Isa 51:2 | KingComments | STEP | The subject of this chapter is the call to the faithful remnant to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. They believe in the LORD and tremble at His word ( ), but do not see that the Lord Jesus is their promised Christ, Messiah. Just as the conscience of the brothers of Joseph has been awakened by and during their stay in prison, so the conscience of this faithful remnant will be awakened. For this purpose God uses three things we find in this chapter: 1. His word ( in which they are called three times to listen). 2. The tribulation by the beast coming up out of the sea and the beast coming up out of the earth ( ; ; ). 3. The Assyrians, the king of the North ( ). The subject continues until Isaiah 52:12 and can be divided into seven sections. Each of these sections starts with an imperative, which is pronounced twice from the fourth section. 1. “Listen” ( ) is related to the past. 2. “Pay attention” ( ) is related to the future. 3. “Listen” ( ) is related to the present. 4. “Awake, awake” ( ). 5. “Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself!” ( ). 6. “Awake, awake” ( ). 7. “Depart, depart” ( ). It begins with a threefold call to listen and pay attention to the word ( ) the LORD speaks to His people. In comes a fourth and first double call. This comes from the people and is addressed to God to save them from the two beasts. In the fifth call sounds, in which the LORD speaks again to His people to rouse themselves because of His anger by means of the king of the North. In the sixth call ( ) the LORD speaks again to His people to awaken. The seventh time ( ) is a kind of summary and climax with also a double call to depart. Toward this climax both chapters work. The whole section relates to the time just before the end of exile. They must wake up and prepare to depart from Babylon and return to Jerusalem. Also here is the double bottom, in which we notice not only the immediate pre-fulfillment but also the final fulfillment related to the end time. Then Israel will return to the land from the nations and the enemies will be exterminated. They will enter the peace and joy of the realm. Besides the literal and prophetic explanation, there is also the practical application for us. The remnant is called to listen to the LORD ( ). Listening is the hallmark of the faithful remnant. The Lord Jesus says of His sheep that they hear His voice ( ; cf. ). In Revelation 2-3 it is said seven times: “He who has an ear (singular), let him hear.” It follows the example of the Savior Who Himself said: “The Lord GOD has opened My ear” ( ). However, before the seed of the Word can germinate, the ground must be ploughed, that is to say, before they listen to the Word, they must first go through trouble and distress. The LORD addresses Himself to the believing remnant among His people who pursue righteousness and seek Him. The unbelieving part is proud of heart and far from righteousness ( ). The remnant is hungry and thirsty for righteousness. The Lord Jesus can say to them that they are “blessed” ( ). This longing for righteousness comes from an inner connection with Christ, Who is the righteousness of God ( ). In the realm of peace there is no need to pursue righteousness ( ), but now there is. We have to do this in the time of decay in which we live and we are urged to do so ( ). The faithful share in the spirit of faith by abstaining from earthly pleasures to pursue the objects of their desires. Abraham is the rock from which the stones used to build the house of Israel were hewn. Sarah is the quarry from which they were dug. The reference here is to the fact that Abraham and Sarah are loners. God has called Abraham when he was alone and was able to bless and multiply him. He can do this in the same way with the remnant, which also feels like a loner among the mass. What is meant here as an encouragement to the people is abused by the unbelieving people to appropriate the land in disobedience ( ). The remnant is now encouraged as a loner not to participate in the worship of the image of the beast that will be common during the time of the great tribulation. Only then can the LORD give His blessing. For the believing remnant the reference to Abraham is also meaningful in another sense. It has to do with the old age and infertile state of the marriage of Abraham and Sarah. In that state the LORD has worked through His own supernatural power in response to the faith of Abraham ( ; ). Israel originally looked equally barren and desolate. This is the origin of the people of Israel, and the LORD calls them to remember this in the picture of the rock and the quarry. Just as the LORD did with the lonely Abraham and the barren Sarah, so He will do with the destroyed and lonely Zion ( ). The Lord Jesus was also a Loner on earth. He has pursued righteousness in a perfect way and fulfilled it, with the high point and at the same time the low point His work on the cross. The result is a tremendous fruit. An innumerable number of people have been saved by Him because He fell into the earth like the grain of wheat and died ( ). Just as joy has come to Sarah after a lengthy period of barrenness, so after a long time of trouble and abandonment Israel will know joy and gladness again. The comparison with Eden also shows that it is about the future because Israel has never known such a situation, not even in the glory days of Solomon, let alone in the days of Isaiah.

‏ Isaiah 51:2

Introduction

The subject of this chapter is the call to the faithful remnant to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. They believe in the LORD and tremble at His word (Isa 66:2), but do not see that the Lord Jesus is their promised Christ, Messiah. Just as the conscience of the brothers of Joseph has been awakened by and during their stay in prison, so the conscience of this faithful remnant will be awakened.

