Isaiah Chapter 51
Isaiah 51, Listen and Awake
Isaiah 51 calls God’s people to listen, remember, and awake. The Lord speaks to those who follow after righteousness and seek Him, telling them to look back to Abraham and Sarah as proof that God can bring blessing, increase, and life from small and impossible beginnings. He then calls His people to lift their eyes beyond the passing heavens and earth to His everlasting salvation and righteousness. The chapter also calls Zion to awake, not because God is asleep, but because God’s people must awaken to His power, His past deliverance, His future restoration, and the reality that the cup of wrath will be removed from Jerusalem and placed into the hand of her oppressors. The notes provided cover Isaiah 51:1-23, including the threefold call to listen, the call to remember Abraham and Sarah, the comfort of Zion, the permanence of God’s salvation, the warning not to fear man, the cry for the arm of the Lord to awake, the return of the ransomed to Zion, and the removal of the cup of trembling from Jerusalem.
Isaiah 51:1-3
Isaiah 51:1-3, KJV, “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto rock whence ye are hewn, and to hole of pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like garden of LORD; joy and gladness shall found therein, thanksgiving, and voice of melody.”
The Lord begins with the command, “Hearken to me.” This call is directed to those who “follow after righteousness” and “seek the LORD.” These are not people who are spiritually indifferent. They are the faithful remnant, those who desire righteousness and seek God, yet they are discouraged by the condition of Zion, the weakness of the people, and the long delay of full restoration.
The Lord tells them to look backward in faith, “look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.” They are to remember their origin. Israel did not begin as a mighty nation. They were hewn from one man and one barren woman, Abraham and Sarah. Humanly speaking, there was no possibility of nationhood, but God called, blessed, and increased.
Genesis 12:1-3, KJV, “Now LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of earth blessed.”
God called one man and promised a nation. He did not need large numbers, human strength, or favorable circumstances.
The Lord specifically says, “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you.” Sarah must not be forgotten. She was barren, aged, and beyond natural hope, yet God brought life from what appeared impossible.
Romans 4:19-21, KJV, “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he about hundred years old, neither yet deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at promise of God through unbelief; but strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
Abraham and Sarah teach God’s people that divine promise is stronger than human impossibility.
The Lord says, “for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.” This is the point. God can begin with one and produce a multitude. He can begin with barrenness and bring fruitfulness. He can begin with weakness and bring covenant blessing. Therefore the returning remnant must not despise small beginnings.
The promise follows, “For the LORD shall comfort Zion.” Zion’s waste places will not remain waste forever. The Lord will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord. This speaks of reversal, restoration, and blessing. The desolate place becomes fruitful. The cursed looking place becomes Eden like.
This promise had a near application to the return from Babylon, but its fullness awaits Israel’s future restoration under Messiah, when the land and people are blessed in the kingdom.
Ezekiel 36:35-36, KJV, “And they shall say, This land that desolate is become like garden of Eden; and waste and desolate and ruined cities fenced, and inhabited. Then heathen that left round about you shall know that I LORD build ruined places, and plant that that desolate: I LORD have spoken, and I will do.”
The Lord will make desolate places like Eden. He has spoken, and He will do it.
The result is “joy and gladness,” “thanksgiving,” and “voice of melody.” When God comforts Zion, praise returns. The wilderness does not merely become productive. It becomes worshipful.
Isaiah 51:4-6
Isaiah 51:4-6, KJV, “Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for light of people. My righteousness near; my salvation gone forth, and mine arms shall judge people; isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to heavens, and look upon earth beneath: for heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and earth shall wax old like garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall for ever, and my righteousness shall not abolished.”
The Lord speaks again, “Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation.” The repeated call shows how easily God’s people hear words without truly listening. The Lord calls them to give attention to what is permanent.
He says, “for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.” God’s instruction and justice will go forth, not only to Israel, but as light for the peoples. His righteous order will shine among the nations.
This points forward to Messiah’s kingdom, when the Lord’s law and judgment will go out from Zion.
Isaiah 2:3-4, KJV, “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to mountain of LORD, to house of God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth law, and word of LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
The Lord’s law and judgment will bring light and peace to the nations.
The Lord says, “My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth.” God’s deliverance is not uncertain. His righteousness is approaching. His salvation has gone out. His arms will judge the people. The same arm that saves also judges.
The coastlands, or distant Gentile lands, will wait upon Him and trust in His arm. This again shows the global scope of God’s saving purpose.
The Lord then tells His people to lift up their eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath. The heavens seem permanent. The earth seems stable. Yet God says the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will grow old like a garment. The people who dwell in it will die likewise.
This is a direct warning not to build ultimate hope on creation or this present age. Even the heavens and earth, as we now know them, are temporary.
