And My name is blasphemed continually every day. choose. Awake, awake! b. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him: Though all will be astonished at His appearance, they will have nothing to say against Him. Isaiah 40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! They call captive Jerusalem to wake up and loose the bonds of captivity (v. 2). He brings the message to Judah. Read full chapter. For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. Cleanse yourselves, you who bear the vessels of Yahweh (v. 11b). And all the ends of the earth shall see and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God (v. 10b). Turning to the text for Christmas day, the call goes out to the people to Listen! (52:8; echoing 51:1,4,7,21). 2 Timothy 2:21 has a wonderful promise for those vessels of the LORD who pursue purity: Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Zion, of course, refers to Mount Zion on which Jerusalem is built. In this case, the sentinels lift up their voices and sing together. Not of the messenger that brought the news of Cyrus's proclamation of liberty to the Jews; rather of John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord; best of Christ himself, the messenger of the covenant, who was anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek, and by whom grace, peace, life, and salvation came; and also of the apostles of Christ, for for Yahweh has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem (v. 9b). In view of this changed historical situation, captive Jerusalem; captive daughter Zion is called to awake from the slumber of exile and captivity and prepare for a new day (52:1-2). Where God reigns, salvation reigns. Get ready! advertisement Join now to personalize . How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns., How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'. Meaning: How beautiful! And the view comes into plain sight! Feet are mentioned instead of their whole persons, because the instruments of motion, and so of bringing the tidings, and of running to and fro with them from place to place, and even though they are dirty and defiled with sin; for Gospel ministers are not free from it, and are men of like passions with others; yet are beautiful when their walk and ministry, conversation and doctrine, agree together; and their feet are particularly so, being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. He replied, I tell you that if these (people) were silent, the stones would cry out (Luke 19:40). The survivors have suffered a lengthy exile in Babylonia. Go out of the midst of her! Endowed with beautiful garments of power and glory, the daughter of Zion is the divine, feminine manifestation of God's righteous sons and daughters passing through the veil of mortality and entering into the joy, rest, and holiness of the Lord. The exiles wonder if Yahweh has abandoned themor if the Babylonian gods have shown themselves to be stronger than Yahweh. War is now over, once and for all. The news had reached His people through a messenger whom the prophet pictured as running across mountains with his message (cf. What God has done is captured in such key words as salvation and redeem; both of these words are understood in a comprehensive sense, with effects both bodily and spiritual. Therefore My people shall know My name: Yet God will glorify Himself; first, He will do it among His own people. Nor go by flight; How beautiful How exceeding precious and acceptable; upon the mountains Of Judea, to which these glad tidings were brought; are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings Tidings, first, Of the release of the Jews from captivity in Babylon; and, secondly, Of the redemption and salvation of mankind by the Messiah. All rights reserved. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Returning to life is completely dependent on Gods own choice to return, to return to Zion, and to return to the people. Just let it be known and praised among My people.. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord." (D&C 133:10) these are words of rejoicing and admiration. The Redeemer 1. For what had not been told them they shall see, The price paid by the Redeemer for our salvation, was not . But now they hear the command to departto go out from there. These are the words that they have longed to hear. Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. The text from Second Isaiah follows closely on Christmas Eves reading from First Isaiah though historically they are situated far apart. ISAIAH 52:7. But really it isnt surprising. of The presence of judgment indicates its necessity for salvation to occur. With Yahweh to defend them, they can feel safe at last from all enemies and dangers. What God has promised (see 40:1-2) has now arrived. The victory that is proclaimed does not belong to this or that king, to this or that country, to this or that ideology, but to God alone. He has redeemed Jerusalem. (k) a "caro". Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. These events are ascribed to the wrath of God; that is, the people have experienced the effects of Gods moral order sins have consequences. Psalm 59:13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. c. The LORD has made bare His holy arm: The thought beginning at Isaiah 51:9 (Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD!) Verse Meaning Isaiah exulted in the good news that the Lord had just revealed. This page last updated: November 29, 2022. a. The news had reached His people through a messenger whom the prophet pictured as running across mountains with his message (cf. The result was so shocking that many were astonished when they saw Jesus. All rights reserved. From the battlefield, a messenger is sent to announce that victory has been won. The Ethiopian in Acts 8:34 asked a question about Isaiah 52:13-53:12: Of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man? Just as many were astonished at you, All people, all creation is pulled into this salvific act. O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. Even the broken down walls, the ruins of Jerusalem are called into song. The call is to break forth together into joy, sing together, even though the people have not yet been privileged to see the fruits of Yahwehs determination to redeem them. Cyrus of Persia will allow them to depart under the protection of his imperial decree, and will even provide funds to help them with the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. Being in great distress and confusion, the Jews gave up all for lost. halcyon days! Just as Jerusalem was sold for nothing (a.k.a. You who bear the vessels of the LORD. However, in verses such as this, the Old Testament gives notice that God is concerned for both Jews and Gentilesfor all the ends of the earth.. