Wake Up And Depart!

Wake Up and Depart!

Isaiah 52:1-12

The prophet Isaiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of 4 Judean kings. He was called to prophetic ministry in the year that king Uzziah died, approximately 742 BC, and then continued through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah until 686 BC, approximately 56 years. He was a contemporary of Hosea and Micah, and he wrote more about the promised Messiah than any other single prophet.

Now many so-called “scholars” refuse to believe that Isaiah wrote the whole book of Isaiah because they do not believe that God not only knows the future, but He has revealed certain aspects of it to His servants. So, because chapters 40-66 give us such detailed information about the rise of Babylon, their victory against Judah, the exile, and the return of the Jews to the land to rebuild, they claim that these chapters had to have been written by some other unknown person after all those things happened, and they call Isaiah chapters 40-66, 2nd Isaiah.

Friend, if you ever hear a pastor or read a book by some Christian author and they refer to 2nd Isaiah, run! That one phrase, 2nd Isaiah tells you that they do not believe in a miraculous God who speaks to His people and interjects Himself into their lives. Now, for those of us who do believe that God is, and that He is the Heb 11:6 …rewarder of those who diligently seek Him we have no problem with a supernatural Being who reveals to His servants’ things that are to come to past.

During Isaiah’s ministry Assyrian power was on the rise and would eventually defeat the northern kingdom and deport its citizens. When this happened, it brought Judah into their sight, and under the command of Sennacherib, Assyria began to invade Judah, overrun Judean towns and looting and carrying many people back to Assyria. While they were laying siege to Lachish, Sennacherib sent part of his army to surround Jerusalem, but when that expedition failed, he made a second attempt, sending messengers to Jerusalem, demanding an immediate surrender. But with Isaiah’s encouragement, Hezekiah refused to surrender. Shortly after, Sennacherib's army fell prey to a sudden disaster, and he returned to Nineveh and never threatened Judah again.

Isaiah condemned the empty ritualism of his day, and the idolatry which so many of the people had fallen into. He foresaw the coming Babylonian conquest and captivity, and also their return to rebuild. Long before Cyrus, king of Persia, appeared on the scene, Isaiah prophesied about Babylon’s fall and specifically named the Persian king, Cyrus as Judah's deliverer from the Babylonian captivity. That prophecy about Cyrus is found in chapter 40, which would make it somewhere around 150-175 years before he even came into existence

and did exactly what Isaiah said he would do.

This is about where we are in our text today, Isaiah, speaking to those who were left behind and the people who are in captivity long before they actually became captives. He has spoken to them of life in captivity and why they were sent there. In chapter 51, verse 9, the people called out to God to wake up and bring the promises of freedom into reality. If their sins were really to be defeated and they were to be restored, then bring it on! They said Isa 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old.

But God let them know that it wasn’t for Him to awaken, but for them. Twice, He told them that it is they who need to rise up. He said Isa 51:17 Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out. And in our chapter today,

I. God calls His people to rise up and become holy!

He said Isa 52:1-2 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!

In other words, the people still in Jerusalem, and those who are in captivity, the captive daughter of Zion, are to wake up and get ready to receive by faith what He is about to do. You see, He’s already told them in 51:17-23 that Zion’s punishment is ended, and that the things the nations did to her will be visited on them. So, the Lord calls the broken hearted and the downtrodden who are waiting for the salvation of the Lord to get up, get ready, and put on your Sunday best!