God Says That the Feet of Those Who Bring Good News Are “Beautiful.” It Is a Wonderful Privilege to Be Able to Share God’s Good News with Others, His News of Redemption, Salvation, And Peace. To Whom Do You Need to Give the Good News?

Wake Up, Wake Up, O Jerusalem! You (The Redeemed) Will Be Set Free from Captivity: A Picture of The Believer Being Freed from Sin & Death (51:17–52:10)

¹⁷Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem! You have drunk enough from the cup of the fury of the Lord. You have drunk to the dregs the cup of terror and squeezed out the last drops. ¹⁸Not one of her sons is left alive to help or tell her what to do. ¹⁹These two things have been your lot: desolation and destruction. Yes, famine and the sword. And who is left to sympathize? Who is left to comfort you? ²⁰For your sons have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as wild goats caught in a net. The Lord has poured out his fury and rebuke upon them. ²¹But listen now to this, afflicted ones—full of troubles and in a stupor (but not from being drunk)—²²this is what the Lord says, the Lord your God who cares for his people: “See, I take from your hands the terrible cup; you shall drink no more of my fury; it is gone at last. ²³But I will put that terrible cup into the hands of those who tormented you and trampled your souls to the dust and walked upon your backs.” (Isaiah 51:17-23). 

Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem, and clothe yourselves with strength from God.^a Put on your beautiful clothes, O Zion, Holy City; for sinners—those who turn from God—will no longer enter your gates. ²Rise from the dust, Jerusalem; take off the slave bands from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. ³For the Lord says: When I sold you into exile, I asked no fee from your oppressors; now I can take you back again and owe them not a cent! ⁴My people were tyrannized without cause by Egypt and Assyria, and I delivered them.

⁵And now, what is this? asks the Lord. Why are my people enslaved again and oppressed without excuse? Those who rule them shout in exultation, and my name is constantly blasphemed day by day. ⁶Therefore I will reveal my name to my people, and they shall know the power in that name. Then at last they will recognize that it is I, yes, I, who speaks to them.

⁷How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring the happy news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns. ⁸The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for right before their eyes they see the Lord God bring his people home again. ⁹Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyous song, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. ¹⁰The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.^[1] (Isaiah 52:1-10) 

Wake Up, Wake Up, O Jerusalem! You—The Redeemed of Jerusalem—

Will Be Set Free from Captivity.

In these verses, the great city of Jerusalem is pictured as a mother whose children have been killed in war or else taken captive. As a result, there is no one left to help her. She has drained the cup of God’s wrath, and now she staggers in a drunken stupor. But the Lord gives her great hope, the hope that her children would be freed from captivity and return home to give her a new beginning.¹ For that reason the mother should awaken and prepare for her returning children. The Lord Himself challenged the city to awaken, giving Jerusalem and its citizens three wake-up calls. (51:17–23; 52:1–10).   

A. Jerusalem Must Wake Up from The Stupor Caused by Suffering God’s Judgment (Vv. 17–23). Because of the people’s wickedness and idolatry, the cup of God’s righteous wrath had been given to the city, and the citizens had drunk the Lord’s fury to the last drop. They had no choice, for they were guilty of the most heinous sins against the Lord. Sadly, the city had no capable sons or leaders to guide the people (v. 18), and most of the people were living selfish, wicked lives, disobeying the commandments of God. There were not enough righteous leaders to keep God’s judgment from falling upon the nation, and there was no one to stand in the gap as a mediator between the people and God.

As a result, the cup of God’s judgment was poured out upon the city (v. 19). Jerusalem suffered a double calamity—desolation and destruction, famine and sword. Isaiah predicted that the Babylonian war machine would march across the land of Judah and leave the nation utterly devastated. The young men of Jerusalem would fall in the street, dying either at the enemy’s hands or from hunger (v. 20). And Jerusalem would be like an antelope caught in a net, unable to escape its coming death.