For this purpose God uses three things we find in this chapter:

1. His word (Isa 51:1-8 in which they are called three times to listen).

2. The tribulation by the beast coming up out of the sea and the beast coming up out of the earth (Isa 51:9-16; Rev 13:1-10; Rev 13:11-18).

3. The Assyrians, the king of the North (Isa 51:17-23).

The subject continues until Isaiah 52:12 and can be divided into seven sections. Each of these sections starts with an imperative, which is pronounced twice from the fourth section.

1. “Listen” (Isa 51:1) is related to the past.

2. “Pay attention” (Isa 51:4) is related to the future.

3. “Listen” (Isa 51:7) is related to the present.

4. “Awake, awake” (Isa 51:9).

5. “Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself!” (Isa 51:17).

6. “Awake, awake” (Isa 52:1).

7. “Depart, depart” (Isa 52:11).

It begins with a threefold call to listen and pay attention to the word (Isa 51:1 ; 4 ; 7) the LORD speaks to His people. In Isa 51:9 comes a fourth and first double call. This comes from the people and is addressed to God to save them from the two beasts. In Isa 51:17 the fifth call sounds, in which the LORD speaks again to His people to rouse themselves because of His anger by means of the king of the North. In the sixth call (Isa 52:1) the LORD speaks again to His people to awaken. The seventh time (Isa 52:11) is a kind of summary and climax with also a double call to depart. Toward this climax both chapters work.

The whole section relates to the time just before the end of exile. They must wake up and prepare to depart from Babylon and return to Jerusalem. Also here is the double bottom, in which we notice not only the immediate pre-fulfillment but also the final fulfillment related to the end time. Then Israel will return to the land from the nations and the enemies will be exterminated. They will enter the peace and joy of the realm. Besides the literal and prophetic explanation, there is also the practical application for us.

Example of Abraham and Sarah

The remnant is called to listen to the LORD (Isa 51:1). Listening is the hallmark of the faithful remnant. The Lord Jesus says of His sheep that they hear His voice (Jn 10:16; cf. Amos 3:12). In Revelation 2-3 it is said seven times: “He who has an ear (singular), let him hear.” It follows the example of the Savior Who Himself said: “The Lord GOD has opened My ear” (Isa 50:5). However, before the seed of the Word can germinate, the ground must be ploughed, that is to say, before they listen to the Word, they must first go through trouble and distress.

The LORD addresses Himself to the believing remnant among His people who pursue righteousness and seek Him. The unbelieving part is proud of heart and far from righteousness (Isa 46:12). The remnant is hungry and thirsty for righteousness. The Lord Jesus can say to them that they are “blessed” (Mt 5:6). This longing for righteousness comes from an inner connection with Christ, Who is the righteousness of God (1Cor 1:30).

In the realm of peace there is no need to pursue righteousness (Isa 32:1), but now there is. We have to do this in the time of decay in which we live and we are urged to do so (2Tim 2:22a). The faithful share in the spirit of faith by abstaining from earthly pleasures to pursue the objects of their desires.

Abraham is the rock from which the stones used to build the house of Israel were hewn. Sarah is the quarry from which they were dug. The reference here is to the fact that Abraham and Sarah are loners. God has called Abraham when he was alone and was able to bless and multiply him. He can do this in the same way with the remnant, which also feels like a loner among the mass.

What is meant here as an encouragement to the people is abused by the unbelieving people to appropriate the land in disobedience (Eze 33:24). The remnant is now encouraged as a loner not to participate in the worship of the image of the beast that will be common during the time of the great tribulation. Only then can the LORD give His blessing.

For the believing remnant the reference to Abraham is also meaningful in another sense. It has to do with the old age and infertile state of the marriage of Abraham and Sarah. In that state the LORD has worked through His own supernatural power in response to the faith of Abraham (Isa 51:2; Rom 4:19-21). Israel originally looked equally barren and desolate. This is the origin of the people of Israel, and the LORD calls them to remember this in the picture of the rock and the quarry. Just as the LORD did with the lonely Abraham and the barren Sarah, so He will do with the destroyed and lonely Zion (Isa 51:3).

The Lord Jesus was also a Loner on earth. He has pursued righteousness in a perfect way and fulfilled it, with the high point and at the same time the low point His work on the cross. The result is a tremendous fruit. An innumerable number of people have been saved by Him because He fell into the earth like the grain of wheat and died (Jn 12:24).

Just as joy has come to Sarah after a lengthy period of barrenness, so after a long time of trouble and abandonment Israel will know joy and gladness again. The comparison with Eden also shows that it is about the future because Israel has never known such a situation, not even in the glory days of Solomon, let alone in the days of Isaiah.