ZION S TIME TO CELEBRATE. (continued) THE LORD WILL VINDICATE HIS SERVANT ISAIAH 52:1-15

Transcription

1 1 ZION S TIME TO CELEBRATE (continued) THE LORD WILL VINDICATE HIS SERVANT ISAIAH 52:1-15

2 2 Zion s Time to Celebrate (continued) The Lord Will Vindicate His Servant Isaiah 52:1-15 Text: Isaiah 52:1-15, 1 Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, holy city! For uncircumcised and unclean pagans will no longer invade you. 2 Shake off the dirt! Get up, captive Jerusalem! Take off the iron chains around your neck, O captive daughter Zion! 3 For this is what the Lord says: You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money. 4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says: In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt; Assyria oppressed them for no good reason. 5 And now, what do we have here? says the Lord. Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt, says the Lord, and my name is constantly slandered all day long. 6 For this reason my people will know my name, for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, Here I am. 7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!

3 3 8 Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord s return to Zion. 9 In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord consoles his people; he protects Jerusalem. 10 The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver. 11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there! Don t touch anything unclean! Get out of it! Stay pure, you who carry the Lord s holy items! 12 Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic. For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard. 13 Look, my servant will succeed! He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted 14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) he was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man; 15 his form was so marred he no longer looked human so now he will startle many nations. Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, for they will witness something unannounced to them, and they will understand something they had not heard about. (NET) Introduction: I. Isaiah 52:1-12 is an uninterrupted continuation of Isaiah 51. Isaiah 52:13-15 speaks of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ our Lord. (See Hailey.) Verses form an ideal introduction to chapter 53, Coffman wrote. II. The Pulpit Commentary views Isaiah 52:1-15 as consisting of three sections; viz.,...

4 4 A. Verses 1-6 in which Isaiah exhorts Jerusalem/Zion to rise from the dust, throw off her bonds and assert her freedom. If Jerusalem will do as commanded, God will bless them. B. Verses 7-12 is a vision of the day of deliverance announced by the messenger of God. All God s people rejoice at this good news. The exiles are urged to leave Babylon knowing they will depart in peace with the protection of God. C. Verses is a connecting link between what has been said previously regarding Jerusalem and the coming of the Servant of God, the Messiah, and his glorious spiritual reign. Commentary: Zion s Time to Celebrate (continued) Isaiah 52:1, Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, holy city! For uncircumcised and unclean pagans will no longer invade you. (NET) I. Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, holy city! A. This is the third time Isaiah has used the double imperative, Awake! Awake! (See Hailey.) B. Hailey explained that Zion, likened to a woman who was lying prostrate, weak and helpless, is now to put on strength and beautiful garments and assume her rightful place as a queen.

5 Chronicles 16:29, Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! Bring an offering and enter his presence! Worship the Lord in holy attire! (NET) 2. Psalm 29:2, Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord s reputation! Worship the Lord in holy attire! (NET) 3. Psalm 110:3, Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you. (NET) 4. Isaiah 64:6, We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind. (NET) 5. Zion was to clothe herself in the beauty of holiness as are we. 6. Isaiah 51:9, 20-21, Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity! Did you not smash the Proud One? Did you not wound the sea monster? Your children faint; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a snare. They are left in a stupor by the Lord s anger, by the battle cry of your God. So listen to this, oppressed one, who is drunk, but not from wine! (NET) C. The Lord invites the slave woman Zion to become a queen attired with beautiful garments, garments of holiness, Smith noted.

6 6 1. Psalm 110:3, Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you. (NET) 2. Isaiah 61:10, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. (NET) 3. Messianic Jerusalem would be a holy city. No spiritually uncircumcised or unclean person would be permitted to enter that place, Smith advised. D. Judah was to see herself as clothed with beautiful clothes befitting a princess rather than the clothes of a slave. They were to exchange their chains for a throne. (See Briley.) 1. Judah was to do her part, rise and dress herself as a queen. a. The Pulpit Commentary states, God can help those only who help themselves. II. For uncircumcised and unclean pagans will no longer invade you. A. This cannot apply literally to Jerusalem because it was later invaded and/or politically influenced by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, Syria, Egypt and most certainly the Romans. (See Hailey.)

