Division

1. V1-6: Awake! Awake! Jerusalem is being called to wake up from sleep.
2. v7-10: Tell the good tidings
3. v11-12: Depart from Babylon
4. v13-15: The starts of the last of the fourth Servant Songs.

Exposition

• v1-2: [Awake! Awake!] This is the third Awake! Awake!. The first one is a call to God (Isiah 51:9), who seems to be asleep to the Jews, the second is a call to the Jerusalem (Isaiah 51:17), who were drunk from the cup of wrath of God. Here, is a call to the Jerusalem again, who is represented as a sleeping woman. This woman was chained on her neck, but now it is time for her to wake up, and get dress in her priestly garment and to sit on a throne.
• v1: [will not enter you again]. What about the Romans, and the Muslim conquers?
• v3-5: The Jews were conquered by Egyptians, and Assyrians in the past, and now by Babylonians. These gentiles blasphemed God’s name because they think they and their gods are superior than Yahweh.
• v5: [And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.] Paul quoted this verse in Rom 2:24. Paul wrote that because the Jews were hypocrites, the name of God is constantly blasphemed among the gentiles. How true it is for Christians, if we are hypocrites, the name of Jesus will be blasphemed among the unbelievers.
• v6: But God would redeem the Jews, and they would know God didn’t forsake them.
• v7: [How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news]. Paul quoted this verse in Rom 10:15. He was referring to the believers who bring the gospel to the gentiles.
• v8: The job of a watchman is to see far away of what is coming, and tell the truth to the people. The prophets were the watchmen of Israel on OT. On NT, we need watchmen who perform the same function to the church.
• v9-10: With His holy arm, God has redeemed Jerusalem!
• v11: Isaiah is calling the Jews to depart from Babylon. They are told not to touch any unclean thing when they leave. They are not to bring any idols back to Jerusalem. Isaiah prophesy the Jews would bring the vessels of the temple back to Jerusalem. The prophecy is fulfilled in Ezra 1:7 [Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods[
• v11: [touch no unclean thing] Paul quoted this verse in 2 Co 6:17. The context is believers should not yoked together with unbelievers. Because we are in the light, and they are in darkness In Christ we are righteous, but they are wicked.  We are temple of God, and they are temple of idols.
• v12: Unlike in Exodus, the Jews are told not to leave in haste. No enemy would chase them this time around, and the God of Israel will be their rear guard is the enemy decided to change their mind. In exodus, God did the same thing, He sent an angle to go behind the Israelites together with the pillar of cloud to protect them from the Egyptians. When God commands us to go some place, we do not need to worry about the enemy attacking us from the back, because the Lord will surely protect us from behind.
• v13: This is the beginning of the forth Servant song. This should in the start of the next chapter. Ch 52:13-53:12 is the fourth Servant Song. It is the center of the chapter 49-57. This is the climax about the prophesies of the Suffering Servant, the Messiah, the Redeemer. All together it has 15 verses, it can be divided into 5 stanza, with 3 verses in each.
• v13: God’s Suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ will act wisely, He will in total obedience to God the Father. He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. The Lord Jesus will resurrect, ascend into heaven, and be seated on the throne next to the Father.
• v14: This is a image of the Lord Jesus physical appearance after He was tortured by the sinners. He was slapped by an officer before Annas (John 18:22). He was spat, slapped, and beaten on the head with fists before Caiaphas (Matt 26:67; Mark 14:^5; Luke 22:63). He was scourged and beaten before Pilate (John 19:1;Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15). And finally, He was crucified on the cross. The Lord Jesus was disfigure to a point it did not look like a man.
• v14: What a strong contrast between v13 and v14. When we know about Christ suffering, and His exaltation, we can only be in awe!
• v15: As a result of His suffering on the cross, His blood will sprinkle many nations. Sprinkle is the word used by Priest when he sprinkle blood, oil and water to leper, to furniture in the tabernacle, to the veil, to sanctify them. (Lev 4:6;8:11;14:7). The Lord Jesus’s death on the cross has enable Him to clean the sins of people from many nations. Human leaders in the highest places will be speechless and in awe before the one despised Servant!
• V15: [For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.] Paul quoted this in Rom 15:21, the context of the passage is it is Paul’s ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not know, so that I will not build on someone else foundation.

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).

