”Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For this is what the Lord says: “When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long. But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.” How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.“
Isaiah 52:1-12 NLT
God’s protection of his people is and has always been a beautiful thing. It is not merely a forward protection. God does not merely march out ahead of the danger and the enemies. It is also posterior protection. He stands guard as we move forward in faith. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we have no fear because God goes before us and behind us. Every direction is guarded by him and we need only stay with him. This is part of understanding the salvation that the Lord offers. Man has always sought other forms of protection. They have always sought the most bombastic and verbose. Yet God is the most consistent and thorough. This is what it means, “they will recognize the power of my name.” It is an overdue and just recognition of the fact that calling upon the name of God is always the safest, best choice, no matter the myriad of other gods tempting us away. Those gods can’t even predict the future, let alone protect us from the past. It is truly good news for the weary and the destitute. It is truly gospel for those who have chosen to live enslaved to other gods who breed anxiety and mistrust. Only our god reigns. Only he brings life in deaths shadow and beyond it. How beautiful is his gospel and his savior.
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