Isaiah 51:1-23

Chapter 51 Exhortations To The People To Respond To God.

We now have here three remarkable calls to faithful Israel, ‘listen' (Isaiah 51:1) - ‘attend' (Isaiah 51:4) - ‘listen' (Isaiah 51:7). They have heard the voice of the Servant (Isaiah 50:10), now it is open to them to respond. And how are they to appreciate the truth about the Servant? They are to look back to Abraham, and to recognise how when he was but one God blessed him and made him many, and then they are to recognise in this new Servant someone who is similar to Abraham, for in His purposes Yahweh is planning to make His people fruitful and bring His blessing on them too, and all this will be through the One who will become many.

Indeed His instruction will go out to the nations, along with His saving purposes, and the isles/coastlands will wait for Him and trust in His arm. The heaven will disappear like a waft of smoke, and the earth will grow old and become worn out, but His salvation will be for ever, and His righteous deliverance will not be done away with.

So those who know His word must stand firm and not be afraid. They must be ready to face the reproach of men without fear or dismay, for while the rebellious against God will be eaten up as by moths, those who experience His righteousness and salvation will endure for ever.

Here Isaiah makes clear that he recognises that earth and heaven will pass away, but that God's people will go on for ever within His righteous, saving activity. Thus in each case those who do hear and listen can look forward to the everlasting kingdom.

In the passage a clear distinction is made between faithful Israel and the Servant. It is in the Servant that Yahweh's saving work goes on, and the people receive it at His hands. They are to trust and not be afraid as they behold His powerful activity.

The call then goes up to Yahweh to awaken and reveal His mighty power. He who destroyed Egypt and all that it stood for, can equally make a way for his people to go forward in triumph. All will be joy and gladness, and all sorrow and sighing will flee away. And then the ransomed of Yahweh will return to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads.

The chapter then finishes with a description of Jerusalem that reveals its present state, but even this ends with the assurance of God's deliverance.