 “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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.” 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? 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? 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. 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? 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. 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.’” 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. 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. 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.” Meditation When you plug a destination into your map app a clear blue line marks the directions. Direction to your destination transforms perspective. Isaiah 51 is focused on the destination; the return to Zion (11), and the path runs through God’s eternal salvation (6, 8). God’s salvation promises are for a suffering people. Exile had deprived Israel of the pilgrimages to festivals that formally marked their life together: Passover, Feast of weeks, and Feast of Tabernacles. Tapping into the longings to return to normal God’s word orients our hearts to the eternal pilgrimage to His New Jerusalem. The return from exile, the destination offered through salvation, is for all who are saved by faith, pursue righteousness, and seek the Lord (1-2). The wastelands and wilderness of our circumstances will be transformed into a new Eden, a garden of God filled with joy and gladness (3). The pilgrims must give attention (4), lift up our eyes to the Heavens (5), listen (6), and awaken (9)- God’s salvation is for now and forever (6,8). God has redeemed us, passing over sins through judgment (10). The ransomed will return with singing and joy (11). This same picture of pilgrimage is portrayed in Revelation 5:9-10. God redeemed His people from Egypt, parted the waters of the Red Sea, and conquered the grave. He is able to lead us to our destination of salvation, total restoration of Creation. Wake up to His promises and walk in His ways- a renewed celebration of these truths will transform your present circumstances. Richly Dwelling -Do you think of salvation as something you only have now or a journey to somewhere greater? -Are you overwhelmed by the circumstances of exile, discouraged by the difficulties of life? The promises of the passage are true- Your waste places will be renewed and your wilderness will be transformed into the garden of God! Meditate on these truths. -How can you more fully “give attention… turn your eyes to heaven…listen… awaken” to the good news of the destination of our salvation? How does this transform your present perspective on your circumstances? Key Verse 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. Comments are closed.
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