Chapters 51 and 52 (down to verse 12, comprise a series of seven exhortations dealing with the believing remnant of Israel in the future day, founded, though the Messiah is not mentioned, upon Him whose humiliation is strikingly set forth in chapter 50; and whose rejection, substitutional death and future glory are in chapter 53.
Verses 1 to 3 introduce the series of appeals to the Jewish believers, once so highly favored by God, but now set aside, who are yet to be found among the nation. The opening address is to those that follow after righteousness, that seek Jehovah.
With joy the Christian looks forward to that day when the veil will be removed from Israel (2 Corinthians 3:1616Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. (2 Corinthians 3:16)), when righteousness will be followed, and Jehovah really sought by Jacob’s sons and daughters.
God will own this change in the heart, but before He can bless, the objects of His mercy must “look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged.” God’s children, in all ages, have had to realize that the sovereign mercy and goodness of God alone account for their blessing.
We are reminded of the symbolic stones taken out of the bed of the river Jordan, and carried over to the lodging place of the children of Israel when they entered the land of God’s promise (Joshua 4:1-81And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, 2Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? 7Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. 8And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. (Joshua 4:1‑8)); of the great stones, costly stones, hewn stones, which were taken out of the mountains and brought to Jerusalem for Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 5:17; 6:717And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. (1 Kings 5:17)
7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. (1 Kings 6:7)); and the living stones now being built up a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-54To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4‑5)).
Verse 2. Shall the God fearing ones be occupied with the smallness of their number? They need to recall the day in which Abraham and Sarah lived, alone, in an idol worshiping age; and to consider how God had called Abraham and blessed him, multiplied him. Then they will have His Word, the promise of Him who cannot lie (Titus 1:22In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Titus 1:2)), that He will richly bless the chosen land and His people Israel (verse 3).
In verses 4-6 those who were addressed in verse 1 are owned as “My people,” and “My nation,”—words of immense importance to the seekers after God among Israel in view of the solemn pronouncement through Hosea (“Lo-Ammi,” “Not My people”, chapter 1:9), which is still in effect. “The peoples” (i.e., the Gentiles) should be the reading in verses 4-5; the whole earth will be judged and afterward blessed. None will endure in the coming day of retribution except those who trust in Jehovah’s salvation. The language of verse 6, while figurative, is symbolic of the fearful times to come before the earth will enjoy abiding peace.
Verses 7-8 point, in the language used, to an increase of intelligence granted to the humble, contrite believers in the day when God begins again to work in Israel renewing their long dead hopes of blessing in the land of their forefathers We may be sure that as believers in our day grow in the knowledge of God through occupying them minds with His Word so it will he it that coming period with the renewed Israelites.
Accordingly they are addressed in verse 7 as "Ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law." They are not to fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their revilings, because the enemies are to be consumed, and God's righteousness shall he forever, and His salvation from generation to generation.
The fourth of these brief addresses is the response of the waiting believers on earth; led by the Holy Spirit they cry, "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah!"
"It" in verses 9 and 10 is an error in translation, "Art Thou not He that hath cut Rahab....Art Thou not He which hath dried the sea...."
In days of old Jehovah had hewn Rahab (a name used for Egypt several times in Scripture; it means "insolence") in pieces, wounded the dragon (or monster—the power of Satan exercised through Pharaoh). He had dried the Red sea to make a way for the ransomed host of Israel to pass through. Will a greater miracle be seen in the deliverance of the Israel to come?
Beautiful is the answer of Jehovah to the cry of His people for deliverance (verses 9-10): “Therefore (or, So) the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing; they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and sighing shall flee away. I, even I, am He that comforteth you” (verses 11-12). When God promises, shall He not fulfil His word?
But now the question is asked, “Who art thou, that thou fearest a man that shall die, and the son of man that shall become as grass, and forgettest Jehovah thy Maker who hath stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth ... ?”
Psalms 55 and 56 express the fear that the godly in Israel will experience, in dread of their bitter enemies, the apostate Jews and the Gentiles in league with them.
The oppressor will prepare, but when he thinks to destroy, destruction will be his own portion, as 2 Thessalonians 2: 8-9 shows.
“He that is bowed down (a prisoner) shall speedily be loosed, and he shall not die in the pit, nor shall his bread fail. And I am Jehovah thy God, who raiseth the sea, so that its waves roar. Jehovah of hosts in His name” (verses 14-15 N.T.).
He will exhibit His power against His enemies, the enemies of His people, but (verse 16) His own will be blessed in the knowledge and communication of His word; they will be protected from the storm of judgment (covered with the shadow of Jehovah’s hand), and in the cleansed and renewed earth. Zion will be the scene of the display of divine favor of the highest order for this world.
Verse 17 begins the fifth of the seven addresses comprised in chapters 51 and 52. It deals with the affliction of Jerusalem, because of her sins, and closes with God’s taking away the cup of His fury from her, and putting it into the hand of those who afflict her. There must be a visitation in judgment upon Jerusalem (upon the nation, but especially upon the city of high privilege and great guiltiness), but God’s unchangeable purposes of blessing shall be carried out when there is a realization of their guilt, and true repentance has resulted.