Matthew 24:35, KJV, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
2 Peter 3:10, KJV, “But day of Lord will come as thief in night; in which heavens shall pass away with great noise, and elements shall melt with fervent heat, earth also and works that are therein shall burned up.”
The present creation will pass, but God’s Word, salvation, and righteousness will remain.
The Lord says, “but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” This is the anchor. God’s salvation is more permanent than the heavens and earth. His righteousness cannot be abolished. His character does not decay. His promises do not age. His redemption does not expire.
Isaiah 51:7-8
Isaiah 51:7-8, KJV, “Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, people in whose heart my law; fear ye not reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For moth shall eat them up like garment, and worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.”
The third call to listen is directed to those who “know righteousness” and have God’s law in their heart. These are not merely outwardly religious people. They have inward knowledge of righteousness. They belong to the faithful remnant whose hearts are shaped by the Lord’s instruction.
The command is, “fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.” God’s people must not be governed by the fear of man. Reproach and insults are painful, but they are temporary. The approval of God is eternal.
Proverbs 29:25, KJV, “Fear of man bringeth snare: but whoso putteth his trust in LORD shall safe.”
The fear of man traps the soul. Trust in the Lord brings safety.
The Lord explains why His people should not fear human reproach, “For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool.” Man is temporary. The mocker, persecutor, and reviler will decay. Their power is brief. Their words will not last.
By contrast, “my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.” God’s righteousness outlasts every critic. His salvation continues through every generation.
Jesus taught the same principle.
Matthew 10:28, KJV, “And fear not them which kill body, but are not able to kill soul: but rather fear him which able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The believer must fear God more than man. Men may reproach, revile, and even kill, but they cannot overthrow God’s salvation.
Isaiah 51:9-11
Isaiah 51:9-11, KJV, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of LORD; awake, as in ancient days, in generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried sea, waters of great deep; that hath made depths of sea way for ransomed to pass over? Therefore redeemed of LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”
Now the cry changes from “Hearken” to “Awake.” The faithful call upon the arm of the Lord to put on strength as in ancient days. This does not mean God has been sleeping. Scripture says clearly that He does not slumber.
Psalm 121:4, KJV, “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
The cry is really an awakening of faith. God’s people remember His ancient works and ask Him to act again.
They ask, “Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?” Rahab here is not the woman of Jericho, but a poetic name associated with pride and often connected with Egypt or chaotic opposition to God. The dragon or serpent imagery points to God’s defeat of evil powers. The Lord has always been able to crush proud opposition.
Psalm 89:10, KJV, “Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.”
The Lord’s strong arm has already broken the proud enemy.
They also remember the Exodus, “Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep?” God made the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to pass over. The Red Sea was not an obstacle to God. It became the road of redemption.
Exodus 14:29-30, KJV, “But children of Israel walked upon dry land in midst of sea; and waters were wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus LORD saved Israel that day out of hand of Egyptians; and Israel saw Egyptians dead upon sea shore.”
The Lord delivered His people through the sea.
Because God has done this before, the conclusion is certain, “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return.” The past deliverance becomes the basis for future hope. The redeemed will come to Zion with singing. Everlasting joy will be upon their head. Gladness and joy will be obtained, and sorrow and mourning will flee away.
This promise includes return from Babylon, but it reaches beyond that to the final restoration of God’s people under Messiah.
Revelation 21:4, KJV, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for former things passed away.”
The final redemption removes sorrow and mourning forever.
Isaiah 51:12-16
Isaiah 51:12-16, KJV, “I, even I, he that comforteth you: who thou, that thou shouldest afraid of man that shall die, and son of man which shall made as grass; And forgettest LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth heavens, and laid foundations of earth; and hast feared continually every day because fury of oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where fury of oppressor? Captive exile hasteneth that he may loosed, and that he should not die in pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I LORD thy God, that divided sea, whose waves roared: LORD of hosts his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in shadow of mine hand, that I may plant heavens, and lay foundations of earth, and say unto Zion, Thou my people.”
The Lord answers the cry by declaring, “I, even I, am he that comforteth you.” Comfort is not merely a feeling. It comes from God Himself. The same Lord who commands His people to listen now personally identifies Himself as their Comforter.
Then He asks, “who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die?” Fear of man becomes irrational when God is remembered rightly. Man dies. The son of man is made as grass. Human oppressors may rage for a season, but they are temporary.
Isaiah 40:6-8, KJV, “Voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh grass, and all goodliness thereof as flower of field: Grass withereth, flower fadeth: because spirit of LORD bloweth upon it: surely people grass. Grass withereth, flower fadeth: but word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Man is grass. God’s Word stands forever.
