Background

The theme of this chapter is Zion will get new names. God is speaking as the first person in this chapter (v6). Zion was an unfaithful wife, forsaken by the Lord, but not divorced (50:1-3). Her trails will all be forgotten when she receives the new name: “Hephzibah”. God calls on watchmen to pray day and night until Jerusalem is established (v6), until her righteousness shines lout like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch (v1).

The names, or description of Zion in this chapter are many:

1. Her righteousness shines out like the dawn (v1)
2. Her salvation like a blazing torch (v1)
3. The nations will see her righteousness (v2)
4. All kings will see her glory (v2)
5. She will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand (v3)
6. She will be a royal diadem in the hand of her God (v3)
7. She will no longer be called deserted, or desolate (v4)
8. She will be called Hephzibah, meaning My delight is in her (v4)
9. She will be called Beulah, meaning married (v4)
10. God will rejoice over her (v5)
11. She will be called the Holy People (v12)
12. She will be called the Redeemed of the Lord (v12)
13. She will be called Sought After (v12)
14. She will be called the City No Longer Deserted (v12)

Exposition

Background

This chapter continue the them from the last chapter. It prophesies the blessing and glory Zion will receive in the millennium kingdom.

Exposition

• v1: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the trinity God is presented in this verse.
• v1: Jesus quoted this in Luke 4:18-19. Jesus just started His ministry in Nazareth, He went into a synagogue on Sabbath day and read this portion of Isaiah. Then He proclaimed “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
• v1: God has prophesies He would put His Spirit on the suffering Servant in Isaiah 42:1. In here, the suffering Servant proclaimed that the Spirit is on Him.
• v2: In Luke 4, Jesus did not finish the whole verse 2. It is because that the day of vengeance will be fulfilled in Jesus second coming, not on His first coming. Sometimes the prophets would see future events and prophesied events happened in different time together. Because even the prophets themselves could not tell how far one apart in time between events.
• v3: The oil of gladness is mention here, and in Psalm 45:7. In ancient Israel, the Jews would pour oil on people in joyful celebrations.
• v6: Ex 19 would be fulfilled in the millennium Kingdom. The Jews will be a nations of priesthood.
• v10: The first person references here is not the Messiah. I was referring to Zion, whom God would cloth with garments of salvation.

Background

Isaiah began his “Book of Consolations” (Ch 40-66) by promising that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed” (40:5). Now he concludes by describing that glory for us.

The theme is about the glory of the nations of Israel during the millennium kingdom. Most commentaries agree that this is a prophesy about Israel the nation, but the church. Israel would know that Jesus Christ is their Savoir (v16).

This is one of the glories chapter in the whole Isaiah.

Division

1. v1-12
2. v13-22

Exposition

Background

Sins are referred 32 times in this chapter. Many words are used to describe sins: iniquities, sins, defiled with blood, lies, wicked things (v3), give birth to evil (v4), eggs of vipers , spider’s web (v5), etc. Idols worship is no longer mentioned in this chapter, but the Jews continued to live a sinful life.

But eventually the Jews confessed their sins (v9-15).

The Redeemer, with His helmet of salvation and His mighty arm will save the Israel. At the same time, His righteous breastplate and His garment of vengeance (v17) to repay wrath to His enemies.

It is interesting to compare v17 and Eph 5. Paul may have use v17 as his reference when writing Ephesian 5

v21 mentioned the Spirit of God is on Israel.

Division

1. v1-8: Isaiah condemns the sins of Israel
2. v9-15: Israel confesses her sins
3. v16-21: The Redeemer’s arm would work salvation for Israel

Exposition

Background

This is the 1st chapter of the last section in Isaiah (ch 58-66).

This section is focused on the glory of God in the future kingdom, and the emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit (59:19,21;61:1;63:10-11,14)

The main theme is this chapter is God exposing Israel religious acts. They fasted, they seems to be eager to know God’s ways, seems to seek God, seems to obey God’s commands outwardly, and they are proud of what they were doing (v3).

But God exposed the condition of their heart, God was not impressed with their outward religion practices(v5). Instead, God challenged them to live out the calling of God to them, to loose the chains of injustice (v6), to set the oppressed free, to share their food with the hungry, to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, to cloth the naked (v7), stopped finger pointing and malicious talks (v9).

If they truly live out God’s command, God’s promised great blessings to them. God promised them their light will break forth like the dawn, and their healing will quickly appear, the glory of the God will be their rear guard (v8). God will answer their calls (v9). Their light will rise in the darkness, and their night will become like the noonday(v10). God promised to satisfy their needs in a sun-scorched land, will strengthen their frame, their will be like well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations, their will be called repairer of broken walls, restorer of streets. God promised them they will find joy in God, He will cause them to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of their father Jacob. (v14).

Although Israel has returned back to Babylon, although they do no longer worship idols. But they like an outward focus, self-righteous religious life. What God wants is for His people to truly worship Him from their heart, and live out a life what reveal the glory of God.

Today, many churches focus on the external rituals, many Christians think they are pretty good because they go to church on Sunday. But that is not what God wants. God desires to have a relationship with us, He desires us to worship Him inwardly, and to live out Christ life outwardly.