7 7 B. This speaks of the fact that All who enter spiritual Zion, the city of God, will have been circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands; no others shall enter into it, Hailey wrote. 1. Ezekiel 44:9, This is what the sovereign Lord says: No foreigner, who is uncircumcised in heart and flesh among all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, will enter into my sanctuary. (NET) 2. Joel 3:17, You will be convinced that I the Lord am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy conquering armies will no longer pass through it. (NET) 3. Isaiah 35:8, A thoroughfare will be there it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it; it is reserved for those authorized to use it fools will not stray into it. (NET) 4. Zechariah 9:8-10, Then I will surround my temple to protect it like a guard from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: he is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey. I will remove the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be removed. Then he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. (NET)

8 8 5. Colossians 2:11, In him you also were circumcised not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. (NET) 6. Romans 2:28-29, For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the letter. This person s praise is not from people but from God. (NET) 7. Galatians 6:15, For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation! (NET) 8. Colossians 2:11, In him you also were circumcised not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. (NET) 9. Revelation 21:2, And I saw the holy city the new Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. (NET) 10. Isaiah 52:6, For this reason my people will know my name, for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, Here I am. (NET)

9 9 11. Isaiah 49:6, 22, he says, Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth. This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look I will raise my hand to the nations; I will raise my signal flag to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. (NET) 12. Acts 10:15, The voice spoke to him again, a second time, What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean! (NET) Isaiah 52:2, Shake off the dirt! Get up, captive Jerusalem! Take off the iron chains around your neck, O captive daughter Zion! (NET) I. Shake off the dirt! Get up, captive Jerusalem! Take off the iron chains around your neck, O captive daughter Zion! A. Hailey explained that Babylon would be reduced from worldly glory to humility and shame while Zion would be exalted from shame to divine glory. 1. Isaiah 47:1-3, Fall down! Sit in the dirt, O virgin daughter Babylon! Sit on the ground, not on a throne, O daughter of the Babylonians! Indeed, you will no longer be called delicate and pampered. Pick up millstones and grind flour! Remove your veil, strip off your skirt, expose your legs, cross the streams! Let your private parts be exposed! Your genitals will

10 10 be on display! I will get revenge; I will not have pity on anyone, (NET) 2. Zion was to overcome her tribulations and return to her seat of honor while Babylon was to fall from their arrogancy never to rise again. 3. God had removed the literal handcuffs, shackles about their ankles and the iron chains about their necks. They were to arise and return to their rightful place of honor. 4. The city Jerusalem is transitioned to the people. Isaiah 52:3, For this is what the Lord says: You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money. (NET) I. For this is what the Lord says:... A. To determine what the Lord says in contrast with what men say, to believe and obey from the heart what the Lord says is the basic requirement for the salvation of mankind, the one narrow road to heaven in which we must walk day by day! B. Once we determine God s will, we must proclaim it to the world. C. Related references: Isaiah 45:13, It is me I stir him up and commission him; I will make all his ways level. He will rebuild my city; he will send my exiled people home, but not for a price or a bribe, says the Lord who commands armies. (NET)

11 11 2. Isaiah 42:8, I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols. (NET) 3. Isaiah 28:10, 13, Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. So the Lord s word to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured. (NET) II. You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money. A. Babylon paid nothing for their Hebrew slaves and, when God freed them, neither he nor Judah owed Babylon anything. (See Hailey and Smith.) 1. Isaiah 45:13, It is me I stir him up and commission him; I will make all his ways level. He will rebuild my city; he will send my exiled people home, but not for a price or a bribe, says the Lord who commands armies. (NET) 2. Isaiah 50:1, This is what the Lord says: Where is your mother s divorce certificate by which I divorced her? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold because of your sins; because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. (NET) 3. Smith wrote all that was needed was the divine order!

