THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Isaiah: Jahweh Is Salvation

Part XXI. Rejoicing In God's Future Messianic Kingdom Opposite Current Evils

(Isaiah 12:1-6)

I. Introduction

A. In Isaiah 11:1-16, we found that Messiah's kingdom will be righteous, peaceful, nurturing, unified and blessed opposite the sin, unrest, destruction, division and lack of blessing under evil rulers in Isaiah's day. That kingdom will thus also contrast with the great evils we see in our own current era.

B. Led of God to be encouraged by this realization, Isaiah wrote a hymn of praise to God about it in Isaiah 12:1-6, and we view it for our edification amid the unsettling, discouraging evils we see in our current world:

II. Rejoicing In God's Future Messianic Kingdom Opposite Current Evils, Isaiah 12:1-6.

A. As God delivered Israel from her wicked foes in the Egyptians at the Red Sea in Exodus 14:1-22 and Moses sang a song of praise regarding that deliverance in Exodus 15:1-21, Israel will once again praise God for His redemption from her foes in the arrival of the Kingdom, Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, 1974, p. 401.

B. Israel will say that though God's anger had been directed at her in the Great Tribulation Period, His anger had turned away due to her repentance so that now God had comforted her after her time of tribulation, Isa. 12:1.

C. Indeed, Israel will acknowledge that God HIMSELF is her Salvation (Isaiah 12:2a), pictured in Israel's recognizing that her Messiah is the One Who died on the cross to atone for her sin, cf. Zechariah 12:10; 13:1.

D. Because the Lord Himself is her Salvation, Israel will trust and not be afraid, for her might and strength does not rest in any mortal, fragile entity, but in "Yahweh" Himself, the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 12:2b; Ibid.

E. The claim in Isaiah 12:3 that Israel will joyfully draw water out of the wells of salvation is reflected in the Isaiah 55:1 call for everyone who is spiritually thirsty to come to the waters of salvation to buy without money and without price, to receive God's salvation by grace through faith in Christ! Young notes the word "water" in Isaiah 12:3 is actually an "intensive plural" to read "waters" with an emphasis of "the fulness and all-sufficiency of the blessings which come from these springs" of God's salvation grace, Ibid., p. 404.

F. The result of experiencing God's abundant salvation from sin is for the saved sinner to make known abroad God's glory, so Isaiah 12:4a predicts how saved Israel will declare the message of Isaiah 12:4b-6 (as follows):

1. First, saved Israel's people will call each other to give thanks to the Lord for His great salvation, Isa. 12:4b.

2. Second, saved Israel will call each other to call upon His name, to pray in dependence upon Him for the meeting of all of her present and future needs, Isaiah 12:4c.

3. Third, saved Israel will call each other to make known His deeds of salvation among the nations of the world, the Gentile nations, Isaiah 12:4d, the whole purpose of God's raising Israel up in the first place!

4. Fourth, saved Israel will call each other to proclaim to the world's nations that God's name is exalted, to be revered and loved, Isaiah 12:4e.

5. Fifth, saved Israel will call each other to sing to the Lord because He has done glorious things in providing salvation for her and the world through the death of His own Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah 12:5a NIV with Zechariah 12:10; 13:1.

6. Sixth, saved Israel will make this call of singing of God's salvation glory known to the entire world of the nations, again in fulfillment of God's original desire to make Israel His witness to the nations, Isaiah 12:5b.

7. Seventh, saved Israel will call one another to shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel in her midst is Great, Isaiah 12:6. The perfect righteousness of a God Who is utterly separate from sin will have been fully satisfied by the atonement of Messiah Jesus so that Israel can enjoy the presence of that perfectly Holy God right in her midst in fellowship with Him, and since only a Great God could achieve this salvation, it will deserve a shout and song of rejoicing!

Lesson: The great transformation that will occur to get a spiritually apostate Israel converted and filled with the Spirit of God to produce such a victorious expression of praise to the world itself encourages us in our era of great wickedness as it encouraged Isaiah in his sinful time! May we thus take heart in the future glories to come!

Application: (1) Though we are saddened at the great wickedness and its destruction that we see around us today, we know that a great change is coming with the introduction of Christ's blessed Kingdom of righteousness, so we can afford to rejoice even now in anticipation of that blessed future! (2) May we always offset the present negatives of this current evil age with the blessings of our future in Christ and so be joyful! (1 Thessalonians 5:16)