By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 51

EXHORTATIONS TO THE FAITHFUL REMNANT

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

    1. Such as follow after righteousness, in seeking the Lord and His will for their lives, are called upon to "hearken" - hear and heed, (vs. 1). a. Spiritual life is received and sustained by heeding the word of God - trusting in, and entrusting all unto the Lord.
      b. They are to look to the rock from whence they were hewn (Abraham), and to the pit from whence they were digged (Sarah).
        1) God dug them from the quarry of idolatry - aged, impotent, and childless.
        2) Religiously, they were idolaters; physically, they were the same as dead.
        3) Yet, God chose them to be instruments of divine service, and fully enabled them to be all that He expected them to be - to the extent that they trusted in Him.
    2. When Abraham was but one, God called him; blessing him, He multiplied his seed, so that he became the father of many nations, (vs. 2; Gen. 12:1-4; 15:5-6; Deut. 1:8-11; Ezek. 33:24-25).
      a. Abraham counted God faithful and lived in daily expectancy of the fulfillment of His promise, (Rom. 4:16-25).
      b. And Israel ought to return to the Lord with her whole heart-walk in the steps of her ancient Father's faith, (Rom. 4:11-13).
    3. This should encourage the remnant to lay hold on the divine promise (written here in a prophetic present tense) concerning Zion, and the coming fertility of her waste places, (vs. 3; 52:9-10).
      a. Her wilderness will be as Eden; her desert like the garden of the Lord, (35:1; 41:19; Gen. 2:8; 13:10).
      b. Thus, joy, gladness, thanksgiving and the voice of melodious praise will again be heard within her walls, (25:9; 65:18; 66:10-14).
      c. So, Jehovah comforts (speaks to the heart of) His people, (40:1; 49:13).

   Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
   Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

    1. The remnant is to be attentive to the law (the new order) that goes forth from the Lord - wherein His justice will give light to the nations, (vs. 4; Psa. 78:1; Deut. 18:18; Isa. 2:3; 1:27; 43:4, 6; 49:6).
    2. The isles (even the ends of the earth) are pictured as waiting for Him (60:9; 66:19) - glad for the righteousness (46:13; 54:17), justice, and saving strength that will characterize His glorious rule, (vs. 5; 40:10).
    3. The salvation and righteousness of Jehovah (involving the faithful fulfillment of His purpose) will stand fast - though all else falls, (vs. 6).
      a. The heavens will vanish like smoke - "heavens" being used figuratively of worldly "honor, station, authority, rulership, etc."
      b. The earth will become old, like a garment - "earth" being used figuratively of those by whom "the heavens" are upheld and supported.
      c. And those who dwell on earth (their trust and expectancy being in the things mentioned above) will die like gnats!
      d. But, the salvation of the Lord is forever, (45:17); His righteous victory will never be annulled!
    4. Those who have hidden the law of the Lord within their hearts need not fear the reproach of men, nor be dismayed by their revilings, (vs. 7; Psa. 37:31; Isa. 25:8; 54:4; Matt. 5:11-12).
    5. The revilers will be devoured by moth and worm, but the righteousness and salvation of the Lord endures forever, (vs. 8).

   Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

    1. Verse 9 seems to express the longing of the remnant for the manifestation of Jehovah's saving strength.
    2. They knew that His arm had overthrown Pharaoh and all his hosts, (Ex. 6:6; Deut. 4:33-35).
    3. He cut Rahab in pieces and pierced the dragon - evidently referring to Pharaoh through whom Satan worked to frustrate the will of God, (Psalm 89:10; Isa. 30:7).
    4. He had dried up the Red Sea so that Israel (the redeemed) could pass over dry land, (11:15-16; 50:2; 63:11-12; Ex. 15:13; Psa. 106:9-11; Isa. 63:9, 16).
    5. As they recall the adequacy of divine grace for the needs of their ancient fathers, the Lord gives sweet and blessed assurance concerning the future of His people, (vs. 11).
      a. The ransomed of the Lord will again return unto Zion with a song in their hearts, (35:10; 49:13).
      b. Sorrow and sighing will be banished - FOREVER! (25:8; 60:20; 65:19; Rev. 7:17).

