Isaiah 52:1-12 The Comfort of the Good News
We have become so skeptical in life. We get bombarded daily by ad campaigns, advice columnists, and health gurus telling us that they have the “miracle” solution to our ills and problems, and for the most part we tune them out. They sound too good to be true, anyway. So, we turn the channel, ignore the flashing ads on websites, and throw the mailers in the trash. But what if, in the middle of all the messages we are ignoring, there really was a solution that would bring world peace? God’s message has to compete with the deafening roar of the world around us, and too often His good news falls on deaf ears. But He keeps saying it and saying it, hoping that it will one day sink in.
Isaiah 52 is a continuation of the conversation begun in Chapter 51, where Israel stubbornly implored the Arm of God to “awake, awake!”—to get up and do something on her behalf. God immediately parroted those goading words back to her, telling her she is the one who needs rouse herself and get moving. He has taken the cup from her and given it to another. This is good news! She has no reason for despair.
Isaiah 52:1-3
The chapter begins with an imperative exhortation to “Awake, awake!” This is a parroting what Israel said earlier in Isaiah 51:9, where she stubbornly implored the Arm of God to “Awake, awake!” on her behalf, ransom her, and lead her out of exile. In response, God tells her, awake yourself and stand up! The judgment is over. I’ve taken the cup of My fury away, and I am giving it to your oppressors (51:17-23). He now repeats the exhortation, “Awake, awake,” a second time as He calls to Jerusalem in Chapter 52. This message picks up where the last left off on the theme of vengeance. It is not obvious at first because we are only given a picture of Jerusalem here in Isaiah 52, but this passage is the counterpart to the picture of Babylon in Isaiah 47. Jerusalem, the reigning city of Israel, and Babylon, the reigning city of Babylonia, are both addressed as royal daughters and given a series of parallel imperative commands. Compare the imperative commands in each passage.
Babylon has been dethroned, and Jerusalem reigns in her place. Jerusalem is presented as a beautiful bride, strong, and purified. She has been redeemed, and now she rises from the dust, unfettered, to resume her throne like a queen.
We read in Ezra and Nehemiah that Jerusalem was in shambles when the exiles returned, and it took the work of several generations to restore her to even a semblance of her former glory. Even today, she is overrun and embattled with oppressors. Isaiah's words imply that this picture of Jerusalem in her restored glory will be accomplished imminently, and yet, from where we stand today in the historical timeline, it remains, as yet, unfulfilled. But it is coming (Revelation 21).
You would have thought that a queen’s ransom would have been paid for Israel's release, and yet, the LORD says in verse 3 that since she sold herself for nothing, her redemption will be purchased without money. This is an echo of something the LORD said back in Chapter 50, where we find the same phrase “you have sold yourselves.”
Israel has sold herself into bondage in pursuit of her sin and lusts—and for nothing. God adds that comment now, and we should pay attention to that phrase. “For nothing” is the English translation of the Hebrew word, ḥinnam, and while it is an accurate translation, it doesn’t fully express the meaning of that word. Ḥinnam means “freely, gratuitously, for nothing, without cause,” but it comes from a word family that focuses on the characteristic of grace—something that is given freely. Here is the word family:
The LORD uses the word, ḥinnam, to evoke a picture that is negative on one side, but positive on the other. In the negative, Israel is like a beautiful, graceful woman who, gratuitously and of her own free will, gave her favors away to those would abuse her, and it was for no reason and for nothing in return. He emphasizes the “nothingness” in her actions, but even more so, the freeness of her actions. Israel was given freedom of choice as to where she chose to grant her favors, and she exercised that freedom in pursuit of her sinful desires, and we can see from her model just how destructive that choice became for both mother and children.
But then God turns the tables on her situation, and He, too, makes a choice of His own free will. He redeems her as freely as she once sold herself. He chooses to be gracious to her, to extend His favor to her, and grant her new life again. Not because she merits it. Not because she can pay for it. Simply because He freely chooses to do it, by His grace. This is the superiority of God. He takes Israel’s own negative, self-destructive choices and balances the scales with His own positive, healing action. Thus, He cancels the debt, through grace. The granting of grace is the first piece of good news for Israel--and for us.