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Awake, awake! Additionally, in Matthew 8:16-17 the Bible takes this passage of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and says it specifically applies to Jesus. Isaiah comes from the Hebrew phrase "yesha'yahu," meaning "God saves." It was the name of an Old Testament prophet, whose words are preserved in the biblical Book of Isaiah. This does not mean that anxiety or fear ceases to exist though. i. That My people are taken away for nothing? More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! However, as married people can attest, the yada that comes with marriage is a knowing that goes far beyond sexual knowledge. The battlefield is not just any confrontation between two armies but the field of history itself in which God is triumphant, for it is not only Jerusalem that is redeemed but also all the nations. A new day has dawned! The words may with the greatest propriety, and in agreement with the context, be understood of that angel, or set of Gospel ministers in the latter day, represented as flying in the midst of the heavens, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to all nations, which will precede the fall of Babylon, ( Revelation 14:6 Revelation 14:8 ) : that publisheth peace; peace by the blood of Jesus Christ, a principal article of the Gospel, and of its good news; hence it is called the Gospel of peace, and the word of reconciliation; peace of conscience, which flows from the same blood applied, and of which the Gospel is the means; and peace among the saints one with another, and among men, which shall at this time be enjoyed; there, will be no discord nor animosities among themselves, nor persecution from their enemies: happy times! 1-3), (2) as well as in his death (vv. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings Not of the messenger that brought the news of Cyrus's proclamation of liberty to the Jews; rather of John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord; best of Christ himself, the messenger of the covenant, who was anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek, and by whom grace, peace, life, and salvation came; and also of the apostles of Christ, for to Gospel times are these words applied, and to more persons than one, ( Romans 10:15 ) , who were not only seen "upon the mountains" of the land of Israel, as the Targum paraphrases it, where both Christ and his apostles preached, but upon the mountains of the Gentile world; and may denote the pains they took, the circuit they made, and the difficulties they had to encounter with; and the publicness of their ministrations, which lay in bringing "good tidings" of the incarnate Saviour, of God manifest in the flesh, for the word F11 here used has the signification of flesh in it; of good things in the heart of God for his people, in the covenant of grace, in the hands of Christ, and as come by him, and to be had from him; as pardon by his blood; justification by his righteousness; eternal life and happiness through him; and of all good things to be enjoyed now and hereafter. 3 ). This is to be expected among the nations but should never be so among Gods people. Duration: 88 days. halcyon days! 3 For thus says the LORD: "You were sold A Slavic and Russian name meaning "gift from God". Who is the one who struck You? (Luke 22:63-64). O captive daughter of Zion! Brueggemann, Walter, Westminster Bible Companion: Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), Hanson, Paul D., Interpretation Commentary: Isaiah 40-66, (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1995), Holladay, William, Unbound by Time: Isaiah Still Speaks (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cowley Publications, 2002), Hoppe, Leslie J., in Van Harn, Roger (ed. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The returned exiles experienced great opposition from local people and the project ground to a halt (Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4-5). 2. (photo credit: Courtesy) Advertisement. (c) 2021 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. 3. 11Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing! Gods mercy answered to their tragic sin. asked the LORD to put on strength (Isaiah 51:9). What is your job. That I am He who speaks: (m) Vajikra Rabba, sect. The watchmen who see this happy return are probably those in Jerusalem who had long awaited the messengers. Jesus used similar language on Palm Sunday when the Pharisees insisted that he order his disciples to stop praising him. In neither situation was there any reason other than Yahweh to hope that they might find freedom. However, we should not be troubled by the thought of seeing an ugly Jesus in heaven. Gods return to Zion does not mean that God has been absent from the ruined city, but that God will closely accompany the people in their return to Jerusalem, surrounding them all the way (see verse 12). We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The lesson to be learned here is that we should be slow to interpret difficulty as a sign of Gods displeasure. Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; b. The messenger has brought good news from Babylon to Jerusalem (Brueggemann, 138). Put on your strength, O Zion, Put on your beautiful garmentsfor the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you, You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money, Those who rule over them make them wailand My name is blasphemed continually every day, Therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks, they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!, In the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God, For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high, what had not been told them they shall see, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . But God promises there will come a day when they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks. Darby: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that announceth glad tidings, that publisheth peace; that announceth glad tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! When we make up our minds about who Jesus is, its easy to become blind and deaf to the plain, simple message of the word of God. i. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 41:27; Nahum 1:15 ). Now their freedom is dependent on their willingness to do what Yahweh has commanded. However, as noted in verse 3, Yahweh has not had to pay a price to achieve the redemption of his people. This shalom is a shalom for all creation and for culture and for expressions of human life; the city, for example, with all of its structures is called into this shalom. The good news that is announced, the peace and salvation given to all reaches beyond all the limits we may wish to place on it. The Christmas season always seems like a time to sing the good old songs. c. Therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks: In Isaiahs day, they didnt know that the LORD had spoken through His Word. Put on your strength, O Zion; It is worth considering what all these imperatives to the exiles are doing in a context that stresses the decisive action of God in Israels salvation. The good news is that Yahweh (working through the agency of Cyrus of Persia) has defeated Babylon. OVERVIEW These verses are an allegory (a work in which the characters represent other things and symbolically express a deeper . In fact, as we enter the twelve days of Christmas we are immediately reminded of death on the day after Christmas and the martyrdom of Stephen and then, a few days, the remembrance of the Holy Innocents, the murder of children. The words that best describe this new situation of the people of God are peace and comfort.. Good News! The watchmen cannot refrain from singing with joy. Isaiah 52:6-7 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. 13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very . The feet is here used figuratively: beautiful refers not to the feet but to the entire messenger/message. that bringeth good tidings of good; or, "that bringeth good tidings" (l); for the original does not require such a tautology; it means the same good tidings as before, and which follow after: that publisheth salvation; by Jesus Christ, as wrought out by him for sinners, which is full, complete, and suitable for them, and to be had of him freely; and what better tidings than this? The Hebrew verb sub appears frequently in the Old Testament and has a variety of meaningsto turn or return or change or restore. Proud member He shall be exalted and extolled means that the Messiah will triumph. Yahweh will take such decisive action that his people will no longer doubt his name but will know (yada) his name. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. This does not mean that the rebuilding is complete, either of walls or people, but it means that the Lord has determined to effect this redemption and so the people can be certain that it will happen. 304.) They petitioned Darius to examine the archives to confirm that Cyrus had, in fact, commissioned the return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 5). Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same . Today, we as well are keenly aware of the battles around us, the many places of death that the celebration of Christmas Day does not do away with. The message is beautiful because it is for all creation. Isaiah 52:7 'How beautiful on the mountains, Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who publishes peace, Who brings good news of good, Who publishes salvation. Elva B. Lovell Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. He has laid the responsibility for the captivity squarely at the feet of the captives. 11. Who proclaims peace, Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Finally, the watchmen watching for the messenger cannot contain themselves! How beautiful upon the mountains A Youth Group message that shares two messages in one. VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Unlike their departure from Egypt, where they had to flee in haste and were threatened by pursuing soldiers, their departure from Babylonia will be unhurried and safe from threat. Isaiah 52:1-2 'Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion. It is almost as if God said, I can abide with My name being blasphemed continually every day among the nations. They are exceeding precious and acceptable. Now, the third Awake, awake! 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news (Hebrew: mebasser) of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!. 1:29 ). It is a cosmic peace. Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." As we have already seen the mountains represent the nations ( Isaiah 2:2 ). The author is Second Isaiah, who wrote chapters 40-55 to bring words of hope to the people of Judah, who have suffered defeat and have seen their beloved Jerusalem destroyed and many of their fellow-citizens killed by the sword. 7-9), because (3) the nation misjudged the meaning of his death by assuming that he died for his own sins rather than for the nation's (vv. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, Prophesy! , 2011 by Biblica lift up their voices and sing together his disciples to stop praising Him ( a in. 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