The Lord identifies the real cause of fear, “And forgettest the LORD thy maker.” Fear grows where God is forgotten. When God’s people forget the One who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, they begin to fear oppressors as though those oppressors were ultimate.
They feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor. But God asks, “where is the fury of the oppressor?” The oppressor’s rage is not sovereign. It is under God’s control. The Lord can break it, limit it, redirect it, or end it.
The captive exile longs to be loosed, not die in the pit, and not lack bread. The Lord knows the urgency of the captive’s condition. He is not indifferent to suffering.
He says, “But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: the LORD of hosts is his name.” Again, God points back to the Red Sea. Roaring waves cannot stop Him. Human oppressors cannot stop Him. He is the Lord of hosts.
Then comes a tender promise, “I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand.” God gives His people His Word and His protection. The shadow of His hand recalls His sheltering care.
Exodus 33:21-22, KJV, “And LORD said, Behold, place by me, and thou shalt stand upon rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in clift of rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.”
God covered Moses with His hand. He also covers His people.
The purpose is covenantal, “that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” The Creator who establishes heavens and earth also establishes His covenant people. The words “Thou art my people” answer Zion’s fear of being forgotten. God claims Zion as His own.
Isaiah 51:17-20
Isaiah 51:17-20, KJV, “Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at hand of LORD cup of his fury; thou hast drunken dregs of cup of trembling, and wrung them out. There none to guide her among all sons whom she hath brought forth; neither any that taketh her by hand of all sons that she hath brought up. These two things are come unto thee; who shall sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and famine, and sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, they lie at head of all streets, as wild bull in net: they full of fury of LORD, rebuke of thy God.”
The second “Awake, awake” is directed to Jerusalem. She must stand up because the time of judgment is not the final word. Yet before comfort is announced, the reality of judgment is acknowledged.
Jerusalem has drunk “the cup of his fury.” The cup of God’s wrath is a biblical picture of judgment. Jerusalem drank the dregs, the bitter sediment at the bottom, and wrung them out. This means she experienced severe and complete chastening. Desolation, destruction, famine, and sword had come upon her.
Jeremiah 25:15-16, KJV, “For thus saith LORD God of Israel unto me; Take wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and mad, because sword that I will send among them.”
The cup of fury represents divine judgment.
Jerusalem had no guide among her sons. No one took her by the hand. Her leaders failed her. Her sons fainted and lay at the head of the streets like a trapped wild bull. They were full of the fury of the Lord and the rebuke of God.
This is not random suffering. It is covenant chastening. God’s people had sinned, and they drank the cup of discipline.
Yet this imagery also points forward to Christ. In Gethsemane, Jesus spoke of the cup.
Luke 22:41-42, KJV, “And he withdrawn from them about stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, done.”
Christ drank the cup of wrath for His people at the cross. Jerusalem drank chastening for her sins, but Christ drank wrath as the sin bearing Substitute.
1 Peter 2:24, KJV, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye healed.”
The cup language prepares the heart to see the substitutionary work of the Messiah.
Isaiah 51:21-23
Isaiah 51:21-23, KJV, “Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord LORD, and thy God that pleadeth cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand cup of trembling, even dregs of cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as ground, and as street, to them that went over.”
Now the Lord speaks comfort to the afflicted. Jerusalem is “drunken, but not with wine.” She is staggered by judgment, not alcohol. She has been made weak by the cup of divine fury.
The Lord identifies Himself as “thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people.” This is the language of advocacy and covenant defense. God is not finished with Zion. He pleads the cause of His people. He takes up their case.
Zechariah 2:8, KJV, “For thus saith LORD of hosts; After glory hath he sent me unto nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth apple of his eye.”
God is deeply concerned with those who afflict His people.
The Lord says, “Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury.” God knows when judgment has fulfilled its purpose. He knows when to give the cup, and He knows when to remove it. Jerusalem will no longer drink it in that same way.
Then the Lord says He will put the cup into the hand of those who afflicted Zion. The oppressors who humiliated Jerusalem will themselves face judgment. They had said, “Bow down, that we may go over,” forcing Zion into degrading submission like a road to be walked on. God saw that humiliation. He will repay it.
This is another example of divine reversal. The cup moves from Zion’s hand to the hand of her oppressors. Those who mocked, trampled, and humiliated God’s people will answer to God.
Obadiah 1:15, KJV, “For day of LORD near upon all heathen: as thou hast done, it shall done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”
God judges the nations according to their deeds.
Isaiah 51 therefore brings comfort by commanding God’s people to listen and awake. They must listen to God’s past faithfulness in Abraham and Sarah, listen to the permanence of His salvation, listen and stop fearing man, awake to the power of His arm, awake to His comfort, awake to the fact that He has not forgotten Zion, and awake to His promise that the cup of wrath will be removed from His people and placed upon their oppressors.