It is a poignant comment on our own society that we should have learned nothing from Israel's model. Freedom of choice has become the rallying cry for those who wish to abort a child in their womb, a child who--with some exceptions--is the consequence of sin and pursuit of carnal desires, whether on the part of a woman who gives her favors gratuitously, or on the part of her abuser, who slakes his own desires on her. So many children have died for the sake of their mother's or father's freedom of choice, even as Israel's children did, and the women who have exercised their freedom by aborting a child find themselves sold into the mental and emotional bondage of guilt, grief, anger, fear, shame, and regret. All of these are well-documented, post-abortion reactions. They are all stumbling blocks that prevent healing and restoration.
Isaiah 52:4-6
In verses 4-6, we see another twist in the redemption plan. The picture begins with a build-up of God’s reputation. Israel's past oppressions are remembered: the oppression of Egypt, then Assyria (remember, Assyria took the northern tribes captive but was then overtaken by the Babylonians). While exile is a necessary evil to turn God's people back to Him, it causes the Gentile nations to scoff at Israel for having been driven from her land, as if the God she served was too weak to prevent it or even redeem her. Therefore, when God brings her out of the nations, He does it not for her sake but His own, to reestablish His own reputation in the eyes of those nations and also in the eyes of His own people. (Ezekiel 36:17-32 explains this more fully.) Then, comes the twist in verse 6:
Pay attention to that little phrase, “Hear I am!” which, in the Hebrew, is the phrase, “hinneni.” This phrase is similar to “Behold, your God!” (Hinne Elohekem) in Isaiah 40:9, but it is opposite in tone. It is usually the response of one of lesser status to one of greater status, for instance:
On a rare occasion, a father will answer a beloved son with hinneni (Genesis 22:7, 27:18), but only here in Isaiah does God use these words. Even as God presents Himself in the greatness of His glory and declares that He is taking back His reputation, He humbles Himself with this simple Hebrew phrase, "Here I am," to His people. He allows Himself to be summoned like a servant by His own servants. It is a complete reversal of roles and a shocking contradiction.
So, this is the good news as it is unfolding. Grace is being extended. God Himself, taking the form of a Servant, will accomplish it, for His own glory.
Isaiah 52:7
Again, these verses are a reiteration of commands given back in Isaiah 40:9. Tell them the good news! Proclaim peace! Proclaim salvation! Bring glad tidings! There is a difference, though. In Isaiah 40:9, Zion and Jerusalem were the ones being commanded to get up to the mountains and proclaim. Here, it is opposite. Zion has to be told, instead of being the one doing the telling. God calls the watchmen to not stay silent (another theme from the last chapter).
We should note the word used for salvation in verse 7. The particular Hebrew word for salvation here is yeshua. Yeshua is the common word from which the proper name, Yeshua, springs. When that name gets translated into the Greek, it becomes Iesous or Jesus.
Paul quotes this verse in his letter to the Romans.
Even if the gospel messengers are doing their job, God’s message of good news does no good when it falls on deaf ears. Isaiah has been belaboring the fact that despite God's every effort, Israel has been unresponsive to Him. She refuses to believe Him and be comforted. Even the Servant bemoaned the fact that His labor had been in vain (Isaiah 49:4).
Even to this day, Israel still resists the good news, which is why God's Highway Project is still ongoing, and the Gentile believers have a roll to play in that process, if only in provoking Israel to grapple with her understanding of grace.
Isaiah 52:8-10
We have talked about the "Sing!" passages in previous chapters. The "sing" commands are always in conjunction with proclamations of coming deliverers.
There is a particular statement about the LORD "baring His arm [Heb: zeroah]" in this one. Let’s talk about this piece of imagery because it is significant.
The word, zeroah, in general, refers to an arm as symbolic of strength. A literal arm becomes figurative of the strength of a man or the strength of a nation. A nation’s strength is in its king, its political might, and its military forces. But the strength of the zeroah is ultimately something controlled, granted, or taken away by the LORD Himself, either to an individual or a nation (Genesis 49:24, Judges 15:14, 1 Samuel 2:31, Ezekiel 30:24-25).
