1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
13 And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.
15 But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.
16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.
18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.
19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?
20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.
21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:
22 Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.
Isaiah Chapter 51 is a pivotal chapter in the book of Isaiah, acting as a bridge that links the promise of redemption and the fulfillment of that promise. This chapter is part of the larger section of Isaiah that is often referred to as the 'Book of Consolation' (Isaiah 40-55), which is characterized by a message of hope and comfort to the people of Israel in exile. The main themes of this chapter are the call to righteousness, the assurance of God's salvation, and the promise of ultimate deliverance.
The chapter begins with an invitation to those who pursue righteousness and seek the Lord, to look back to their origins, to Abraham and Sarah, from whom they have descended. The imagery used here is of a barren, desolate rock being transformed into a fertile field. This serves as an illustration of God's power to transform situations, and as a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises. The people of Israel are called to remember their humble beginnings and to recognize that it was God who brought them forth and made them a great nation.
In Isaiah 51:1-8, the prophet Isaiah calls upon the people of Israel to listen to him, to pay attention to the law of God, and to pursue righteousness. The message here is clear: those who follow the path of righteousness, those who adhere to the law of God, will experience His salvation. "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged." (Isaiah 51:1, KJV). This call to righteousness is not just a call to moral or ethical behaviour, but a call to a right relationship with God, rooted in faith and obedience.
The second theme in this chapter is the assurance of God's salvation. Despite their present circumstances, the people of Israel are assured of God's unfailing love and His commitment to their redemption. This is beautifully illustrated in verses 9-16, where the prophet Isaiah calls upon the arm of the Lord to awake, as in the days of old, to bring salvation to His people. "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?" (Isaiah 51:9, KJV). The arm of the Lord is a metaphor for God's power and might, and the call for it to awake is a plea for God to intervene on behalf of His people.
The final theme in this chapter is the promise of ultimate deliverance. In the latter part of the chapter (verses 17-23), the people of Israel are portrayed as a people who have drunk deeply from the cup of God's wrath, a metaphor for the suffering and hardship they have endured. However, the prophet Isaiah assures them that they will not drink from this cup forever. God will take the cup from their hands and give it to their tormentors. "Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee;" (Isaiah 51:22-23, KJV). This is a promise of ultimate deliverance, a promise that God will vindicate His people and bring justice to their oppressors.
In conclusion, Isaiah Chapter 51 is a profound chapter that speaks of God's faithfulness, His power to transform situations, and His promise to bring deliverance to His people. It serves as a reminder to the people of Israel, and to us today, that God is in control, that He is committed to our redemption, and that He will ultimately bring justice and deliverance. Despite the trials and challenges we may face, we can find comfort and hope in the assurance of God's unfailing love and His promise of salvation.
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