ISAIAH CHAPTER 12

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

 

Isaiah 12:1-6 NRSV:
1 You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Chapter 12 stresses that when the remnant is re-gathered in the land they will rejoice. The two stanzas in this chapter are each introduced by the words “In that day you will say” (verses 1, 4). In that day (also referred to in Isaiah 10:20; 11:10) refers to the time of deliverance which has been described in Isaiah 11:1-12:6. When the nation is re-gathered and the Messiah is reigning over the remnant.  In verses 1-3 God is praised because His anger has been turned away, Israel has been comforted, and the Lord is the source of strength, salvation, and song. Salvation is mentioned at the beginning and end of verse 2. Israel’s “salvation” will be more than spiritual peace of mind and deliverance; it will also include prosperity. To draw water from the wells of salvation pictures eternal life and living according to God’s principles and thus participating with joy in the blessings He will provide.

The remnant will thank the Lord and will call on each other to let the world know what God has done, probably meaning what He will have done for Israel and Judah. God’s name (His revealed character) is to be exalted (vindicated) before the world, so that people everywhere will realize that He fulfills His promises. And people will sing to Him because of His glorious deeds.

The remnant also, will remind themselves of the greatness of God, the Holy One of Israel. Being reassured that God is among them, they will be joyful. Chapter 12 is a fitting climax to the contrast between the fall of the Assyrian Empire, which was threatening Judah in Isaiah’s day, and the rise of God’s glorious kingdom, which will certainly come. Eventually all the world will know of God’s truth.

A major break occurs between chapters 12 and 13, but not as major as some Interpreters have suggested. Even in chapters 13-23 Isaiah reiterated some of the same themes he voiced earlier: God uses various means to punish sin, and will judge those nations who are arrogant against His covenant people, the Jews. These messages against nine sinful Gentile nations or cities around Judah were probably not written for them to read.

The messages were probably to be read by God’s covenant people to show that God actually will judge Israel’s enemies. This would reassure Judah that God will one day restore Israel to a leadership role when Christ returns.

Isaiah wrote these messages when Assyria was about to attack the Syrian-Israeli alliance. The coming devastation caused by the Assyrians would have a tremendous impact on Israel and also on other nations of the Near East. The culmination of Assyrian attacks came when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sacked the city of Babylon in 689 b.c., thus showing that Babylon, the greatest city in its day, was not immune to the advancing Assyrians.

Each of the three great writing prophets included prophecies about God’s judgment on Gentile nations.[fn] Isaiah and Jeremiah emphasized the destruction of  Babylon whereas Egypt is singled out for severe judgment in Ezekiel’s prophecies. In his oracles Isaiah moved westward from Babylon to Tyre. These prophecies are some of the most difficult in the entire book and it is not surprising that differing views of interpretation are held. Part of the difficulty is the lack of any extra-biblical written records about the destruction of many of these areas. Isaiah was picturing the final destruction God will bring on all the world (Isaiah 13:11). But it seems that he was also picturing the soon-coming destruction from the Assyrians. Assyria’s stated purpose was to “destroy... many nations” (10:7). The Lord would let the Assyrian Empire do that, but later He would judge it for its pride and haughtiness against Israel and her God (Isaiah 10:12-19).[fn]

 

 

Isaiah

John

Romans

1 Peter


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