The strength of the zeroah isn't just in physical might. In stark contrast to this strong imagery, the zeroah takes a very singular form as the shoulder of the sacrificed bull or ram, the boiled meat given to the Levites as their portion (Deuteronomy 18:3). This is where there is a twist. However strong a bull’s or ram’s arm may be, that strength is something that it renders to the LORD at its death when it becomes a sacrifice for sin. Thus, that which was physically strong becomes weak, but in that mortal weakness, it takes on a different kind of strength—a spiritual strength that has the power to redeem. And so, this portion of the sacrificial offering with its symbolic strength is given to the priests as part of their portion. It becomes associated not just with kingly power but priestly, intercessory power.
Thus, two contrasting images are embodied in one word. One is the greatest expression of physical strength that can be granted only by the hand of the LORD. The other is the greatest expression of spiritual strength and redemptive power, expressed in the rendering up of strength and assuming utter physical weakness. This is the understanding of the zeroah in general. Now let's look at the Arm of the LORD specifically.
The LORD promised Israel when He was preparing to bring them out of Egypt at the Passover, that He would deliver them from bondage and redeem them with His outstretched arm in a mighty display of strength (Exodus 6:6). But now the picture of the Arm of the LORD begins to take a more distinctive shape in Isaiah prophecies. It is addressed directly as if it were human (Isaiah 51:9). Works are attributed to it, particularly the work of deliverance, judgment, and kingly governance (Isaiah 30:30, 40:10, 52:10). The Arm is not just mighty but holy. It has a spiritual character.
Thus, two contrasting qualities are embodied in that arm—physical strength, but at the same time, spiritual strength manifested through physical weakness. The dual nature is like all-powerful God humbling Himself to become a sacrificial servant. He is both God and servant, strong and weak. And He tells his people, hinneni. Here I am! See the salvation—the Yeshua—of your God!
Isaiah 52:11-12
The chapter began with “Awake, awake!” followed by a litany of imperative commands. Now God says, “Depart, depart!” and gives another litany of commands to the newly purified people: “Go out . . . do not touch . . . go out . . . be clean.” Jerusalem is purified. Those who bear the LORD’s vessels are clean, and they proceed out of exile with stateliness and security, almost as if escorting a king.
Paul sees an application for us. He quotes this verse in Isaiah when he speaks to the Corinthian church about being holy (I have underlined the quote from Isaiah):
When God's Presence lived in a physical Tabernacle/Temple, Israel was called to separate herself from the world around her to create a physical barrier between God's holiness and the world's uncleanness. As a nation, she was the "body" that housed the dwelling place of God. Now, we, as individual believers, have a "body" that houses an indwelling Holy Spirit.
Looking Forward
This is the grand lead-in to the reveal of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53, which is the pinnacle act of salvation in God's Highway Project. It is presented rather obliquely, but all the elements are there. The call to an awakening, which is likened to a resurrection. The gift of grace. The glory of God humbled to the form of a servant. The strength of His arm on display for all the world to see. The good news of salvation--of Yeshua--that releases God's people from bondage and cleanses them. Sing, for the king is coming! We will pick up next week with the glory of the Arm of the LORD on display.
Isaiah 52 is a continuation of the conversation begun in Chapter 51, where Israel stubbornly implored the Arm of God to “awake, awake!”—to get up and do something on her behalf. God immediately parroted those goading words back to her, telling her she is the one who needs rouse herself and get moving. He has taken the cup from her and given it to another. This is good news! She has no reason for despair.
