For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Isaiah 52:1-3

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

3 For this is what the Lord says:

‘You were sold for nothing,
    and without money you will be redeemed.’

A. Find Out:

1. What 2 things is Zion told to do? v.1a,b
2. Who will not enter her again? v.1d
3. What further 3 things is she told to do? v.2
4. How was she sold? v.3a
5. How will she be redeemed? v.3b

B. Think:

1. What is Jerusalem to do? i.e. her part.
2. What will be the Lord’s part?
3. What picture of future Jerusalem is given?

C. Comment:

In these verses we have the third call to wake up (see also 51:9,17). It is a call to consciousness to see what is happening around them. As with the first call, this one is to ‘put on strength’, or to stand up and flex your muscles and ease your joints in preparation for action.   The action is then described.

First it is to put on garments of splendour, i.e. to start looking like a royal city again – get cleaned up, rebuild official buildings, hold royal festivities, look royal and holy!  Why? Because the Lord has decreed that the enemy shall not come in again, it is to be a city of believers only. 

So, says the Lord, shake the dust of the past disasters off you, it’s a new day.  Rise up, start thinking of yourself again as a royal city. Start seeing yourself again as a ruler, the capital city of my people.  Shake off the ‘chains’ of defeat and captivity, you are free now, so start believing it.  In all of this there is divine declaration of what HAS happened and it simply now required Jerusalem to belief it and act accordingly.

Don’t think you have to earn your freedom, continues the Lord. You didn’t ‘earn’ captivity, it simply came because of your sin. Now I have decreed freedom because it is part of my plans and purposes, so you cannot add to it.  I’ve simply decreed it.

D. Application:

1. Similarly with the Cross, we did not earn or deserve it and we cannot add to it. We can only receive it and live accordingly.
2. God’s mercy and grace leave us no room for pride, just rejoicing.

Passage: Isaiah 52:4-6

4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
    lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

5 ‘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.
6 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.’

A. Find Out:

1. What two events does the Lord speak about? v.4
2. What is the Lord questioning? v.5a-c
3. What does he say is happening? v.5d
4. What does he say will happen, when? v.6

B. Think:

1. What big events does the lord speak of and why?
2. What is the current state of Israel ?
3. Why is the Lord saying all this?

C. Comment:

The Lord has just spoken in the previous three verses about the changes that are just about to come to Jerusalem, from slumber to sovereignty, and has indicated that it will be by His hand.  In these verses He makes a stark contrast between what has been and what will be, and declares what the outcome will be.

The contrast in these verses is shown by the state of the nation in the recent past. Centuries back the glory of Jacob was taken to Egypt where they grew to the size of a nation but were nevertheless still slaves. In recent days the Assyrians had come and subjugated them again. The Lord calls them to take note of this state of affairs.

Look what is going on, is what He is saying. You were taken away by the enemy. They didn’t entice you, you weren’t bribed, it was for nothing.   In fact (implied) it’s more a case of you giving your hearts to them.  Your rulers mock the days gone by in the past when I ruled you. In fact every day my name is blasphemed by this people. They do not honour me.  It’s no wonder you are in the state you are!

So, He continues, when the transformation comes about that I have spoken about, you will look back and realise and understand and know in your hearts, that this was entirely because of me! You will remember that I foretold it and you will realise that my hand is still on you and you are still in my purposes. That is the point of my saying these things now – so that in days to come, you will know!

D. Application:

1. God wants us to see and understand His overall purposes.
2. The Lord works in history in the long term. Understand that.

Passage: Isaiah 52:7-9

7 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!’
8 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.
9 Burst into songs of joy together,
    you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.

A. Find Out:

1. Who first does the Lord speak about? v.7a,b
2. What do they bring and say? v.7c,d
3. Who next does He speak about? v.8a
4. What will they see, when? v.8c,d
5. What does the Lord tell Jerusalem to do? v.9a,b
6. Why? v.9c,d

B. Think:

1. Who are the 3 groups addressed in these verses?
2. What is the overall message that affects each of them?
3. How does this follow on the previous verses?

C. Comment:

The Lord has just said in verse 6 that His people will know when the changes come that it will have been His work. Now He refers to that coming day more fully. First He speaks of those who will come as runners bringing the good news – the Lord reigns!  In the face of enemy oppression this cry will come as a turning point – God is ruling and (implied) is bringing a change to this impossible situation!