Exposition

• v1-3: God called Isaiah to tell Judah about their sins and their rebellion. They fasted, they though they did great and have not forsaken the command of God. They even question God, why did not God notice how good they were?
• v4-5: God exposed their spiritual condition. Although they fasted, but their thoughts and actions reveal that their sins. God said this is not the fast He wanted.
• v6-7: God told them the kind of fasting He desires.
• v8-14: God tell them what is actually desires from God, and how the blessing they would receive if they obey God.
• v6-8: True Fasting and the blessing
• v9-12: Help the oppressed and the blessing
• v13-14: Keep the Sabbath and the blessing

Background

This is the last chapter of the second part of ch40-66. The theme here is a contract between the righteous and wicked; comfort for the righteous; condemnation of the wicked.

Background

God has revealed the Messiah in Chapter 53, told us the blessing of the church in chapter 54, invited all who are thirsty to come to Him in chapter 55, and in this chapter, God continue to expand His salvation to the eunuch and foreigners into His house of prayers.

Exposition

• v1: God’s righteousness will soon be revealed by His salvation. Lord Jesus would be crucified to reveal God’s righteousness.
• v2: Keeps the Sabbath and keeps from any evil. No man has ever kept both perfectly.
• v3-4: Foreigner could not partake in Passover (Ex 12:43), and no eunuch can enter the assembly of God. Now God is inviting them to observer Sabbath. Lord Jesus is the Lord of Sabbath, in Him we can be truly rested.
• v6: Foreigner are invited not only to observe the Sabbath, they are invited to serve the Lord!, to worship the Lord! All believers are priest in NT and have the privilege to serve our Lord.
•  v7: We are once foreigner in God’s Kingdom. With the grace of God, we can offer ourselves as living sacrifice to God and serve Him in His house of prayers!
• v8: The Lord Jesus said in John 10:16 [I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.]
• v9-12: God accused the the watchmen in Israel who did not perform their job. The job of a watchman is to see what is coming, and warm the people of in the city.

Background

Christ works on the cross was been completed (Isaiah 53). This chapter God calls on everyone who are thirsty to come and accept the redemption.

Exposition

• v1: A call to the all who are thirsty, which is everyone. We do not need money to buy this water, in fact, no money call buy this water. [If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you livng water.] (John 4:10). [Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him wil never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him wil becme in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.] (John 4:14).
• v2: [Spend money on bread and labor on what does not satisfy]. It means man who rejects the gospel and attempt to earn salvation by their own effort.
• v3: God takes will initiative to make a new covenant with us, in Christ. The covenant is on the basis of GOd’s faithfulness on His promise to David. In NT, all of us who believe in Jesus are in covenant with God.
• v4: God made Jesus the witness to the peoples. Lord Jesus is the leader and commander of His redeemed people.
• v5: Lord Jesus will call on many people in many nations to know Him.
• v6: Call to seek God.
• v7: Call to repent. The one who truly believe in Jesus are also the who repent of his sins.
• v8-9: Refer to v7. Wicked has their own ways, the evil men have their own thoughts. All men are wicked and evil (because of sinful nature), and thus our ways and thoughts are not the same as God’s ways and thoughts. God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours, just like the heavens are higher than the earth.
• v10-v11: Just like snow and rain that fall from heavens and will surely fulfill their purposes God intended, it is the same with God’s words.
• v12: The Jews is called to leave Babylon in joy and peace. Mountains and hills could be obstacles themselves, but they are rejoicing because of the redemption of men. This is because the salvation of men is the beginning of the salvation of the whole creation. [that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God] (Rom 8:21).

Background

The Jews was captured by Babylon, and God has promised He will release the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. God will redeem the ruined Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:9). God way of redemption is through His Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). Isaiah 54 to 57 talks about the future of these redeemed people and the city of Jerusalem. Although after Isaiah 52, Jerusalem is never mentioned again by Isaiah. Jerusalem is pictured as the bridge of God in this chapter.

The bridge of God is the Church, the bridge of Christ.

Exposition

• v1: Zion was like a barren woman. Barren woman is supposed to be very sad. But here God told Judah to sing and shout for joy. Zion is a shadow of the church in NT.
• v2: Why sing and shout for joy? Because God has redeemed them. God will expand the tent where this woman lives. God asked the woman to enlarge the land where the tent is, to stretch the tent curtains. God will going to expand the church.
• v3: The gospel will be spread to the nations, and so the church will expand to the nations.
• v4: The church built by God is a holy, glorious church. She will not suffer shame and disgrace. Although in church history, there were disgrace, but the truth church of God is never in disgrace.
• v5: The church will not feel disgrace because Christ the her husband. And Christ is the Maker of the church, He is the Lord Almighty, the Holy One of Israel, the Redeemer, God of all the earth.
• v6: Even if the some people within the church in unfaithful to God, God promised He will call them back.
• v7-8: God would abandon the unfaithful temporary to discipline them. Eventual He will bring the church back.
• v9-10: [I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again]. It is a hard verse to explain. God has both  shown His anger towards the Jews and the church throughout history. This verse can only be fulfilled in the millennium Kingdom.
• v11-14: This is an image of the new Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation. We are living stones, being build by Christ as the city of God.