Isaiah 52:1-3
The chapter begins with an imperative exhortation to “Awake, awake!” This is a parroting what Israel said earlier in Isaiah 51:9, where she stubbornly implored the Arm of God to “Awake, awake!” on her behalf, ransom her, and lead her out of exile. In response, God tells her, awake yourself and stand up! The judgment is over. I’ve taken the cup of My fury away, and I am giving it to your oppressors (51:17-23). He now repeats the exhortation, “Awake, awake,” a second time as He calls to Jerusalem in Chapter 52. This message picks up where the last left off on the theme of vengeance. It is not obvious at first because we are only given a picture of Jerusalem here in Isaiah 52, but this passage is the counterpart to the picture of Babylon in Isaiah 47. Jerusalem, the reigning city of Israel, and Babylon, the reigning city of Babylonia, are both addressed as royal daughters and given a series of parallel imperative commands. Compare the imperative commands in each passage.
In Isaiah 47, God said to Babylon, "Come down . . . sit in the dust . . . sit on the ground . . . take the millstone . . . grind meal . . . remove your veil . . . take off your skirt . . . uncover your thigh . . . pass through the river."
In Isaiah 52, God now says to Jerusalem, "Arise . . . shake off the dust . . . sit down (on your throne) . . . loosen your bonds . . . put on strength . . . put on your beautiful garments."
Babylon has been dethroned, and Jerusalem reigns in her place. Jerusalem is presented as a beautiful bride, strong, and purified. She has been redeemed, and now she rises from the dust, unfettered, to resume her throne like a queen.
Q: Is this how Jerusalem looked when Israel returned to her after the Babylonian exile? Is this her condition even now?
We read in Ezra and Nehemiah that Jerusalem was in shambles when the exiles returned, and it took the work of several generations to restore her to even a semblance of her former glory. Even today, she is overrun and embattled with oppressors. Isaiah's words imply that this picture of Jerusalem in her restored glory will be accomplished imminently, and yet, from where we stand today in the historical timeline, it remains, as yet, unfulfilled. But it is coming (Revelation 21).
You would have thought that a queen’s ransom would have been paid for Israel's release, and yet, the LORD says in verse 3 that since she sold herself for nothing, her redemption will be purchased without money. This is an echo of something the LORD said back in Chapter 50, where we find the same phrase “you have sold yourselves.”
“. . . For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, and for your transgressions your mother has been put away.” (Isaiah 50:1b NKJV)
Israel has sold herself into bondage in pursuit of her sin and lusts—and for nothing. God adds that comment now, and we should pay attention to that phrase. “For nothing” is the English translation of the Hebrew word, ḥinnam, and while it is an accurate translation, it doesn’t fully express the meaning of that word. Ḥinnam means “freely, gratuitously, for nothing, without cause,” but it comes from a word family that focuses on the characteristic of grace—something that is given freely. Here is the word family:
- (adverb) ḥinnam “freely, for nothing, without cause”
- (verb) ḥanan, “to be gracious, merciful, to show favor”
- (noun) ḥen, “grace or favor,” in appearance or manner, like a graceful woman or wise man’s words, or “graciousness and favor” that is granted as a sign of acceptance (by men or by God) e.g. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8 NKJV)
The LORD uses the word, ḥinnam, to evoke a picture that is negative on one side, but positive on the other. In the negative, Israel is like a beautiful, graceful woman who, gratuitously and of her own free will, gave her favors away to those would abuse her, and it was for no reason and for nothing in return. He emphasizes the “nothingness” in her actions, but even more so, the freeness of her actions. Israel was given freedom of choice as to where she chose to grant her favors, and she exercised that freedom in pursuit of her sinful desires, and we can see from her model just how destructive that choice became for both mother and children.
But then God turns the tables on her situation, and He, too, makes a choice of His own free will. He redeems her as freely as she once sold herself. He chooses to be gracious to her, to extend His favor to her, and grant her new life again. Not because she merits it. Not because she can pay for it. Simply because He freely chooses to do it, by His grace. This is the superiority of God. He takes Israel’s own negative, self-destructive choices and balances the scales with His own positive, healing action. Thus, He cancels the debt, through grace. The granting of grace is the first piece of good news for Israel--and for us.
