July 26 - Isaiah 52:1-12

July 26 – Isaiah 52:1-12

Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”

For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

“And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the LORD. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

One of the first things I do when I finally start feeling better after a bad case of the flu or a particularly wondrous cold is wash my bedding.  Everything is fresh and ready for a new healthy me!

That image occurred to me as I considered Jerusalem coming out of exile.  Now, while my clean sheets and blankets are necessarily garments of splendor, they do signify that a change from unhealthy to healthy has occurred!  I’m simple, I like to celebrate with clean sheets!

The Lord wanted Jerusalem to celebrate with clothes of strength and garments of splendor!  He promised that the uncircumcised and defiled wouldn’t come back.  They were to shake off the dust, rise up and free themselves from the chains that had bound them.

I’d love to believe that I’d never get a cold or a case of the flu again, but the Lord assured them a day would come when they would be safe from all evil.  They would be given the opportunity to dance and sing with gladness and joy.

Babylon hadn’t paid anything for Israel and so they weren’t going to get any money for her redemption.  They had even gotten to the point of mocking the Israelites and blaspheming the Lord’s name.  God would no longer put up with this nation being in control of his children.  He owed Babylon nothing, Israel’s redemption was in His hands.

Then we read some of the most beautiful words in Isaiah as he allows us to envision the joyous news of salvation dashing across the earth: “Your God reigns!”  In the days when watchmen stood on the walls, the words would ring out as the messenger traveled past and the watchmen would repeat them for the city to hear.

God reigns!  He has redeemed His people and the entire earth will see His salvation.

Leave the past behind, the filth, the unclean things.  Come away from it and be pure.  As you leave it all, God will go before you and will be your rear guard.  The Israelites were assured of His protection.  We can be assured of His protection as well!