12 12 4. Briley noted that Babylon had no right to Judah s servitude whatever. 5. Isaiah 11:1, A shoot will grow out of Jesse s root stock, a bud will sprout from his roots. (NET) B. Coffman wrote, This is a reference to the sinful and illegal manner in which both Assyria and Babylon had inflicted their ravages upon the Chosen People. 1. Also the pagans had been arrogantly contemptuous of God as well as of God s people. (See Coffman.) 2. God will respond in such a way as to show his holiness, power and sovereignty and his graciousness toward his people. Isaiah 52:4, For this is what the sovereign Lord says: In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt; Assyria oppressed them for no good reason. (NET) I. For this is what the sovereign Lord says:... A. For emphasis that what Isaiah said was the Lord s true message to which Judah should pay strict attention, the opening phrase of verse 3 is repeated here. II. In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt; Assyria oppressed them for no good reason. A. Judah would be delivered from Babylon in a way reminiscent of their deliverance from Egypt and Assyria under Sennacherib. (See Hamilton.)

13 13 1. God s messenger (NRSV) brought good tidings to the uninhabited, devastated ruins of Jerusalem. (See Hamilton) a. Nahum 1:15,, Look! A herald is running on the mountains! A messenger is proclaiming deliverance: Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah! Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God! For never again will the wicked Assyrians invade you, they have been completely destroyed. (NET) b. God reigns and will lead the exiles home. This was God s angel s message. B. Egypt at first welcomed Israel, but then enslaved them. The Assyrian Sennacherib, for greed and a desire for conquest, invaded Judah. (See Hailey.) 1. Genesis 45:16-20, Now it was reported in the household of Pharaoh, Joseph s brothers have arrived. It pleased Pharaoh and his servants. Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, Do this: Load your animals and go to the land of Canaan! Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you the best land in Egypt and you will eat the best of the land. You are also commanded to say, Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come. Don t worry about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours. (NET)

14 14 2. Genesis 47:5-6, Pharaoh said to Joseph, Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock. (NET) 3. Isaiah 10:5-10, Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, a cudgel with which I angrily punish. I sent him against a godless nation, I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, to take plunder and to carry away loot, to trample them down like dirt in the streets. But he does not agree with this, his mind does not reason this way, for his goal is to destroy, and to eliminate many nations. Indeed, he says: Are not my officials all kings? Is not Calneh like Carchemish? Hamath like Arpad? Samaria like Damascus? I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem s or Samaria s. (NET) C. The Old Testament Israelites suffered three major captivities, one each at the hands of the Egyptians, Assyrians and Babylonians. Isaiah 52:5, And now, what do we have here? says the Lord. Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt, says the Lord, and my name is constantly slandered all day long. (NET) I. And now, what do we have here? says the Lord.

15 15 A. Coffman noted that God was determining his best course of action to restore the wayward exiles to his favor, deliver them from captivity and punish Babylon for their wickedness. 1. The question seems to be, What is my best course of action in this situation? says the Lord. 2. The Babylonians, The Pulpit Commentary states, (1) had taken possession of Judah without payment, for nothing, (2) had used their authority harshly and brutally, and (3) had continually blasphemed the name of Jehovah. II. Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt (howl), says the Lord,... A. Babylon had no claim on Judah and had no justification for invading the land and carrying the people away into bondage. (See Hailey.) 1. Habakkuk 1:5-11, Look at the nations and pay attention! You will be shocked and amazed! For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them. They are frightening and terrifying; they decide for themselves what is right. Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. All of them intend to do violence; every face is determined. They take