But judgment was not the last word from the Lord. He offered wonderful hope to the city of Jerusalem and invited the citizens to hear His marvelous promises (vv. 21–23). Note who was making these promises: “your Lord,” “the Lord,” and “your God.” What was being stressed is the sovereignty of God, His power and control over all things, including the affairs of people and nations. His sovereign power and the fact that He was their God guaranteed that He would fulfill these promises to the city of Jerusalem and its citizens. He gave four specific promises:

Ø  The Lord would defend His people (the redeemed, vv. 11–16). Since He was their God and possessed sovereign power, He was bound to defend them.

Ø  The Lord would remove the cup of judgment—His discipline and chastisement—from the people (v. 22). His discipline would not last forever. He disciplined His people only to correct them, to stir them up to forsake their sins and return to Him in repentance.

Ø  The Lord would transfer the cup of judgment to the persecutors and oppressors of His people, and they would reap the torment and terror they had sown (v. 23).

Ø  The Lord would cause the redeemed to be victorious over all their enemies (v. 23). They would be more than conquerors. 

Thought 1. A Victorious Life Is One of The Great Promises God Makes to Believers. No matter what we face, a simple trial or a terrible hardship, persecution or even enslavement, the Lord promises to be with us and to meet our every need. Conquering, overcoming, triumphing over all the trials and temptations of life is possible through the Lord’s presence and strength. Listen to the wonderful promises of God’s Word: 

V  “But there shall not an hair of your head perish” (Lu. 21:18).

V  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro. 8:35, 37–39).

V  “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Co. 2:14).

V  “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Co. 10:3–5).

V  “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless, I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Ti. 1:12).

V  “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Ti. 4:18).

V  “Let your conversation [conduct, conversation] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (He. 13:5–6).

V  “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Pe. 5:7).

V  “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn. 5:4–5).

V  “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Ge. 28:15).

V  “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore, from henceforth thou shalt have wars” (2 Chr. 16:9).

V  “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Ps. 34:7).

V  “Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us” (Ps. 44:5).

V  “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Ps. 91:4).

V  “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day” (Ps. 91:5).

V  “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Ps. 112:7).

V  “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet” (Pr. 3:24).

V  “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall” (Is. 25:4). 

B. The City of Jerusalem Must Wake Up and Be Clothed with Splendor and Strength (52:1–6). It was not enough for Jerusalem to put off the stupor caused by drinking God’s wrath. It must also put on the beautiful garment of splendor and strength, the only garment suitable for the Holy City of God. Five reasons are given why Jerusalem must reclothe itself:

1)      Jerusalem must put on new garments because it is the Holy City (v. 1). To be holy means to be set apart to God, to be distinct and different in morality and righteousness. Note that the uncircumcised, which refers to unbelievers, and the unclean will no longer be allowed to enter Jerusalem. This is a clear indication that this prophecy refers to the Messiah’s kingdom. When Jesus Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom on earth, Jerusalem will be the seat of God’s worldwide government.

2)      Jerusalem must put on new garments because it is to arise from the dust (v. 2). Not only during the Babylonian captivity but also down through the centuries, Jerusalem has suffered bondage, oppression, and destruction time and again. But in the Messiah’s kingdom, the city will sit enthroned as the capital of the world, never again to be held captive by a foreign nation or people. In that day, Jerusalem will definitely be the Holy City, the very seat of God’s government and kingdom on earth.

3)      Jerusalem must put on new garments because it will be redeemed without money, set free totally by God’s grace (v. 3). Nation after nation had conquered Jerusalem throughout history, yet none had paid the Jews for the right to rule over them. But the day was coming when God Himself would provide redemption for the city. Clearly, this is a reference to the redemption provided through the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

4)      Jerusalem must put on new garments because suffering had tainted God’s people (vv. 4–5). Centuries earlier, the Israelites had been enslaved by Egypt. More recently, they had been oppressed by Assyria, and now they were about to be exiled to Babylon. Through all these terrible enslavements, God’s people were persecuted, mocked, and forced to hear God’s name blasphemed and cursed all day long. Living in the midst of such foul behavior and language contaminated the people, even true believers. Thus, Jerusalem and its people must awaken and put on new clothing, the clothing of God’s righteousness.

