
God calls for the people to lift up their eyes and witness this.. it is the idea that humanity will see this day come.
And we cannot forget there is a warning here as well. People should not assume that their life, their pleasures will endure forever. One day God will cause it all to disappear, the temporal will dissolve and all that is life is what God has caused to last forever, and that is his kingdom and the salvation of His great love.
There is a two sided call here… for us humanity we only have so many years and we will pass, all that we have worked for, thought was important will only be a season.
What we do with Jesus will last for all eternity.
Now verses 7-8
7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool,
but my righteousness will be forever,
and my salvation to all generations.”
Again God calls for His people to listen to Him, to hear what He has to say to them. But not, it is a call again for the righteous to listen...
And look to what He says about these righteous people. He says these are the people who put His law, word in His heart.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
The keeping of God’s word, the law in His heart is what enables mankind to walk correctly in front of God. They would know His ways and His commandments.
Now God goes on and says that these people should not fear the reproach of man. Words, insults and threats might undermine their confidence but listen, pay no attention to them. God is with you.
God will take care of those who are His, the righteous people. His people might suffer like the Servant will suffer. persecution will happen, but God will not allow His people to fall.
The wicked God says will perish in verse 8. They will be like garments destroyed by moths, like the worm that eats wool. Their demise will be certain but....
His people would be encouraged, God says His righteousness and His salvation will last forever. God’splan cannot be destroyed by any power in heaven or on earth.
God will take care of his people… not that all things will be easy but as God took care of His servant (Jesus) so he will take care of his people.
The ability for God to repeat this emphasis His blessing to take care of his people.
Now a new section begins in verses 9 through 16. The theme here is that restoration is coming....
Lets begin with verse 9 Isa 51:9
9 Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord;
awake, as in days of old,
the generations of long ago.
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
we are not told who the speaker here is , but it seems that this is God’s righteous calling for God to finally usher in His long awaited Kingdom.
And it is most likely assumed that Isaiah is part of the righteous group of people. The call for the arm of God to become active. They are not saying God is asleep, no not at all, Just as God has worked miracles for his people in the past, so He can do so for them now.
Rahab here is not Rahab the harlot from Jericho. Rahab here refers to Egypt, the one who oppressed them and God delivered them to destruction.
The dragon refers to again to Egypt, the great nation was brought to the ground as well.
Verse 10 Isa 51:10
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea a way
for the redeemed to pass over?
Again Isaiah reminds them, wasn’t it God who made a way for the Israelites to walk on dry ground as he divided the waters for His people.
The Red sea was also allowed to crash over the Egyptians and drown then in the sea… But God and his people crossed over and were safe.... God is indeed the deliver and redeemer of His people.
Verse 11 Isa 51:11
11 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
And look at their faith, instead of requesting something of God they quote an earlier promise made in Isa 35:10.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
At that future time the redeemed will return to Zion, the place where God is, and they will be filled with everlasting joy as they enter God’s kingdom.
Verse 12 Isa 51:12-13
12 “I, I am he who comforts you;
who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
of the son of man who is made like grass,
13 and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth,
and you fear continually all the day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
And where is the wrath of the oppressor?
God’s answer brings encouraging news of salvation.
Look at how God begins this… I even I am he… God says I am the one who redeemed his people.
And how promises to redeem their future. He will comfort His people.
And with verse 13, God asks a question of this people, ‘have you forgotten Me, YHWH your maker?
The people wondered in chapter 49 is God had forgot them, and it is turned around here, Have you forgot me.
This is what happens … the people forget God. But stop here, there is no word that means forgot, oh it or he slipped my mind.. No.. at some point the people made the decision to walk away and leave His ways… this is how they forgot Him.
God is the creator who stretched out His hands and created the heavens and the earth.
They have not experienced an oppressor but they feared it just like they did when Sennecrib faced the city, but what happened to Him, God took care of him.
Now lets look at verses 14-15 Isa 51:14-15
14 He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
he shall not die and go down to the pit,
neither shall his bread be lacking.
15 I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the Lord of hosts is his name.
God will bring order so that His cowering people will have freedom. No bondage can keep God’s people from the salvation of the Lord.
I am the Lord your God he says, the covenant promised I made with you I will keep in tact… My covenant is a characteristic of my own
Can he quiet the sea, or make it rage, and He can save His people, in the same way an Army might roar and bring fear, God will defeat them too
Verse 16 Isa 51:16
16 And I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
establishing the heavens
and laying the foundations of the earth,
and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ ”
I am not sure if God is speaking to Isaiah here or the Servant of God here. But know You are my peolpe who are called by my name and I will accomplish what I have purposed in you.
Now the last section, speaks to God’s wrath for his people being over…
Verse 17-18 Isa 51:17-18
17 Wake yourself, wake yourself,
stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
the cup of his wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
the bowl, the cup of staggering.
18 There is none to guide her
among all the sons she has borne;
there is none to take her by the hand
among all the sons she has brought up.
The call begins for them to awaken, wake up. And the idea here is that God is indicating to them that the past period of being under the influence of God’s judgment is coming to an end. A new time or day is one the horizon.
God has pictured them as a person who is suffering under the effects of to much alcohol. Their staggering and dizziness is because of the cup of God’s wrath upon them
when a person is drunk, the best thing that can happen is for a benevolent friend to help them, to rescue them in their time of need… But sadly Jerusalem has no one to assist her or guide her.
Her own children should have helped, meaning the citizens of Jerusalem should have lived and demonstrated the right ways to her, but her abandoned her and left her lonely and helpless, They falied to take care of the symbolic mothers.
Verses 19-20 Isa 51:19-20
19 These two things have happened to you—
who will console you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and sword;
who will comfort you?
20 Your sons have fainted;
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a net;
they are full of the wrath of the Lord,
the rebuke of your God.
Ruin and destruction, famine and the sword, they have suffered much and who can console them. Jerusalem was receiving the just punishment for their sins. They may have been heartbroken, but they were reaping what they sowed.
They couldnt they have helped you Jerusalem, well money were overcome , dazed and had fainted in the streets. They were powerless to continue, they would lay down and accept their fate.
They had ignored God’s warning and they have suffered because of it… Sin has consequences.
The final verses 21-23 Isa 51:21-23
21 Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,
who are drunk, but not with wine:
22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord,
your God who pleads the cause of his people:
“Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;
the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more;
23 and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
who have said to you,
‘Bow down, that we may pass over’;
and you have made your back like the ground
and like the street for them to pass over.”
But again God calls for the people to hear him, those who were drunk,staggering… the people of Jerusalem should hear the Word of the Lord.
Verse 22 tells us of the hope, God pleads your case…Behold I have taken the cup of wrath or the cup o staggering form you…
God will defend his people, in order to emphasie his great power as Master ad Lord who controls the earth, He is their covenant God and He is concerned that His people are treated with justice and mercy now.
God will now pour his judgment out on the enemies of His people. Those who once walked in His people, tortured them, humliated them, and shared them God will settle the accounts wit them.
They may have once been defeated but God will help them again becasue they are his people.
Aren’t you thankful that God does nto hold your mistakes and sins against you, He forgives and gives us the chance to walk uprightly