16 16 prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. They mock kings and laugh at rulers. They laugh at every fortified city; they build siege ramps and capture them. They sweep by like the wind and pass on. But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty. (NET) 2. The Babylonians taunted their Hebrew captives, howled in exultation at their capture. (See Coffman.) III. and my name is constantly slandered all day long. A. The Babylonians slandered Jehovah and mistreated his people. Why shouldn t he rescue them from slavery and return them home? B. It was Israel s sins which had caused all these bad things to happen. 1. Ezekiel 36:20, 23, But when they arrived in the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name. It was said of them, These are the people of the Lord, yet they have departed from his land. I will magnify my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the sovereign Lord, when I magnify myself among you in their sight. (NET) 2. Romans 2:24, For just as it is written, the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. (NET)

17 17 C. Because of Babylon s blasphemy of God and the total subjection of his people, God will intervene and all nations will see his power and come to respect him. (See Briley.) 1. Cruel Babylonian taskmasters vexed, shouted, taunted and howled as they upset the captives by insulting their God. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) 2. It was time for God to intervene. Isaiah 52:6, For this reason my people will know my name, for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, Here I am. (NET) I. For this reason my people will know my name, for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, Here I am. A. The time would come when God s people would live righteously. This would bring glory to God. 1. Isaiah 5:1, I will sing to my love a song to my lover about his vineyard. My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill. (NET) 2. Zechariah 8:8, And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness. (NET) B. Coffman noted that this is a reference to the righteous remnant only and especially has in view the Christian era and the wonders of God s eternal blessings.

18 18 C. God s people will know the Lord, his name, and where to find him as he intervenes on their behalf. 1. He had always been available to help his people if they had only repented and returned to his faithful service. a. Isaiah 58:9, Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, Here I am. You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. 2. Here I am, God said. You know where to find me! Isaiah 52:7, How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, Your God reigns! (NET) I. How delightful (beautiful) it is to see approaching over the mountains* the feet of a messenger (watchman) who announces peace,... A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew How delightful on the mountains. B. For the faithful among the exiles, the news of their victorious deliverance was a delightful and beautiful thing. 1. Nahum 1:15, Look! A herald is running on the mountains! A messenger is proclaiming deliverance: Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah! Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God! For never again will the

19 19 wicked Assyrians invade you, they have been completely destroyed. (NET) a. Nahum spoke of the fall of Ninevah. (See Hailey.) C. The greatest messenger of peace and freedom is Christ the Lord followed by the apostles. 1. Isaiah 7:15-16, He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right. Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate. (NET) 2. Isaiah 38:3, Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will. Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. (NET) 3. Isaiah 51:8, For a moth will eat away at them like clothes; a clothes moth will devour them like wool. But the vindication I provide will be permanent; the deliverance I give will last. (NET) 4. Romans 10:15, And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news. (NET) 5. Isaiah 40:9, Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion! Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! Shout, don t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, Here is your God! (NET)

20 20 6. Isaiah 41:27, I first decreed to Zion, Look, here s what will happen! I sent a herald to Jerusalem. (NET) D. Joyous news reached Jerusalem that the exiles had been released and that the faithful were enroute home while in the New Testament John the Baptist and Christ Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand, that some then living would not die before they saw God s kingdom coming with power. II. a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, Your God reigns! * A. *NET Footnote: Or has become king. B. The victory was the Lord s! The Lord reigned and this brought peace, happiness and salvation to his people. (See Smith.) C. The news of peace and salvation is so wonderful that even the feet of the messenger are deemed beautiful, Briley wrote. 1. The return of the exiles proves that God reigns! (See Briley.) 1. The arm of the Lord is shown to be all powerful. 2. This promise of peace and salvation envisions far more than the return of the exiles from Babylon. It certainly points to the peace and salvation brought to all the world through Christ Jesus. (See Briley.) D. Even from a distance the bearers of good news could be identified as could the bearers of bad news.

