Recap

So far in Isaiah, we’ve read through the first half of Isaiah focused on the judgement and future hope of Jerusalem, the nations, and then judgement on Israel's leaders, for here they put their trust.

Through these different preaches and visions, we gathered a series of images. God was about to pour judgement on the Israelites for their wickedness and corruption. This punishment was described like God laying an axe to a tree and just a stump remaining. Out of the remnant of his people, this tree stump, God would raise up a branch from the line of David, who would be king who reigned over the earth and brought peace.

Focusing on the foreign nations, we got mention of a 'day of the Lord'. On this day, God will bring judgement, waging war on evil and wickedness. He will destroy powers that set themselves up against him, whether they be human kings or spiritual beings. The foreign nations are judged for their pride, oppression, and wickedness.

Focusing on Israel's leaders, Isaiah pointed out that the judicial leaders, the priests, and even some of those who claimed to be prophets were proud drunkards who put their trust in their own power and authority rather than God.

But through these preaches, Isaiah highlights some key ideas. The Israelites are not to turn to these foreign nations for support and protection. God is in control and will use all this for his purposes. Eventually, even these foreign nations will be brought into God's future kingdom. In that time, all people will celebrate, feast, and worship God, led by a king who will bring peace and flourishing.

Then we started the second half of Isaiah, written to the people after the exile, giving them a new hope. It was God that led the other nations to do what they did, not those nations' own strength of own gods. God was always in control and will lead his people to flourish again. As God leads the foreign nations against each other, ultimately he will still see all nations brought under his authority, worshipping him.

We got the introduction of someone God calls ‘my servant’, saying, "I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1). This servant will be despised by Israel and suffer to the point of death. But this servant is to be a covenant to God's people, an offering for their sin to bring them salvation.

This servant is contrasted with Israel, who is described as a blind servant because the continue to reject God. We got imagery of God divorcing Israel, but will one day restore them to himself. God will send one ahead of him to his people, declaring 'Good News' of their salvation. In return, they are expected to keep justice, do righteousness, keep the Sabbath as holy, and keep away from doing evil. Those that hold to these will receive salvation. Those that don't, won't.

Isaiah 61-64

We now open on the pinnacle of this section of the book, Isaiah 61. In this chapter, we have an unknown speaker who has been anointed by God. His task is to proclaim good news, and with that, he is to offer healing, freedom, and comfort to all in need. He will replace mourning for gladness and all of God's people will be like sturdy oaks of righteousness. They will be strong and well watered.

They will be a nation of priests, leading others into relationship with God, and their shame will be replaced with honour. God will make an everlasting covenant with his people. In this we get the writer drawing in the ideas from Genesis 12 that God promised Abraham that through his descendants all people’s will be blessed, and then in Exodus 19 where God called the Israelites to be a nation of priests. God is still holding on to his commitments to his people. They will be blessed. The natural response to this is rejoicing and praise.

Again we get a vision of God's holy city, Zion. God will transform the city so much it will need this new name. With this new name comes a new identity. No longer will they be known as 'forsaken', but as 'my delight is in her' and 'married' (Isaiah 62:4). God will no longer abandon them, but will be as faithful and committed to them as any husband.

God will put watchmen on the walls of his city who will watch out to make sure God is doing what he said he will, and God swears by his own right hand that this will surely happen. God will also prepare the streets and the gates of the city to let the foreign nations in, for this will be a city where all nations can come and find a home and receive salvation from God.

Next is a section on God's wrath, with God staining his clothes with the blood of his enemies as he pours out vengeance on them. But unlike before, where the wrath came because of a lack of repentance, here God's wrath leads to repentance.

We get another psalm of repentance. Here the psalmist recognises the goodness of God, who made a commitment to his people, to care and protect them. But they rebelled against him, even though he was the one who rescued them and cared for them when he brought them out of Egypt.

So the psalmist once more cries out to God to have mercy on his people, reminding God that he is a father to his people. He invites God to once more come down and be with his people. The writer recognises their own failings and the failings of the people. They have all sinned and become unclean. They have polluted their clothing and the land around them. And no one calls on God anymore.

And so, turning back to God, he asks God to let that no longer be the case. To come back despite their sin, to be their father again, to remember not their iniquity, and to restore the city of Jerusalem.

Psalm 120

This psalm isn’t attributed to anyone in particular, but is named as a psalm of ascent. These psalms were sung by worshippers as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Festival of Weeks, and Festival of Tabernacles) or possibly by the Levites as they ascended the steps of the Temple. Psalm 120-134 are all psalms of ascent. Interestingly, this first psalm of ascent is also a lament.

Psalm 120:1-2 - I cry to the Lord in distress

Psalm 120:3-4 - What do the deceitful deserve

Psalm 120:5-7 - I am far from God and seek his peace

The psalmist opens with a cry to the Lord. They ask the Lord to deliver them because they are surrounded by deceitful people. The psalmist then thinks upon those who are deceitful and what they deserve. They deserve to feel the sharp end of an arrow, or the hot end of some burning coals.

Meanwhile, the psalmist is far away from Israel. They are living in Meshech (Asia Minor, in modern day Turkey). It’s unlikely that they are actually living in Meshech. As the first of the ascent psalms, the speaker starts off figuratively far away from Jerusalem and progressively gets closer. They are far away from God’s presence and slowly draw near. As someone who is far away from God, they are not experiencing peace but conflict.

This psalm sets the scene for the journey the people will go on in their pilgrimage. They start, far away, but with their eyes set on God, who is the source of their salvation and peace.