Isaiah 52 reminds me of going back home.
As a child there was little confusion about where we lived. As we go
through the stages of life, often we travel, and settle in new
cities. New freedoms can also bring new problems. In those times,
the concept of “home” might seem far from where we are living.
In today’s chapter Isaiah is speaking to the much traveled Jewish
nation about returning to the Holy City of Jerusalem. It is moving
day. “Awake, awake, Zion,
clothe yourself with strength!
Put on your
garments of splendor… rise up“.
They were in a bad situation, but Isaiah says it is time to be
renewed. “Free yourself from
the chains on your neck“.
Israel was bound into slavery while in Egypt and later in Babylon.
Like many of us today they became spiritually restrained too. In our
journey we sometimes willingly surrender part of our identity for
popularity, or promotion or to avoid attention. Small compromise can
lead us to places we never thought we would go. God can pay the tab
to buy us out of our captivity. Isaiah describes the transaction
about to take place. “You
were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
God looks at His once carefree kids and asks, “now
what do I have here? …taken away for nothing, and those who rule
them mock… all day long My name is constantly blasphemed“.
Friend, have you drifted far
from home?
Isaiah
begins writing to his people about their immediate return to their
land, and to a future people about a different kind of redemption.
“How beautiful… 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!” Aren’t those same
words spoken by the angels to the shepherds outside Bethlehem to
announce the birth of Christ? What happened next? They “lift
up their voices; together they shout for joy… they will see it with
their own eyes“. Messiah was
born to pay the debt of every lost traveler. “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“.
The Jewish people were anticipating an earthly king, but Salvation
came on the cross.
Isaiah
closes the chapter with a description of the time and place when my
sin was paid in full, the brutal beating and torture and death of
Jesus. “He will be raised and
lifted up and highly exalted… Just as there were many who were
appalled at Him“. Before the
crucifixion, Jesus was scourged, beaten, spit upon and His beard was
pulled out before He was made to carry His cross. “His
appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His
form marred beyond human likeness“.
Why did the Son of God endure suffering? Hebrews 9:22 reminds us,
“the law requires that nearly
everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood
there is no forgiveness“.
Only the blood of the sinless Savior could pay my debt and earn my
freedom. Isaiah concludes his prophesy, “He
will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because
of Him“. What binds you?
What keeps you from returning to unity with God? Isaiah’s words
became actions on the cross, “For
what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard,
they will understand“.
Here is the Good News for you today: “God
so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through Him” (John 3:16-17).
The work is done, all we need to do is believe. My home is in
heaven, will you join me there?