21 Samuel 18:19-27, Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies. But Joab said to him, You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today, for the king s son is dead. Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go and tell the king what you have seen. After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite. But Joab said, Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward. But he said, Whatever happens, I want to go! So Joab said to him, Then go! So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite. Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself. So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, If he is by himself, he brings good news. The runner came ever closer. Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper, There is another man running by himself. The king said, This one also is bringing good news. The watchman said, It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz son of Zadok. The king said, He is a good man, and he comes with good news. (NET)

22 22 Isaiah 52:8, Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord s return to Zion. (NET) I. Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord s return to Zion. A. Hamilton wrote, Jerusalem s watchers will spot evidence of God s intervention when it first appears on the horizon and will shout the wonderful news for all to hear. B. Hailey wrote, Though the walls are in ruins and the city a waste, yet in the continuation of his vision the prophet sees watchmen upon the walls of Zion anxiously waiting for the bearer of good tidings. 1. When they see the Lord s return they shout with joy bringing happiness to Jerusalem s residents. a. Numbers 14:14, Then they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night. (NET) C. The prophets and apostles respectively proclaimed the good news, the exiles of Babylon and those exiled by sin were to be set free. 1. Isaiah 40:9, Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion! Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! Shout,

23 23 don t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, Here is your God! (NET) D. The Lord returned to Zion along with his now faithful people as their leader, head and king. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) Isaiah 52:9, In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord consoles his people; he protects Jerusalem. (NET) I. In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord consoles his people; he protects* Jerusalem. A. *NET Footnote: Hebrews redeems. B. Even the ruins of Jerusalem shout with joy, are consoled, because God protects his people! (See Hailey.) 1. Jerusalem will be restored and its waste places cleared. 2. Isaiah 44:26, who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants and brings to pass the announcements of his messengers, who says about Jerusalem, She will be inhabited, and about the towns of Judah, They will be rebuilt, her ruins I will raise up, (NET) 3. Isaiah 51:3, Certainly the Lord will console Zion; he will console all her ruins. He will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the Garden of the Lord. Happiness and joy will be restored to her, thanksgiving and the sound of music. (NET)

24 24 C. Smith wrote that God comforted his people, redeemed Jerusalem, bared his holy arm, that is, demonstrated his power in the sight of all the nations who would come to see the salvation of Judah s God. D. The walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed along with the temple, the palace and the houses of the nobles. The houses not destroyed had surely deteriorated during the Babylonian captivity. The city was devastated Kings 25:9, He burned down the Lord s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house. (NET) 2. 2 Chronicles 36:19, They burned down the Lord s temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all its fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items. (NET) Isaiah 52:10, The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver. (NET) I. The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver. A. There would be two responses to Yahweh s salvation of the Jewish people; viz., (1) all the nations to the ends of the earth would see Yahweh s salvation and (2) the exiles were to immediately depart from Babylon. (Hamilton) 1. Ezra 1:7, Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had

25 25 brought from Jerusalem and had displayed in the temple of his gods. (NET) 2. Ezra 6:5, Furthermore let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be deposited in the temple of God. B. God had uncovered his arm, had gone to work and was ready to do battle to deliver his people. (See Hailey.) 1. Isaiah 51:5, 9, I am ready to vindicate, I am ready to deliver, I will establish justice among the nations. The coastlands wait patiently for me; they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity! Did you not smash the Proud One? Did you not wound the sea monster? (NET) C. God s deliverance of Jerusalem and the return of his people from exile will call all everywhere to honor the Lord. 1. Isaiah 48:20, Leave Babylon! Flee from the Babylonians! Announce it with a shout of joy! Make this known! Proclaim it throughout the earth! Say, The Lord protects his servant Jacob. (NET) D. The time was to come when all the world s people would have the opportunity to be delivered from sin through Christ Jesus.

26 26 1. Isaiah 45:22, Turn to me so you can be delivered, all you who live in the earth s remote regions! For I am God, and I have no peer. (NET) 2. Isaiah 45:10, Danger awaits one who says to his father, What in the world are you fathering? and to his mother, What in the world are you bringing forth? (NET) 3. Isaiah 51:5, I am ready to vindicate, I am ready to deliver, I will establish justice among the nations. The coastlands wait patiently for me; they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. (NET) E. The Broadman Bible Commentary as quoted by Coffman asks, How can men believe that God is king when evil seems to be enthroned on every hand?... when sin, suffering and evil seem to be winning everywhere? 1. Daniel 4:25, You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. (NET) 2. God has control of all history. He is most concerned with the over all, long range good. 3. Mankind s sins are certainly counter to God s plans and bring terrible penalties on earth s people.