5)      Jerusalem must put on new garments because God’s people will know the Lord’s name, know Him personally (v. 6). The new clothing is the redemption provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. To be accepted in the Messiah’s kingdom, people must put on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and the redemption He provides. 

 

V  “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Ro. 13:14).

V  “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Co. 5:17).

V  “That ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct, conversation] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing, which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ep. 4:22–32).

V  “But now ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:8–10). 

C. The City of Jerusalem Must Wake Up and Listen to The Watchmen’s Proclamation of The Good News (Vv. 7–10). The runner who brought good news was the messenger who raced from a battlefield with the latest news of victory or defeat. The watchmen were people within the city appointed to stand watch, looking for the arrival of the messengers bringing their news. In the present case, the news was coming from the Lord Himself. He had good news to be proclaimed to His people. Keep in mind that the Israelites had been taken captive and scattered all over the Babylonian Empire. All the cities of Judah had been destroyed and the land devastated. Jerusalem itself lay in shambles, utterly ruined. Thus, when God challenged the city to listen to the watchmen’s proclamation, the Jews scattered throughout the Babylonian Empire experienced a great anticipation rising in their hearts. The runner brought the glorious news that King Cyrus of Persia had defeated Babylon and was now freeing the Jews to return to their homeland. Thus, the feet of the messenger bringing such wonderful news were beautiful. The message sent by God had four aspects:

Ø  The message was the good news of peace and salvation (v. 7). The Lord reigns over the earth, and He had proven His sovereign power by saving His people. They were free to return to the promised land.

Ø  The message was the good news of the Lord’s return to Zion, or Jerusalem (v. 8). When Christ returns to earth, Jerusalem will be the seat of both government and religion. Every eye on earth will see Christ and witness the glory of His person and kingdom.

Ø  The message is the good news of the Lord’s comfort and redemption (v. 9). No greater comfort can come to the human soul than that of salvation. Being saved from the bondages of this world brings comfort to the human soul.

Ø  The message was the good news that the ends of the earth would see God’s salvation (v. 10). Isaiah prophesied that God’s arm of power would rise against Babylon, destroy the enemy of His people, and set His people free. Note the reference to the ends of the earth. This points to the Messiah’s kingdom, the time when Christ will return to set up God’s kingdom on earth. When He returns, He will exercise His absolute power against all the brutal, wicked nations of earth in the battle that is commonly called Armageddon (Re. 19:17–21). 

Thought 1. The good news of salvation is to be proclaimed around the world. God loves the world and everyone in it. Therefore, He longs to save us all. This was the very purpose for which He sent His Son into the world. Christ was not sent to condemn us but to save us. This is the wonderful message of salvation through Christ: 

V  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn. 3:16–18).

V  “I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:9–10).

V  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Ac. 4:12).

V  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Ro. 5:8–9).

V  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ep. 2:8–9).

V  “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Th. 5:9).

V  “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (He. 5:8–9).

V  “So, Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (He. 9:28).^[2] 

Jerusalem was God’s holy city, the city with God’s Temple. But the people of Judah experienced ruin instead of prosperity, destruction instead of liberty. Because of their sins, the people suffered. But God promised to restore Jerusalem as a holy city where sinners cannot enter. God reigns. Put your entire faith and confidence in his ability to control the course of history—and your life.

God says that the feet of those who bring good news are “beautiful.” It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share God’s Good News with others, his news of redemption, salvation, and peace. To whom do you need to give the Good News?^[3]

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^a 52:1  from God, implied.

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

¹ Warren W. Wiersbe. Be Comforted, p. 129.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

^[3] Life Application Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.