It is a poignant comment on our own society that we should have learned nothing from Israel's model. Freedom of choice has become the rallying cry for those who wish to abort a child in their womb, a child who--with some exceptions--is the consequence of sin and pursuit of carnal desires, whether on the part of a woman who gives her favors gratuitously, or on the part of her abuser, who slakes his own desires on her. So many children have died for the sake of their mother's or father's freedom of choice, even as Israel's children did, and the women who have exercised their freedom by aborting a child find themselves sold into the mental and emotional bondage of guilt, grief, anger, fear, shame, and regret. All of these are well-documented, post-abortion reactions. They are all stumbling blocks that prevent healing and restoration.
Q: Does God offer grace to these women? Assuredly, He does, but do we?
Q: What is the good news that we can share with these women to comfort them and help them over these stumbling blocks so that they can heal and be restored?
Isaiah 52:4-6
In verses 4-6, we see another twist in the redemption plan. The picture begins with a build-up of God’s reputation. Israel's past oppressions are remembered: the oppression of Egypt, then Assyria (remember, Assyria took the northern tribes captive but was then overtaken by the Babylonians). While exile is a necessary evil to turn God's people back to Him, it causes the Gentile nations to scoff at Israel for having been driven from her land, as if the God she served was too weak to prevent it or even redeem her. Therefore, when God brings her out of the nations, He does it not for her sake but His own, to reestablish His own reputation in the eyes of those nations and also in the eyes of His own people. (Ezekiel 36:17-32 explains this more fully.) Then, comes the twist in verse 6:
“Therefore, My people shall know My name; therefore on that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’” (Isaiah 52:6 NASB)
Pay attention to that little phrase, “Hear I am!” which, in the Hebrew, is the phrase, “hinneni.” This phrase is similar to “Behold, your God!” (Hinne Elohekem) in Isaiah 40:9, but it is opposite in tone. It is usually the response of one of lesser status to one of greater status, for instance:
- When a man responds to God's calling, such as Abraham saying, "Here I am!" (Genesis 22:1)
- When a son responds to a father, such as Samuel to Eli (1 Samuel 3)
- When a servant responds to a master
On a rare occasion, a father will answer a beloved son with hinneni (Genesis 22:7, 27:18), but only here in Isaiah does God use these words. Even as God presents Himself in the greatness of His glory and declares that He is taking back His reputation, He humbles Himself with this simple Hebrew phrase, "Here I am," to His people. He allows Himself to be summoned like a servant by His own servants. It is a complete reversal of roles and a shocking contradiction.
Q: Why would the LORD humble Himself to the level of a servant?
Q: Paul explains this picture in Philippians 2:5-11. How does God take back His reputation in the eyes of Israel and the world?
Q: What application does Paul draw from it in regard to us?
So, this is the good news as it is unfolding. Grace is being extended. God Himself, taking the form of a Servant, will accomplish it, for His own glory.
Isaiah 52:7
Again, these verses are a reiteration of commands given back in Isaiah 40:9. Tell them the good news! Proclaim peace! Proclaim salvation! Bring glad tidings! There is a difference, though. In Isaiah 40:9, Zion and Jerusalem were the ones being commanded to get up to the mountains and proclaim. Here, it is opposite. Zion has to be told, instead of being the one doing the telling. God calls the watchmen to not stay silent (another theme from the last chapter).
Q: To whom, then, is this command directed? Who is bringing this good news to Zion?
We should note the word used for salvation in verse 7. The particular Hebrew word for salvation here is yeshua. Yeshua is the common word from which the proper name, Yeshua, springs. When that name gets translated into the Greek, it becomes Iesous or Jesus.
Q: How does this verse in Isaiah now become a command for us? What part do we have in God's Highway Project?
Paul quotes this verse in his letter to the Romans.
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel [good news]. For Isaiah says, 'LORD, who has believed our report?' So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:14-17 NKJV)
Even if the gospel messengers are doing their job, God’s message of good news does no good when it falls on deaf ears. Isaiah has been belaboring the fact that despite God's every effort, Israel has been unresponsive to Him. She refuses to believe Him and be comforted. Even the Servant bemoaned the fact that His labor had been in vain (Isaiah 49:4).