   I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

    1. In the face of life's perplexities and fears, there is no real comfort apart from the Lord, (vs. 12a; II Cor. 1:3-4).
      a. Why should one, whose God is the Lord, be afraid of a man who will die - being afraid as the grass? (vs. 12b; 2:22; Psa. 118:6; 65:4, 11; Heb. 13:6; Isa. 40:6-7; I Peter 1:24).
      b. Fear usually comes through forgetfulness of God - the Maker of heaven and earth (vs. 13a; 17:10-11; Deut. 6:12; 8:11-20); the availability of His sufficient grace to meet any human need is not called to remembrance, (7:4; 10:24-27; comp. 43:2-3; I Cor. 10:13; II Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:19).       c. With such a divine Protector there is no reason for fear - even when the oppressor, who seeks our destruction, is the Antichrist himself!
    2. The answer to the question: "Where is the fury of the oppressor?" is given in verse 14.
      a. He will loose the captive exile speedily, (48:20; 52:2).
      b. The exile will not perish, or go down into the pit, (comp. 38:18).
      c. Nor will his bread fail; GOD IS FAITHFUL! (33:16; 49:10; Rev. 7:16).
    3. Let Israel remember that Jehovah of Hosts, her God, is able to speak peace to the troubled sea - though its waves roar, (vs. 15; Psa. 107:25; Jer. 31:35; Matt. 8:23-27).
      a. Wickedness, lawlessness and rebellion are likened unto a troubled sea when it cannot rest, (Isa. 57:20-21).
      b. But God is able to give rest to His people in the midst of the flood! (Isa. 57:19).
    4. The words of verse 16 seem to be addressed to the Servant - both Israel and Christ, (comp. 49:8).
      a. The word of God is in His mouth, (Jn. 4:34).
      b. He is covered in the shadow of God's hand - a picture of divine protection, (49:2).
      c. Through Him God will establish a new order - planting the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, (65:17; 66:22).
      d. And to Zion, who had been "Lo-Ammi" (not my people, Hos. 1:9), He declares: "You are my people!"

   Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.
   Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

    1. Here are set forth the effects of that judgment which has come to Israel because of her persistent rebellion against God, (vs. 17-20).
      a. Having drained, to the dregs, the cup of the Lord's fury, Jerusalem is pictured as a drunken woman lying helplessly on the ground, (vs. 17; Jer. 25:15-18).
      b. Among all her offspring was not found one who offered, or was able, to take her by the hand - lifting her up and guiding her in a safe path (vs. 18; 49:21; comp. Psa. 88:18; 142:4).
      c. Such devastation and ruin had befallen her, through famine and warfare, that Isaiah, like the weeping Jeremiah, could not really comfort her, (vs. 19; 8:21-22; 9:20-21; Jer. 14:17).
      d. Her sons, who might be expected to help her, were lying, stunned, at the street corners, as antelopes exhausted in their struggle to escape the hunters' net - all victims of God's wrath against sin, (vs. 20; 5:25; Jer. 14:16).
      e. Thus, the Lord Himself calls upon her to "WAKE UP"! He will help her, (vs. 17a).
    2. Deliverance from such a state could come only as an act of divine mercy - which God will bestow, (vs. 21-23).
      a. He views them as "afflicted and drunken", but not with wine, (vs. 21; 54:11; 29:9-10).
      b. He remembers that they are but flesh; yet, they are His people; thus, He becomes their Advocate and Defender, (vs. 22a; 49:25-26).
      c. He takes out of Israel's hand the cup of staggering, and bowl of wrath, so that she will need to drink it NO MORE! (vs. 22b; 63:6).
      d. It will be given to those who have previously afflicted her; those who have humbled her with their haughtiness will be so humiliated as to become her servants, (vs. 23; 63:6; Jer. 25:15-17, 26-28; Zech. 12:2; Psa. 75:7-8).
      e. This is still future; it previews the "time of Jacob's trouble" Jer. 30:7; 14:7-9), wherein the "man of sin" will attempt to destroy Israel and "the remnant of her seed" (the church) which has "the testimony of Jesus", (Rev. 12:17).       f. But the Lord always brings His people safely THROUGH THE FIRE of affliction and trouble - TRIUMPHANTLY! (Dan. 3:19-30; I Pet. 4:12-14; Rev. 2:10-11; Jn. 17:15; comp. Rev. 3:10).