Then He refers to the watchmen who used to stand on the walls of the city watching the distant horizon to watch out for any coming messengers or coming armies. They will be the first to see the changes coming and they will be unable to withhold their cries of joy and what they see coming.

Finally the Lord refers to the “ruins of Jerusalem”, the ordinary people of the city living among the ruins.  Finally, they too will burst into song at the wonder of what will be happening, God coming to His people, comforting His people with His presence, redeeming or claiming back His people from their enemies.  This will be a time of great rejoicing as these wonderful changes take place.

In all of this the Lord is sowing hope for the future through the prophet. The present may be bleak but the future will be glorious, and the Lord wants His people to hold onto this.

D. Application:

1. Hope is the assurance of what IS coming. Christians live in hope.
2. The best is yet to come. Rejoice in that.

Passage: Isaiah 52:10-12

10 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.

11 Depart, depart, go out from there!
    Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
    you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.
12 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What will the Lord do? v.10a,b
2. Who will see what? v.10c,d
3. What does the Lord say to the exiles? v.11a,b
4. What more does He say to whom to do? v.11c,d
5. How will they NOT leave? v.12a
6. Why? v.12b,c

B. Think:

1. What does the Lord say about the world and His exiles?
2. What does He say about the way the exiles will leave?
3. How does this conform to all that has gone before?

C. Comment:

In this chapter the Lord has been saying how, although at the present Israel, and particularly Jerusalem, are not in a good state with a number having being taken by the invader, the time is coming when He will bring them back. In verses 9 He has just declared that He HAS redeemed Jerusalem, it is as good as done because He has declared it.

Now He enlarges on that.  When He says He will bare His arm, we might say He’ll roll up His sleeves and get on with the job.  He’ll do it, He says, so that the rest of the world will see it, this salvation that He is bringing for His people.

So He addresses prophetically the people in exile with a command – leave!  In other words it’s time to start returning.  Don’t stay there participating un the unclean lives of the unbelievers, don’t try coming away with their things, you need to remember that you are a holy people, God’s people, the people who carry the presence of the Lord with them. But when you leave, don’t go in a hurry, there’s no need to rush, because your return is certain and sure and there’s no question of your oppressor holding onto you or you being stopped on the way back.   Why?  Because the Lord has decreed it and He is going ahead of you to prepare the way and He will go behind you to guard your backs. No, don’t worry about this return, your security is guaranteed.

D. Application:

1. When the Lord decrees something it is as good as done.
2. We are a holy people. We need to remember that.

Passage: Isaiah 52:13-15    

13 See, my servant will act wisely;
    he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him –
    his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
    and his form marred beyond human likeness –
15 so he will sprinkle many nations,
    and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
    and what they have not heard, they will understand.

A. Find Out:

1. What will happen to the servant? v.13
2. Yet how will many feel about him? v.14a
3. Why? v.14b,c
4. Yet what will he do? v.15a
5. How will leaders respond? v.15b
6. Why? v.15c,d

B. Think:

1. What is being said that is good about the servant’s activity?
2. Yet what about it is disturbing?
3. How do you think that applied to Jesus?

C. Comment:

We come to the “fourth servant song”, the greatest of them. The fact that the Lord has been speaking about his salvation suggests that the servant will be the one bringing it, as this passage follows straight on.

The servant will act wisely or prosper, or do well, is how the prophecy begins. That is encouraging. Presumably because of that he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Again, at first sight, all very encouraging. Then come disturbing words: many will be appalled at the sight of him and his body will be disfigured and marred. What is this?

The original readers must have been totally confused at this point. How can he be lifted up and exalted on one hand and disfigured on the other? From our position in history of course, we can see how this perfectly applied to Jesus who was lifted up on the Cross with a beaten and bruised body that was further broken by the process of the crucifixion, this Jesus who rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is now exalted at his Father’s right hand.

This, and this alone, is how God’s salvation comes to all believers across the world, Jew and Gentile. Through this work will sinners be cleansed, through this work, as the Spirit of God reveals it, so will even the mouths of great leaders be stopped as they seem to understand and marvel at the incredible love of God exhibited in this way.

D. Application:

1. The Cross is the critical summit of God’s plans. Receive it.
2. Salvation flows from the Cross alone. Rejoice in it!