Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord. Isaiah 52:11
The Lord will go before you.
12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
God foretells Israel’s captivity, and her redemption. Those who blasphemed God’s name will come to know him then. Then even the feet of those who bring the good news that “Your God reigns!” will be beautiful, as all burst together into songs of joy.
“Awake” 52:1-2. This call to action is addressed to God’s people, not to the Lord. They are to “clothe yourself with strength,” to “put on your garments of splendor,” and to “free yourselves from the chains on your neck.” This is no call to self-effort. It is a call to remember who we are as God’s beloved and in full faith act as His redeemed.
We are not weak, for God strengthens us. We are not poor, but His grant of holiness makes us splendid. We are not prisoners, but are free to do God’s will. Let’s stop sitting around as though helpless, and be what we are in Christ.
1 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!
Beautiful feet 52:7 The herald of good news is always welcome, the thought expressed in the “how beautiful” phrase. The feet are emphasized because he runs to the city with the good news of salvation, to announce that “your God reigns.”
7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
52:14 So His visage was marred… more than the sons of men: People would be horrified at the Servant’s appearance; He would be so disfigured that He would no longer look human.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
⇒ The cost Christ paid is so high. None of us can outdo what he did. But, we can at least be His feet to run. Run as His messenger and run away from the evil.
God Will Deliver Zion from Captivity
52 1 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! 3 For thus says the Lord: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day. 6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ ”
7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the Lord brings back Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. 11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Suffering of the LORD’s Servant
13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.
