Isaiah 51 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes

Isaiah 51 Short Summary:

Isaiah 51 is a message of hope to those in Judah who loved God. God was going to restore their broken nation, He would take it from despair to flourishing, just as He took Abraham from fatherless to the father of many nations. God called the people to wake up and recognize His power, His eternal salvation, and to wake up from a period of discipline to prepare for a period of blessing.

Isaiah 50 Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned the reigns of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

• Isaiah’s ministry is thought to span from 739-681 BC.

KEY CHARACTERS:

• Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.

• Citizens of Judah – God offered them hope, even as they were enduring the discipline He prescribed for them.

DEFINITIONS:

• Coastlands (51:5) - Distant lands. Isaiah appears to use this term to describe foreign nations, the neighbors of Judah.

• Dregs (51:17) - The remnant of grapes or spices that sink to the bottom of a cup and remain after the drink is finished.

OUTLINE:

• A MESSAGE OF HOPE TO THOSE WHO WANTED TO PLEASE GOD (51:1-5):

  • God spoke to those in Judah who wanted to live righteous lives.

  • He told them to look to the Lord, their rock, as a source of hope.

  • God could restore their nation, bringing them up from the ashes, just as He made Abraham a great nation though he was childless for many years.

  • God could transform a desert into the Garden of Eden.

  • God was going to give a law as a light to all people, to Judah and those of other nations.

  • Those who looked to the Lord for salvation could have eternal security. Isaiah contrasts that with the temporal world that will “vanish like smoke” and “wear out like a garment” (51:6).

  • God told them not to take the ridicule of the wicked to heart. The pleasure of the eternal God was far greater.

• AWAKE TO THE GREATNESS OF GOD (51:9-16):

  • Isaiah calls the people to awake to the greatness of God.

  • They had no reason to fear. Judah was ultimately under the protection of the God who “stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth” (51:13).

  • The people of God would be ransomed and returned to Jerusalem after their exile (51:11).

• AWAKE FROM THE CUP OF GOD’S WRATH (51:17-23):

  • God called to Jerusalem to awaken from their drunken staggering. They weren’t drunk with wine, but with the cup of the wrath of God, which He had made them drink.

  • When they had drunk the cup down to the dregs, God’s discipline would be complete.

  • God was going to take the cup from them and restore them.

  • God would give the cup to their adversaries (Babylon) and make them drink.

APPLICATION:

• The Bible makes it clear that sometimes God disciplines us, but He loves us even through that discipline.

• While Judah was going through God ordained oppression, God still sent them messages of hope.

• Sometimes it’s clear that we’re suffering because of our sins. Sometimes our trouble is the consequence of not listening to God.

• God still loves you during those times.

• He doesn’t abandon us during those times; He loves us through them!