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216. The Feet Of Him Who Brings Good News


Isaiah 52:1-12
Key Verse: "Your watchmen lift up your voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem."
Isaiah 52:8-9

Remember that Isaiah lived seven hundred years before Christ, but his message to the people of Israel is timeless. Often, when a prophet, such as Isaiah speaks, his words are meant not only for the time in which he is living, but must be applied to the future as well. This is the case for this message today.

Isaiah is speaking to a people who have rebelled against the Lord. When God's people rebel, as punishment, they not only suffer hardships such as famine and disease, but they often find themselves oppressed by other nations. When the rebellion is severe, they are actually carried off to other nations until they repent and cry out to the Lord for restoration. Isaiah reminds them of their first exile in Egypt. He reminds them of the exile to Assyria of the northern tribes that has just taken place. He refers to the future exile of Judah that we know to be Babylon, in which the people were carried off and mistreated severely.

Yet, How beautiful, on the mountain, are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (Isaiah 52:7) God may punish, but He does not forget or abandon. His people may suffer for a time, but God will bring about salvation for His people.

How timely this message would be for the people of Jesus' day. They were oppressed by the Romans. In addition, their own leaders had made worship of God an oppressive religion that had removed the joy from being in God's presence. The people of Israel were suffering severely, but God had not forgotten them. He had come and was entering Jerusalem to do what He needed to do to redeem them from the biggest oppressor of all, satan himself.

Why wouldn't the people burst into song? If they didn't, the very stones must cry out! How wonderful that the Lord has remembered His people again. He remembered them when they were oppressed in Egypt. He remembered them from Babylon and brought them home. Now, He is going to demonstrate again that He remembers their situation and with Him before and behind, He will prepare the way for all those who will be redeemed.

Hymn: "Our God Reigns"



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