27 27 4. Regrettably the innocent as well as the guilty suffer because of sin as when a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road strikes an oncoming car and kills two babies. a. Whose fault is that? F. God s actions to return the faithful remnant from Babylon to Jerusalem and his actions through Christ Jesus to save the righteous of all nations were not done secretly, in a corner, but were done so all the world could see that God is in control. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) 1. Isaiah 41:5, The coastlands see and are afraid; the whole earth trembles; they approach and come. (NET) Isaiah 52:11, Leave! Leave! Get out of there! Don t touch anything unclean! Get out of it! Stay pure, you who carry the Lord s holy items! (NET) I. Leave! Leave! Get out of there! Don t touch anything unclean! Get out of it! A. Isaiah issues an urgent, double imperative calling for the exiles to immediately leave Babylon and start their journey home to Jerusalem. (See Hailey.) 1. The exiles had been in Babylon for fifty to seventy years. Many had been born in Babylon and had no remembrance of Jerusalem. 2. Many, evidently the majority, decided to remain in Babylon.

28 28 B. Those leaving Babylon were not to touch or take with them anything Babylonian, idols, charms, spells, etc. 1. Isaiah 47:9, Both of these will come upon you suddenly, in one day! You will lose your children and be widowed. You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, despite your many incantations and your numerous amulets. (NET) 2. In contrast with the Babylonian exile, those leaving Egypt were commanded to take everything of value given them by the Egyptians. (See Hailey.) a. Exodus 3:22, Every woman will ask her neighbor and the one who happens to be staying in her house for items of silver and gold and for clothing. You will put these articles on your sons and daughters thus you will plunder Egypt! (NET) b. Exodus 11:2-3, Instruct the people that each man and each woman is to request from his or her neighbor items of silver and gold. (Now the Lord granted the people favor with the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh s servants and by the Egyptian people.) (NET) c. Exodus 12:35-36, Now the Israelites had done as Moses told them they had requested from the Egyptians silver and gold items and clothing. The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of

29 29 the Egyptians, and they gave them whatever they wanted, and so they plundered Egypt. (NET) C. God s people were to leave and renounce Babylon and all she stood for. (See Smith.) 1. Those leaving Babylon were to take nothing of the Babylonians with them. (See Smith.) 2. Isaiah 48:20, Leave Babylon! Flee from the Babylonians! Announce it with a shout of joy! Make this known! Proclaim it throughout the earth! Say, The Lord protects his servant Jacob. (NET) D. Whether to leave or remain in Babylon was a decision the exiles had to make. 1. Regrettably many more decided to remain in Babylon than those who decided to leave and return home to Jerusalem. 2. Even more regrettable is the fact that many more today serve the devil than those who follow Jesus and the way of holiness. E. God through Isaiah told the exiles to, Depart ye, Depart ye. Leave! Leave! Flee. 1. The faithful remnant was not told to leave in a mighty rush as their forefathers fled Egypt, but they were to leave promptly without delay and to take nothing Babylonian with them.

30 30 a. Isaiah 48:20, Leave Babylon! Flee from the Babylonians! Announce it with a shout of joy! Make this known! Proclaim it throughout the earth! Say, The Lord protects his servant Jacob. (NET) b. Repetitions provide emphasis to what is said. c. Isaiah 28:10, 13, Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. So the Lord s word to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured. (NET) 2. Israel s spiritual welfare was at stake. It was a choice between God and paganism, hardships of rebuilding a nation or remaining in Babylonian captivity. a. Regrettably many more remained in Babylon than returned to Jerusalem. b. As Christians do we enjoy the pleasures of this world for a season or follow the difficult and narrow road leading to heaven? II. Stay pure, you who carry the Lord s holy items! A. Hailey wrote that the priests and Levites were evidently addressed here.