Division

1. v1-3: Separation but not divorce
2. v4-9: 3rd Servant Song
3. v10-11: Trust and Obey the Servant of the Yehweh

Exposition

• v1: [I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.] (Jer 3:8). Jeremiah 3:8 tells us that God has divorce the non-dividic northern kingdom because of your adulterous act, but God didn’t divorce the southern kingdom, because of God’s covenant with David. There is why in v1 says [Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce?]. Your mother is referring to the southern kingdom. God didn’t divorce them, however because of their transgression, they are separated from God, temporary.
• v2: [dry up the sea] God dried up the Red Sea (Ex 14:21). [turn rivers into a desert] God opened the river of Jordan by turning it into dry land. (Josh 4:23). [their fish rot for lack of water] God killed the fish in Egypt by turning water into blood (Ex 7:18-21).
• v2: God called the Jews to return from Babylon to Judah, however no one answer. So God reminded them how God redeemed the Jews out of Egypt.
• v4-9: This is the 3rd Servant song. The Suffering Servant of Yahweh is speaking as first person. v4-5 talks about Christ obedience to Yahweh.
• v6: Referring to the suffering of Jesus on the way to calvary but Jesus didn’t run away, or use His power to prevent these suffering.
• v7-9: No matter how much He was mistreated, mocked, and repudiated, Jesus trust the Father will rescue Him, by raising Him on the 3d day!
• v10: This verse transition back to Isaiah. He is calling people to trust and obey the Suffering Servant of Yahweh.
• v11: But those who chose to trust himself instead of trusting Jesus will lie down in torment, they will spend eternity in separation from God, in eternal fire.

God the Redeemer promised to Redeem Judah from Babylon

Background

God rebuked Judah for not being in truth and righteousness and stubborn. He called them rebel from birth. For His own glory, God would foretell the future to Judah. Even Judah was stubborn towards God, God would still redeem them from Babylon, just like He redeemed them from Egypt, so God Judah would know God is faithful to His promises to Abraham and David, and so that the nations would know God of Israel is the one and only true God. This chapter is the end of the 1st section of Isaiah 40-66. It ends with a prophesy of the Messiah, the chosen one of God will bring destruction to Babylon (Rev 18).

Division

• v1-6: God rebuked the stubborn Judah
• v7-12: God foretell for His glory
• v13-16: Cyrus would conquered Babylon
• v17-22: God promised to redeem Judah from Babylon

Exposition

• v7: [you have not heard of them before today]. From this point on, God is going to prophesy things He had not revealed before, which are end time prophesies.
• v12: [I am He; I am the first and I am the last]. When Jesus said in John 8:58 [Before Abraham, I am], and when in Revelation 2:17, Jesus is identifying Himself as God.
• v14-15: God chosen ally is Cyrus. But Cyrus is just a shadow for the Lord Jesus Christ. Cyrus would conquer the Babylonians, and Jesus would conquer the Babylonians, who is a symbol of the world. The last Babylon will be destroyed before the Millennium Kingdom as foretell in Rev 18.
• v16: The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking here: [the Sovereign Lord has sent me with His Spirit]. The trinity God is mentioned here.
• v18: Compare with v2, where Judah was not in righteousness. If they pay attention to God’s commands, their righteousness would be like waves of the sea!
• v22: [There is no peace for the wicked.] This verse signals the end of the 1st portion of Isaiah 40-66. The wicked is referring to Babylonians. Why were they wicked? Because they didn’t treat God’s people with mercy.

The Fall of Babylon

• This chapter is pretty straight forward. It prophesied the fall of Babylon.
• The falled of Babylon did not happen slowly, it happend on just one night, recorded by Daniel in Dan 5:30-31. Darius the Mede may be another name for Cyrus the King , or a co-regent or captain of the army of Cyrus.
• v6: God gave the Jews into the hands of Babylonians, however the Babylonians did not show mercy to the Jews, so God is punishing Babylonians by raising the Persian kingdom.
• v8: Babylon is portrayed as the queen of the kingdoms (v5, v7), she thought her power would continue forever (v7). This queen became a widow who lost all her children (v9) when Persians conquered them.
• Babylonians are idol worshippers, they worshipped Bel and Nebo (v46:1). They also believed in sorceries, magic spells (v12), and stargazing (v13). Today we still have people who believe in Horoscopes. As Christians, we should not believers in Horoscopes, we should not look to the stars to predict future. Instead we look to the Creator of these stars and marvel at His creation! We should definitely stay away from Sorceries and witchcraft. I would not even want to watch and read Harry Porter. Do not let our children read and watch Harry Porter, because sorcerers are portrayed as good and heros in these books and movies.
• As we read the fall of Babylon in OT, we should always think about the fall of Babylon in OT, prophesied in Revelation Ch. 18. John must know the OT very well, and he allured to Isaiah 47 when he wrote Rev 18. Rev 18:7 says [I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn]. Babylon is a symbol of the worldly kingdoms that capture the heart of Christians. These worldly kingdoms will be destroyed forever before the Millennium Kingdom.

