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The Certainty of Deliverance
v. 1. Hearken unto Me, ye that follow after righteousness, earnestly seeking to obtain it, ye that seek the Lord, in true repentance over their sins, as yet not daring to show a happy faith; look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, namely, Abraham, before the promise of the Lord regarding the birth of Isaac was fulfilled, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged, this cistern of the rock being Sarah, as the context shows. The nation of Israel was called into being by a miracle of God, who gave to Abraham and Sarah the son of promise.
v. 2. Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, that bare you, the ancestors of the Jewish people and, in a wider sense, of the spiritual Israel; for I called him alone, when he was but one, and blessed him and increased him, the conclusion which follows being that the same God is able to deliver and restore His people at all times.
v. 3. For the Lord shall comfort Zion, building up His city anew; He will comfort all her waste places, letting her arise from her ruins; and He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord, new life and new glory following His blessing; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody, all this instead of the former misery. Cf Rev_7:14; Revelation 21.
v. 4. Hearken unto Me, My people, the invitation going forth once more and with increased emphasis, and give ear unto Me, O My nation, in the attitude of most careful attention; for a law shall proceed from Me, His Word issuing for the instruction of men, and I will make My judgment, that which is right and good according to his will, to rest for a light of the people, so that it would be a power for the conversion and salvation of all men. Cf Luk_2:32; Act_26:18. The promised renewal is that of the New Testament, which merges into that of heaven. That the interval of time does not exist in the omniscience of God is evident also from the following expressions:
v. 5. My righteousness is near, which includes all the mercies promised in the covenant made with His people; My salvation is gone forth, is already an established fact, and Mine arms shall judge the people, His merciful power directing their thoughts to the salvation of the Messiah. The isles shall wait upon Me, to receive the deliverance of the Lord out of the misery of their sins, and on Mine arm, which obtains mercy for them, shall they trust, the heathen thus coming to the knowledge of their Savior. This certainty is now further emphasized.
v. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, with its impression of endless stability, and look upon the earth beneath, with its uninterrupted succession of generations, both appearing to the human mind as established securely; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, both of them bound for destruction on account of their inherent vanity, in spite of their apparent permanence, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner, like a snap of the finger; but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness, His mercy promised in His covenant, shall not be abolished, it will endure throughout eternity. Moreover, the enemies will find themselves unable to hinder the establishment of the Lord's salvation.
v. 7. Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, choosing the mercy of the Lord's covenant, the people in whose heart is My Law, who delight in the instruction given in His Word; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings, which were then, as now, poured out upon the believers for their trust in the salvation promised by the Lord;
v. 8. for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool, bring about their destruction, put them out of the way; but My righteousness shall be forever and My salvation from generation to generation, His redemption means an eternal deliverance to all who trust in Him. Instead of continuing the comforting message from the mouth of the Lord, the prophet now, in an eminently dramatic manner introduces the listening believers as speaking, their prayer serving to substantiate the statements which have just been made.
v. 9. Awake, awake, put on strength, exhibiting His almighty power, O arm of the Lord, as in carrying out a difficult piece of work; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old, as when He delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt. Art Thou not it that hath cut Rahab, the crocodile, as the symbol of Egypt, and wounded the dragon, the sea-serpent? another symbol of Egypt.
v. 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? The reference is to the deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh's might was overthrown. The thought which is implied is this: Even as the Lord overthrew the armies of the enemies in the past, so He can vanquish and annihilate the enemy's hosts at all times.
v. 11. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion, their deliverance from the captivity of Babylon being a picture of the salvation of mankind from the bondage of Satan; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head, like the wreath of a bride; they shall obtain gladness and joy, the very summary of bliss, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away, be removed forever. Such is the happy condition of the redeemed of the Lord of all times, a fact which they cannot realize too thoroughly or trust in too implicitly.