Isaiah 52
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CHAPTER 52
The Redemption of Jerusalem (52:1–12)
1–2 In the last chapter, God has told Jerusalem and its people that the cup of His wrath is about to be taken from them and given to their enemies, the Babylonians (Isaiah51:22–23). This is in deed good news.194 So Isaiah calls on Jerusalem to awake, and to clothe herself with God’s strength and God’s splendor (verse 1). Once again it will be God’s holy city, and the uncircumcised and defiled will never enter it again.195
In verse 2, Isaiah calls on the Daughter of Zion—Jerusalem and its people—to rise up. God has freed them; therefore, let them act like free people.
This is a message for Christians today: we have been freed through Christ, yet too many of us live as if we were still in bondage to weakness, fear and sin. We need to “rise up” and claim our freedom and to live as free men and women (John 8:31–32,36; Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:1).
3 The people of Jerusalem (and Judah) had been sold into slavery, but Babylon did not pay anything for them; they were “sold” as a punishment for their sins. Similarly, they were redeemed196 without money. God didn’t have to pay Babylon to get His people back; they never stopped belonging to Him (see Isaiah 45:13).
4–6 Here God says that the punishment He has given His people (exile in Babylon) has provided a reason for the ungodly nations to mock Him; “. . . my name is constantly blasphemed,” says God (verse 5). The nations were saying: “God can’t save His own people.” Therefore, God will take action, and in that day God’s people will know His name (verse 6): it is Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14); they will also know that His arm is strong to save them—and all the nations of the world will know it too (verse 10).
7–10 In these well-known verses, Isaiah imagines messengers running across the mountains toward Jerusalem to bring the good news that the exiles are returning from Babylon (verse 7); the messengers proclaim peace, salvation, and the reign of God (see Isaiah 40:9–11). The return of God’s people to Jerusalem will silence the mockers (verse 5) and demonstrate that God is the sovereign Lord over all nations.
We should note here that “peace,” “salvation,” and the reign of God are the very blessings that Christ came to earth to give us (see Luke 1:32–33; Mark 1:15; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:1). This prophecy of the redemption of Jerusalem and its people is a foreshadowing of the much greater redemption that was still to come—the redemption of believers from the bonds of sin, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lord’s “servant.” It is fitting, therefore, that this prophecy of Jerusalem’s redemption is followed immediately by Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering and glory of this servant197 (verses 13–15).
As the messengers approach Jerusalem, the watchmen on the city walls are the first to hear the good tidings; Isaiah tells them to lift up their voices (verse 8). Let the whole city shout for joy, for the LORD . . . has redeemed Jerusalem (verse 9).
11–12 Here Isaiah makes a final call to the exiles to depart from Babylon and its ungodliness. Let them not defile themselves by touching any unclean thing, or engaging in any unclean act.198 Especially the priests and Levites among them—those assigned to carry back to Jerusalem the vessels (articles) of the temple—must remain pure (Ezra 1:7–11).
In verse 12, Isaiah tells the exiles that they will not need to leave in haste: the Lord will be with them. He will go before them199 and behind them, just as He did when the Israelites left Egypt (Exodus 13:21–22; 14:19–20). Ezra, who led the first group of exiles on their journey back to Jerusalem, took this promise to heart; he refused the military escort that was offered to him, saying: “The gracious hand of our God is on us” (Ezra 8:22–23). Ezra and his fellow exiles were not disappointed.
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant (52:13–15)
13–15 Beginning with these verses and continuing throughout the next chapter, Isaiah presents his fourth and final prophecy concerning the “servant of the Lord” (see Isaiah 42:1–9; 49:1–7; 50:4–9). This final prophecy is regarded by many to be the most important passage in the book of Isaiah, and one of the most important in the entire Old Testament.
Isaiah says that the Lord’s servant (Jesus) will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted (verse 13), something Isaiah has said before (Isaiah 49:7), and which is repeated often in the New Testament (Acts 2:32–33; Ephesians 1:20–23; Philippians 2:9–11).
But then, in verse 14, Isaiah says that before the servant’s exaltation takes place, many people would be appalled at him; he would be disfigured by pain and sorrow. Isaiah had said earlier that the servant would be despised and abhorred by the nation—by his own people (Isaiah 49:7). All of this would come true in Jesus’ life.
But just as people would be appalled at the servant’s suffering, so would they be amazed at his rising. Even kings will be speechless, says Isaiah. For the exalted servant will sprinkle many nations (verse 15). This “sprinkling” refers to both the sprinkling of cleansing (Numbers 8:5–7) and the sprinkling of CONSECRATION (Exodus 29:21). Those who believe in Jesus are both cleansed from sin and consecrated (set apart) for service.
The kings and the people of the nations will be amazed because they will see what no one had ever told them (verse 15). Paul quoted these words in Romans 15:21 to explain why he felt called to preach to the Gentiles: they had never had the chance to hear God’s prophetic word concerning Christ. Paul knew that if they could only hear about Christ’s suffering and exaltation they would see and understand—and believe in the One who died and rose again.