Today we come to the end of our mini-series on Isaiah 1-12. And what a journey of grace it has been. God is faithful, despite his people’s unfaithfulness. God has turned his people’s rebellion and grumbling into obedience, and praise. He has smashed the proud, and broken the mighty, so that they might lean on him in humility and trust.
We have seen the great reversal when we compare Chapter 1 with Chapter 12. Yahweh, whom Israel didn’t “know” (1:3), is now “known” by his people and other nations (12:4,5). Rejected by Israel as the “Holy One of Israel” (1:4), he now confirms his presence among them as the “Holy One of Israel” (12:6). In this way, Zion, the corrupt city full of injustice (cf. 1:7-9,21,26-27), will be once again the city of Yahweh (cf. 12:6). Zion will not suffer the scarcity of water any longer, for it will “draw water from the springs of salvation” (12:3). Isaiah which means the LORD saves introduced in chapter one – preaches the salvation of God in chapter 12.
What changed? The HOLY one of Israel came in refining judgement first to Isaiah in chapter 6. And then in chapters 7-11 he came to Judah and Israel. Holiness, dependance, humility comes through the Lord’s hand of judgement. Ans so Isaiah sings a song over the LORDS anger, and it’s turning away grom them!
You cannot read this chapter apart from what comes before or after – otherwise you will lose its depth, and it will just be another praise and worship song. But if you see what has come right before (the new creation!) and what comes after – (gods judgment to all the nations!) this makes sense! That his salvation starts in Zion – but spreads to all people! All people will hear and sing in the song! The end of our salvation is that Gods gets the glory! The end of the story is a song of worship to God!
Singing our way into the promised land
- Isaiahs Song
- Gods people song
Isaiahs Song
He says in in 12:1: You (singular) will say in that day: Who is saying this? I believe it is Isaiah the prophet – he whose name means the LORD is my salvation. God is telling him – I know you see judgement, darkness, and idolatry around you – but a day is coming, a day of song!
For the faithful remnant this meant: Even if the country was occupied, even if the holy temple was destroyed, even their king was sitting in prison, even all their securities of faith were broken
they would still trust in God! When Israel was well off, the singing of joyful songs and offering at
the temple was not a problem. When there was political security and wealth and prosperity - it was easy to praise God. But - without success? Full of disappointments? Without security and full of doubts? In such times God became distant. They could not recognize and see God’s love
at first sight! What they did see was the destructed city wall of Jerusalem and the destroyed temple. But Gods judgement was a call to repentance!
God’s anger is just, clear and full of love.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.” I will give thanks!? Why because the LORD was angry with him! This is the experience of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-7. He felt the Lords Anger, but also the Lord’s salvation. Better the Lords anger, then silence! Better his discipline, then letting his people go in their own way.
The most basic situation facing the sinner is the wrath of God. And Reconcialtion is not found in our willingness to have God, but in his willingness to have us. How does God become our salvation – when we are forced to be confronted with our need for him? When we see his righteous judgement on sin! On lethargy. On indifference!
And notice he does not say, “For though you were angry with them!” Here is a pastor – here is a prophet who identifies with the people! He stands with the people under the anger of the LORD! This is what all the prophets did from Moses who said, blot me for the sins of the people, to Daniel, who included himself as a sinner among the people when praying to God for forgiveness.
But there was one who should have never been included here – one without sin, and yet who personally also could sing this song. This is most perfectly what Christ did – identify with his people – even taking their sin and punishment upon them.
And Isaiah gives thanks that his anger is turned away, so that the LORD might comfort him. This is the first time this word “comfort” appears. The next time in in in Isaiah 40:1 – where God himself answers the prophecy with the words “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.” This is a reason to sing! It was the sin of the people that brough judgement. We saw it in Judah’s case, and then in Israels case!
Verse 2 begins with 'Behold, God is my salvation. And ends with “And he has become my salvation!” Behold calls attention to the marvel that the angry God is also the God of salvation! In the background lies Isaiah 6:6-7.
Isaiah declares the truth of his name! And therefore he say say, I will trust and will not be afraid." These are marks of the marks of the believers. We see these ideas in the middle of this section in Isaiah 8.
Fear and trust are two opposing forces. Where God is not trusted for salvation fear reigns. It is as simple as that for Isaiah. The fear of the people is the sign that they are trusting something besides the God. We see that throughout – they are afraid of all kinds of things that they should not be afraid of, and they are not afraid of the one that they should fear! and because of that they live anxious, fear filled, and stressful live.
But for Isaiah he is not afraid for “For Yah! Yahweh! Is my strength and song and he has become my salvation! There is no fear! Why? Because Yahweh the God of our salvation – the God of the covenant is my strength and song. He is the song of Isaiahs life! He is the strength of Isaiahs life. Here was a man, in danger, preaching judgement, his life was in danger throughout many parts of his life! And he lifts his eyes on high and sings! Is our life singing the song of God! Is our life really showing that he our strength, that we have trusted him, and threw in our lot with Christ wholly and totally, and are holding nothing back?
If not – you have no idea who he is. Yahweh! He is the god of Abraham Isaac and Jakob. The God of the covenant promises. Who said to Abraham all nations will be blessed through you. Who said to David, you will have a king on the throne forever. Who promises his people that he would be their God and they, his people. Who keeps his covenant to a thousand generations! He is the creator fo the end of the earth, to whom the nations are like a drop in the bucket. The USA just a single drop. He measures out the universe with his hand. Here is a chapter that looks forward to the vision of God 40. Comfort people! For Yahweh the god of the covenant is our God! What a terrible thing to not trust him!
