Isa 51:6 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD addresses His people here with “My people” ( ). By calling it like that, He encourages the believing remnant. Then the people are no longer called “Lo-Ammi”, which means “not My people” ( ) and God’s judgment no longer rests on them. The bond between Israel and the LORD has been restored. The covenant, that is to say, the new covenant, is now made on the basis of the price paid by the Mediator. Israel will realize this only later. After a look back to the past, God’s Word already makes them look to the future. These are vistas that you get when you climb a height through God’s Word. In these vistas the state of the realm of peace is unfolded before their eyes ( ). The section that begins with speaks of the times when the restoration of Israel will culminate in a blessing for the entire world and later in the disappearance of the whole world of the old creation. The law here is not that of Sinai, but stands for the teaching that God wants to give to the nations through Israel. In this way His righteousness is brought near to the nations and the nations will place their hope in His arm, which is His power, and no longer trust in their own power ( ; cf. ). “My arms” that will judge nations may indicate the government of God that He will exercise through the glorified saints ( ). The power, “My arms”, which He has shown in the exercise of His judgment ( ), He will use for blessing and salvation ( ) for the remaining nations, even those who are far away. Not only will sin still exist in the realm of peace, but the whole of the old creation has been affected by it. The heavens must therefore vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment affected by the moth, and the inhabitants will die like mosquitoes ( ; cf. ). None of this is fulfilled in the days of Cyrus. Those who are saved will never perish and God’s righteousness will endure forever. For those who know God’s righteousness, the call follows not to fear the reproach of man ( ), for these oppressors will perish as a garment consumed by the moth and the grub ( ). The imagery shows that God uses small, despicable things to fulfill great plans. The order here is salvation and righteousness, while in the order is righteousness and salvation. The faithful remnant will suffer tremendously under the power of the beast. But while people say: “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” ( ), the LORD says: ‘They are only mortals, you need not fear them.’ Fear of people only disappears when we stand before the Lord.

‏ Isaiah 51:6

The Salvation of the LORD Is Near

The LORD addresses His people here with “My people” (Isa 51:4). By calling it like that, He encourages the believing remnant. Then the people are no longer called “Lo-Ammi”, which means “not My people” (Hos 1:9) and God’s judgment no longer rests on them. The bond between Israel and the LORD has been restored. The covenant, that is to say, the new covenant, is now made on the basis of the price paid by the Mediator. Israel will realize this only later. After a look back to the past, God’s Word already makes them look to the future. These are vistas that you get when you climb a height through God’s Word. In these vistas the state of the realm of peace is unfolded before their eyes (Isa 51:5-6).

The section that begins with Isa 51:4 speaks of the times when the restoration of Israel will culminate in a blessing for the entire world and later in the disappearance of the whole world of the old creation. The law here is not that of Sinai, but stands for the teaching that God wants to give to the nations through Israel. In this way His righteousness is brought near to the nations and the nations will place their hope in His arm, which is His power, and no longer trust in their own power (Isa 51:5; cf. Isa 40:11). “My arms” that will judge nations may indicate the government of God that He will exercise through the glorified saints (Mt 19:28).

The power, “My arms”, which He has shown in the exercise of His judgment (Isa 51:9 ; Isa 52:10), He will use for blessing and salvation (Isa 40:10) for the remaining nations, even those who are far away. Not only will sin still exist in the realm of peace, but the whole of the old creation has been affected by it. The heavens must therefore vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment affected by the moth, and the inhabitants will die like mosquitoes (Isa 51:6; cf. 2Pet 3:13). None of this is fulfilled in the days of Cyrus. Those who are saved will never perish and God’s righteousness will endure forever.

For those who know God’s righteousness, the call follows not to fear the reproach of man (Isa 51:7), for these oppressors will perish as a garment consumed by the moth and the grub (Isa 51:8). The imagery shows that God uses small, despicable things to fulfill great plans. The order here is salvation and righteousness, while in Isa 51:6 the order is righteousness and salvation.

The faithful remnant will suffer tremendously under the power of the beast. But while people say: “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” (Rev 13:4), the LORD says: ‘They are only mortals, you need not fear them.’ Fear of people only disappears when we stand before the Lord.