Isaiah 51
Summary for Isa 51:1-8: 51:1-8 a This prophecy calls for trust in the Lord. Each of its three units begins with the phrase, Listen to me (51:1 b, 4 c, 7 d). 51:1 e The rock and the quarry represent Abraham and Sarah (51:2 f).51:2 g Abraham ... became a great nation: The exiled community had decreased in number. They needed to have faith that God could restore them again to a healthy and thriving population.
51:3 h Eden ... the garden of the Lord: God’s salvation will one day reestablish conditions like those in which human beings first lived (see Gen 2–3 i).
51:4 j my law ... my justice: The work of the servant will prosper because justice will be the rule in God’s kingdom on earth (see 42:1-4 k).
• a light to the nations: The nations will receive the Lord and his revelation (see also 42:6 l; 49:6 m; 60:1-3 n; 66:19-23 o; Matt 4:15-16 p; Luke 2:32 q; John 1:4-9 r; 12:35-50 s; Acts 13:47 t).
51:5 u God is strong enough to crush his enemies and rescue his people, such as when he rescued Israel in the Exodus (see 51:9 v; Exod 6:6 w; 15:16 x).
51:6 y die like flies: The wicked will die in great multitudes on the day of God’s judgment.
51:7 z cherish my law in your hearts: Beyond simply knowing God’s word, the Lord desires for his people to internalize, treasure, and obey it (see also Ps 37:31 aa; Jer 31:33 ab).
• Those who obey the Lord often endure scorn and insults (see also Matt 5:10-12 ac).
Summary for Isa 51:9-10: 51:9-10 ad Wake up, wake up: God does not sleep; this prayer is for God to act immediately to save his people (see 52:1 ae; see especially God’s military garb in 59:17 af).
• in the days of old: The exodus from Egypt was an act of redemption that displayed God’s power as he made a path of escape (51:10 ag) for his people (see also 11:15 ah).
51:13 ai you have forgotten the Lord: The Lord will never forget Israel (see 44:21 aj; 49:15 ak), so they should not forget him.
• The Creator of the world also created the nation Israel.
51:14 al The Exile brought such brutal conditions as imprisonment, starvation, and death.
51:15 am I am the Lord: The Lord uses this formula to identify himself as the covenant God and to assure his people of the truth of his word and the reliability of his actions (see 27:3-4 an).
51:16 ao my words in your mouth: The focus shifted back to the servant.
• You are my people: Israel was the covenant community.
Summary for Isa 51:17-23: 51:17-23 ap The prophet called the people of Israel to be done with their past and to anticipate God’s future for them. 51:17 aq Wake up, wake up: Israel used these words in a prayer to the Lord (51:9 ar). Israel’s problems were not the result of God’s slowness to act; rather, the people were slow to believe God’s promises.
• the cup of the Lord’s fury: The Lord will appropriately measure out his judgment; those who fall under his judgment must figuratively drink from his wrath (see also Matt 26:39 as).
51:20 at children have fainted: A sad commentary on Jerusalem’s desolation is provided in Lamentations 1:13 au, 22 av; 2:11-12 aw, 19 ax.
51:22 ay God would be the Defender of Israel as he was when Assyria besieged Jerusalem (38:6 az).
51:23 ba The tormentors were the Babylonians who brought about destruction, war, and famine (51:19 bb).
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