Babylon gods cannot safe themselves

• v1: Bel means master. It is Babylian’s sun god. It is also mentioned in Jeremiah 50:2, 51:44. Nebo is Assyrian and Babylonian’s god of wisdom and writing. He is the son of Bel.
• v2: These gods could not even safe themselves. Them would be exiled into captivity.
• v4: [Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you..]. A great verse to comfort older believers. God assures His people that He will carry them from the womb to the tomb.
• v10: God is not only the Creator of the universe, He is in control of this universe, the history and future are all in the hands of God. God eternal purpose will be fulfilled!
• v11: A man from east is referring to Cyrus.

The anointed King of Cyrus

Division

1. v1-7: God anointed Cyrus to conquer Babylon and other nations so that Cyrus could give a decree to the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
2. v8-21: God is the Creator.
3. v22-25: The righteous God

Exposition

v1: Cyrus was mentioned by name, the second time. He was again mentioned in verse 13. Approximately 150 years later Cyrus really came into power and conquered Babylon as prophesy by Isaiah.

v2: Probably referring to the gates in the city of Babylon where Cyrus entered with relatively ease.

v3: Josephus indicated that Daniel influenced Cyrus with the prophecy of Isaiah, so Cyrus did know that the God of Israel was with him.

v7: God could use light or darkness, prosperity or disaster to accomplish His purposes.

v23: [Before me ever knee will bow; by me ever tongue will swear]. Paul quoted this in Rom 14:11, and again used it to reference to Jesus in Phi 2:10-11. In Rom, Paul quoted this to point out the believers should not be judging each other, because each one of us will be accountable individually before God. In the letter to Philippians, Paul used this verse to proclaim at the end time every one will acknowledge Jesus as Lord.

There is only one true God

• v1: Started by calling God’s servant, Israel to listen to what God has to say.
• v2: “Jeshurun” is an honored name for Israel whose root meaning is “right” or “straight”.
• v3: God will restore Jerusalem by turning the ruined city back to life (v26), so that Israel can be the witness for God
• v6: God is the King and the redeemer. God redeemed Israel is mentioned again in v22, v23, v24.
• v7: God challenged idol worshippers to ask their idols to foretell the future
• v8: Israel is God’s witness to all the idols worshippers that there is only one true God, the God of Jacob (v6).
• v21: Ending the chapter just like how it was started, by calling God’s servant, Israel to remember what God has had. 
• v21: “I have made you”. God made men in His own image so that man can worship God, however men ended up making idols in their own image from death materials like wood and stone for worship.
• v28: Isaiah first mentioned of Cyrus by name. God would raise up Cyrus, the King of Persian, to release the Jews to return form Babylon back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple so that they can be the witness for God.

The Redeemer

Background

God is Israel’s Redeemer is the theme for chapter 43 and 44.

Division

1. v1-7: God the Redeemer
2. v8-13: God’s witness to the word
3. v14-28: Israel exodus out of Babylon into Canaan

Exposition

1. v1-7: God the Redeemer
   1. v1: [Fear not, for I have redeemed you]. God is Israel’s redeemer is the focus of chapter 43 and 44. It is mentioned is 43:14: [your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel]; 44:6 [Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty]; 44:22-24 [Return to me, for I have redeemed you…for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays His glory in Israel…you Redeemer, who formed you in the womb…]
   2. Redeemer is the Hebrew word for “kinsman redeemer”, a near relative who could free family members and their property from bondage by paying their debts for them (Lev 25:23-28, and book of Ruth).
   3. God gave Egypt Ethiopia (Cush), and Seba to Cyrus as a ransom payment to redeem Israel from Babylon, because Israel was so precious to Him (v3-4).
   4. God gave His Son the Lord Jesus Christ as a ransom for the lost sinners.
      1. Jesus said in Matt 20:28 [just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.]
      2. Paul said in 1 Tim 2:5-6 [For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men, the testimony given in its proper time.]
2. v8-13: God’s witness to the world
   1. This is a court room scene, Israel is God’s witness (v10, v12). Now God tells the nations to bring their witness for their idols to prove that the idols are true (v9). Of course there was no response of the idols. No idols could prophesy the future.
   2. God and God alone only is the Savior (v11)
3. v14-28: Israel exodus out of Babylon into Canaan
   1. Just like how God brought the Jews out of Egypt in Exodus (v16-17), God is going to bring the Jews out of Babylon again (v14).
   2. However, God said [Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!] In Christ we are new creature. Forget the old sinful life and march on to the new life that Christ has given us! Paul said to the Philippians: [But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus] (Phil 3:13-14).