When Isaiah says “the LORD is my strength and my song!” He sings not alone, but sings as part of the covenant people throughout history. Exodus 15 says these exact words,: 'Truly, YHWH is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation." With these words, Moses had praised the LORD after Israel's passage through the Sea of Egypt (Ex. 15:2). The fruit of Israels deliverance was song – and worship – praise to the glory of God. You see salvation is not the end. We like to make it all about ourselves – but salvation is the beginning, leading to a universe that praise God. God saves us so that we might worship him!
In the previous chapter he shows the parallel between the deliverance from Assyria and from Egypt (10:26; 11:15-16). But here what counts is not the deliverance itself but the fruit of the deliverance. The fruit of that history: 'The people feared YHWH and believed in YHWH and in his servant Moses" (Ex. 14:31 ). This new relationship between Israel and the LORD is the permanent result of that event. The Exodus itself, impressive as it is, belongs to the past. What remains, or should remain, are reverence and trust that flows from that and the freedom that was won from oppression, slavery, and death.
Gods people sing
And because of the deliverance the people all enjoy the fruit! , "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (12:3; cf. Ex. 17:1-7; Num. 20:2-13). the salvation that has become the prophet's share (12:2) is also available to them (12:3). the prophet emphasizes that God's care for his people in Egypt was not a unique, isolated event in the past. He promises that the miracle of water provided in the desert will be repeated.
The wandering tradition has been reversed dramatically. The water miracle of Massah was followed by the battle against Amalek (Ex. 17). The water miracle of Meribah was followed by the war against the nations that barred the way to the land (Num. 20-24). The water miracle of the book of Isaiah, on the contrary, will flow into the proclamation of YHWH's glory to the nations. The war is won!
The wells of salvation! You remember when water gushed from the rock, and they drank! The New Testament tells us that Rock was Christ! The name of God in the New Testament is Jesus, which means God saves. Jesus becomes the water of life. Jesus becomes the song. The people of Israel confess that God is their savior - the savior out of the slavery of Egypt - the savior out of the captivity of Babylon, the savior out of the captivity of sin!
There will always be the need of salvation, always the challenge of obtaining it through faith in God – until that last day. This is about the LORD working through redemptive history – freeing us from the satanic powers that enslave and leading us homeward through the wilderness – so that we might be tested to depend wholly on the Lord to trust him, for he alone provides.
This is a song that we are meant to join. That is why he says, “and you will say in that day:” The “you” is again in plural in contrast to verse 1. It is not just Isaiah that will sing, but the people will sing and give thanks.
Give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name. Give thanks to the LORD! How often are you doing this? When have you done this? Just worshipped him for the salvation that he has wrought. Amd now through the salvation that he has brought about heinvites the people to Call upon his name! To pray to god who has been reconciled to them. T
Call upon his name! Pray for him. Give thanks and pray! This is the life of the Christian today, isn’t it? Thanksgiving and prayer. And this life of thanksgiving and prayer naturally lead to
Make known his deeds among the people, Every single time with one exception, making his deeds known is related to God special electing saving work! What has the LORD done for you?
proclaim that his name is exalted. Proclaim that his name alone is exalted. Again and again we saw in the last chapters the pride of man which exalts himself! To depend on his own wisdom. His one resources. But as we read in the beginning of this section ibn chapter 2:11” the haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day!”
Make known… this is the revelation of God! Make known! What is to be made known? – his deeds! The last part of verse 4 and verse 5 is building on each other. You have the verb, “make known” completed by “among the peoples” in v. 4; and “throughout the whole earth” in v. 5. This is about making the salvation of God known throughout he eats! This is a call to mission so that there may be worship! So that there God may be exalted over all! We are not doing mission because it is good to do, we are doing mission because we are commanded! God is worthy of worship!
Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.
Sing praises! This is the command of God! For his has done gloriously! He has redeemed his people – he has brought about all his promises! If you look at where we started. You cannot read this apart from Chapter 11 where it speaks of the new creation! Of the ingathering of nations! Of the absolute disappearance of all that raises itself against God!
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. The holy one of Israel is where we started. They had despised the HOLY one of Israel in 1:4 – but now his is great in their midst!
This is the covenant people now as one worshipping the LORD – described as the inhabitant of Zion! And who stands in our midst! Who is the well of your salvation! Who is your song! Is is not He who is the faithful remnant! HE who was despised and rejected by men, and yet he who through that judgement was exalted to the highest place! Jesus our messiah!
Conclusion
God’s grace redeeming us from all our failures (Isa 6:1–12:6) and Our eternal experience of our gracious God will be both individual (singular “you will say” in v. 1) and communal (plural “you will say” in v. 4).
Individually, we will never again have to endure God’s disciplining wrath (cf. Heb 12:3–11). Our entire experience of God will only be comfort: “. . . that he might comfort me” (v. 1). We will come fully alive to all that God has for us in Christ—strength, song, salvation (v. 2). With wonder and amazement at his grace, we will strain at the leash of language to give voice to our enthusiasm about him. Literally, verse 2 reads, “. . . Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and my song,” using the personal name of God in the Old Testament. He will be dear to us.
Communally, the tone of our shared experience together will be “with joy” (v. 3). Stepping from the burning deserts of this present world into the green pastures and still waters of our Lord’s eternal kingdom (cf. Ps 23:2), we will enjoy his endless fullness. Heaven will not be stagnant but invigorating and refreshing, because Jesus himself will be our everlasting joy (cf. John 7:37–39; Rev 7:17). Our joy will be outward-moving, shared with all others (vv. 4–5). “The Holy One of Israel,” whom we once foolishly belittled, will be great in our midst (v. 6). Amen