Q: Was there a use for Israel’s blindness and hardening of heart? How did that rejection work out for us? (Romans 11:11)
Q: Is Israel's rejection permanent? (Romans 11:25-32)
Even to this day, Israel still resists the good news, which is why God's Highway Project is still ongoing, and the Gentile believers have a roll to play in that process, if only in provoking Israel to grapple with her understanding of grace.
Isaiah 52:8-10
We have talked about the "Sing!" passages in previous chapters. The "sing" commands are always in conjunction with proclamations of coming deliverers.
There is a particular statement about the LORD "baring His arm [Heb: zeroah]" in this one. Let’s talk about this piece of imagery because it is significant.
The word, zeroah, in general, refers to an arm as symbolic of strength. A literal arm becomes figurative of the strength of a man or the strength of a nation. A nation’s strength is in its king, its political might, and its military forces. But the strength of the zeroah is ultimately something controlled, granted, or taken away by the LORD Himself, either to an individual or a nation (Genesis 49:24, Judges 15:14, 1 Samuel 2:31, Ezekiel 30:24-25).
Thus, two contrasting images are embodied in one word. One is the greatest expression of physical strength that can be granted only by the hand of the LORD. The other is the greatest expression of spiritual strength and redemptive power, expressed in the rendering up of strength and assuming utter physical weakness. This is the understanding of the zeroah in general. Now let's look at the Arm of the LORD specifically.
The LORD promised Israel when He was preparing to bring them out of Egypt at the Passover, that He would deliver them from bondage and redeem them with His outstretched arm in a mighty display of strength (Exodus 6:6). But now the picture of the Arm of the LORD begins to take a more distinctive shape in Isaiah prophecies. It is addressed directly as if it were human (Isaiah 51:9). Works are attributed to it, particularly the work of deliverance, judgment, and kingly governance (Isaiah 30:30, 40:10, 52:10). The Arm is not just mighty but holy. It has a spiritual character.
Thus, two contrasting qualities are embodied in that arm—physical strength, but at the same time, spiritual strength manifested through physical weakness. The dual nature is like all-powerful God humbling Himself to become a sacrificial servant. He is both God and servant, strong and weak. And He tells his people, hinneni. Here I am! See the salvation—the Yeshua—of your God!
The chapter began with “Awake, awake!” followed by a litany of imperative commands. Now God says, “Depart, depart!” and gives another litany of commands to the newly purified people: “Go out . . . do not touch . . . go out . . . be clean.” Jerusalem is purified. Those who bear the LORD’s vessels are clean, and they proceed out of exile with stateliness and security, almost as if escorting a king.
Q: Is there any application for us in these words, or are these commands only for Israel in this specific event of coming out of Babylon?
Paul sees an application for us. He quotes this verse in Isaiah when he speaks to the Corinthian church about being holy (I have underlined the quote from Isaiah):
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.' Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'" (2 Corinthians 6:14-17 NKJV)
Q: Isaiah's command is directed at those who bear the vessels of the LORD (meaning the Temple furnishings). In what sense do we bear the vessels of the LORD?
When God's Presence lived in a physical Tabernacle/Temple, Israel was called to separate herself from the world around her to create a physical barrier between God's holiness and the world's uncleanness. As a nation, she was the "body" that housed the dwelling place of God. Now, we, as individual believers, have a "body" that houses an indwelling Holy Spirit.
Q: In what way are we called to "Depart! Depart!" and separate ourselves?
Q: What does it mean to be unequally yoked?
Q: As individuals, how do we maintain our separation from the world while still fulfilling our commission to go out into the world to spread the good news? (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
Looking Forward
This is the grand lead-in to the reveal of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53, which is the pinnacle act of salvation in God's Highway Project. It is presented rather obliquely, but all the elements are there. The call to an awakening, which is likened to a resurrection. The gift of grace. The glory of God humbled to the form of a servant. The strength of His arm on display for all the world to see. The good news of salvation--of Yeshua--that releases God's people from bondage and cleanses them. Sing, for the king is coming! We will pick up next week with the glory of the Arm of the LORD on display.
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