31 31 1. They were to keep themselves spiritually and ceremonially pure, clean. 2. The holy vessels of the temple carried away by Nebuchadnezzar were evidently returned to the exiles by Cyrus as they left for home. (See Hailey.) a. 2 Kings 25:14-16, They also took the pots, shovels, trimming shears, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. The captain of the royal guard took the golden and silver censers and basins. The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord s temple including the two pillars, the big bronze basin called The Sea, the twelve bronze bulls under The Sea, and the movable stands was too heavy to be weighed. (NET) b. Ezra 1:5-11, Then the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites all those whose mind God had stirred got ready to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with silver utensils, gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention all the voluntary offerings. Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed in the temple of his gods. King Cyrus of Persia entrusted them to Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the leader of the Judahite exiles. The inventory of these items was as follows: 30

32 32 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver utensils, 30 gold bowls, 410 other silver bowls, and 1,000 other vessels. All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem. (NET) c. Daniel 5:1-4, King Belshazzar prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all. While under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. (NET) d. Daniel 1:20, In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. (NET) e. Ezra 7:25-28, Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, appoint judges and court officials who can

33 33 arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught. Everyone who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king will be completely liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who so moved in the heart of the king to so honor the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem! He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me. (NET) 3. The bearers of these sacred vessels were to purify themselves and were to keep themselves ceremonially pure, clean. a. 2 Chronicles 29:34, But there were not enough priests to skin all the animals, so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.) (NET) b. Leviticus 22:3-4, Say to them, Throughout your generations, if any man from all your descendants approaches the holy offerings

34 34 which the Israelites consecrate to the Lord while he is impure, that person must be cut off from before me. I am the Lord. No man from the descendants of Aaron who is diseased or has a discharge may eat the holy offerings until he becomes clean. The one who touches anything made unclean by contact with a dead person, or a man who has a seminal emission, (NET) B. Hailey noted that the exiles were to leave both physical Babylon and all its heathen religious practices. 1. Revelation 18:4, Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, (NET) Isaiah 52:12, Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic. For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard. (NET) I. Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic.* A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew or go in flight. B. It would not be necessary for Judah to leave Babylon in a panic because God would provide protection as they returned to Jerusalem. (See Hamilton.) 1. Exodus 12:11, 33, This is how you are to eat it dressed to travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in haste. It is the Lord s Passover. The Egyptians were urging the

35 35 people on, in order to send them out of the land quickly, for they were saying, We are all dead! (NET) 2. Deuteronomy 16:3, You must not eat any yeast with it; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast, symbolic of affliction, for you came out of Egypt hurriedly. You must do this so you will remember for the rest of your life the day you came out of the land of Egypt. (NET) 3. The exiles would leave Babylon in an organized and dignified manner. (See Smith.) 4. Exodus 8:25-32, Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, Go, sacrifice to your God within the land. But Moses said, That would not be the right thing to do, for the sacrifices we make to the Lord our God would be an abomination to the Egyptians. If we make sacrifices that are an abomination to the Egyptians right before their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go on a three-day journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as he is telling us. Pharaoh said, I will release you so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the desert. Only you must not go very far. Do pray for me. Moses said, I am going to go out from you and pray to the Lord, and the swarms of flies will go away from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only do not let Pharaoh deal falsely again by not releasing the people to sacrifice to the Lord. So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, and the Lord did as Moses

36 36 asked he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained! But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not release the people. (NET) C. God did indeed protect Israel as they left Egypt and traveled toward Canaan. (See Hamilton.) 1. Exodus 14:19-20, The angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. It came between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp; it was a dark cloud and it lit up the night so that one camp did not come near the other the whole night. (NET) 2. Exodus 13:21-22, Now the Lord was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel day or night. He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people. (NET) 3. Exodus 23:20, I am going to send an angel before you to protect you as you journey and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. (NET) 4. Exodus 33:2, I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. (NET) 5. Deuteronomy 1:30-33, The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you

