Isaiah 52 Commentary
The heathen will never enter your gates again. Revelation 21 verse 27 repeats the same statement. It was never an event for Isaiah’s immediate future.
Shake yourself free, Jerusalem! Sit on your throne! Undo the chains that bind you. We know these poetic statements refer to some profound truths lying deep in the history of the nation – the history of mankind back in the Book of Genesis.
Humanity decided to believe a lie and dethroned themselves. We lost dominion. We enslaved ourselves.
Then we have references to enslavement in Egypt. It was a deliberate decision on Israel’s part. Assyria came second and Babylon followed. After the fall of man, humanity sins by itself and with the help or coercion of the devil – who gained the right to rule over us when we believed his lies.
But a time will come for good news. The good news is not about political freedom. It is not even that Israel is finally leaving Babylon. The good news is that “Your God is King”. It has everything to do with the announcement of the kingdom of God.
“My kingdom is not of this world,” said the LORD Jesus Christ when pressed by Pirate.
The last section deals with the nature of the Servant who brings about this kingdom. It is the story of the Servant-cum-King whose kingdom is good news to the slaves.
First things first: the Servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. This is a future event for Isaiah’s time as well as ours.
The tense changes from future to past, probably now written for the New Testament world that must look at both the manger-born Messiah and Calvary. They are all past events for us.
He didn’t look the type. His speeches were totally strange – new things the world heard.
The story of the Servant-cum-King has made interesting news everywhere. To those who know they are slaves, it is good news. They know salvation has come. They can be free to enjoy a restored relationship with the Creator God.
There is more about the Servant-cum-King but that is for tomorrow.
More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com
LOVING SCRIPTURE 