Isaiah 51

Division

  1. v1-8: God says: Listen, Listen! My salvation will last forever
  2. v9-16: God’s people says: Awake, Awake! O arm of the Lord
  3. v17-23: Isaiah says: Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem!

Exposition

  • v1: God blessed Abraham, and Abraham started with himself and ended with many descendants.
  • v2: Similarly, God will bless Zion, the ruins city of Jerusalem will be turned to garden.
  • v4-6: Jesus would be the light to the nations, He would bring justice to the nations.
  • v6: Heavens and earth will fade away, His words endure forever.
  • v9: The arm of God is a frequent phase in Isaiah. It means the power of God. The arm of God seems to be motionless, but not lifeless. The arm of God was resting, not dead. The Jews felt the arm of God was asleep, so they cry out “Awake, awake!”.
  • v12-16: God began to speak here. God comforted the Jews that God is the Creator of heavens and earth (v13, 16). They need not to fear men, who are nothing but grass (v12). God says “You are my people” God takes responsibility to protect His people.
  • v17: In v9, it was God’s people crying out to God “Awake, Awake!”.  Interestingly, now it is Isaiah who called on God’s people “Awake, Awake!” Judah was portrayed as a woman who have drunk from the cup of wrath from the hand of God. (v20).

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