37 37 saw him do in Egypt and in the desert, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place. However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, the one who was constantly going before you to find places for you to set up camp. He appeared by fire at night and cloud by day, to show you the way you ought to go. (NET) D. The Egyptian slaves had to leave Egypt quickly in haste because Pharaoh and his army were intent on forcing them to return to Egypt and slavery. (See Hailey.) 1. However, there was no need for the Babylonian exiles to leave Babylon in fear or panic because they were leaving with the full approval and authority of Cyrus and the government. (See Hailey.) 2. Judah left Babylon with calm deliberateness, The Pulpit Commentary states. II. For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard. A. God s delivery of the faithful remnant from Babylon would cause all the nations of the world including Judah to respond with awe and thanksgiving to the Lord. B. On their physical journey back to Jerusalem and their spiritual journey from Babylonian pagan religious practices, God would be their guard and protector going both before and behind them, both as their vanguard and their rear guard. (See Smith.)

38 38 THE LORD WILL VINDICATE HIS SERVANT NOTE: Isaiah now comes to the fourth of the Servant Songs in which is attained the loftiest height of prophecy. This song deals with both purpose and achievement of the Servant. The Servant is to conquer as a sufferer, not as a warrior. (Hailey) Smith observed this Servant Song recorded in Isaiah 52: consists of five three verse paragraphs. Coffman observed that verses really should be the beginning of chapter 53 rather than the end of chapter 52 due to the subject matter before and after those verses. Isaiah 52:13, Look, my servant will succeed! He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted (NET) I. Look, my servant will succeed (deal wisely, prudently)! He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted... A. In this section, the theme is the humiliation and exaltation of Yahweh s servant, Jesus Christ the Messiah. (See Hamilton.) 1. Sinners beat and crucified Christ, but God the Father raised him from the dead and called him home to glory where he sits at God s right hand! B. Hailey noted that this song begins with Behold. God is calling once again for the undivided attention of his people. Look here! Pay attention to what God is saying to you. Hailey wrote the focus of attention here is on God s servant, Christ Jesus. 1. Isaiah 7:14, For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth

39 39 to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel. (NET) 2. Isaiah 42:1, Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I take pleasure. I have placed my spirit on him; he will make just decrees for the nations. (NET) C. God s servant, Christ Jesus, was to succeed, be elevated, be lifted high, be greatly elevated. (See Hailey.) 1. Acts 2:32-33, This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. So then, exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear. (NET) 2. Phillipians 2:5-11, You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross! As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (NET)

40 40 3. Acts 8:26-35, Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went. There he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home, sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go over and join this chariot. So Philip ran up to it and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. He asked him, Do you understand what you re reading? The man replied, How in the world can I, unless someone guides me? So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of scripture the man was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In humiliation justice was taken from him. Who can describe his posterity? For his life was taken away from the earth. Then the eunuch said to Philip, Please tell me, who is the prophet saying this about himself or someone else? So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. (NET) 4. Matthew 12:18, Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I take great delight. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. (NET) 5. Acts 3:13, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant

41 41 Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him. (NET) 6. Acts 26:27, 30, Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe. So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, (NET) 7. Isaiah 6:1, In the year of King Uzziah s death, I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. (NET) 8. Isaiah 57:15, For this is what the high and exalted one says, the one who rules forever, whose name is holy: I dwell in an exalted and holy place, but also with the discouraged and humiliated, in order to cheer up the humiliated and to encourage the discouraged. (NET) 9. Isaiah 53:10-12, Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord s purpose will be accomplished through him. Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins. So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, because he willingly submitted to death and was numbered with the rebels, when he lifted up the sin of many and intervened on behalf of the rebels. (NET)