Isaiah 52:1–7

God’s Providence in History

To read Second Isaiah without knowledge of the historical context would lead only to a partial understanding of the passage. The prophet of Second Isaiah understood world events as the context for divine activity: God’s providential direction underlies the events of history. ² The news of the day was Babylonian exile, and to this community, God through the prophet acknowledges the unjust judgment Israel has endured, first in Egypt, then at the hands of the Assyrians (Isa 52:4), and now in the community’s current context. Though they may be separated from the land and temple, God assures the community the people shall know God’s name, that God speaks, and that God reigns. During a time of chaos and uncertainty, the prophet assures the community of God’s steadfastness and faithfulness.

Following the lead of the prophet, the preacher could invite listeners to locate God’s providence in the current news of the day. Recent headlines focus on the novel COVID-19 pandemic, forcing congregations to reexamine identity and calling apart from church buildings. The fallout after the killing of Black Americans at the hands of police has called attention to the privilege of White Americans and institutional racism. Each political election stirs up wounds incurred during the last, and churches are not exempt from the polarizing trend of American politics. The news will no doubt change, and these three headlines may only be archives by the time the preacher approaches Isa 52:1–7. No matter the headlines of the day or what gets swept aside from the front page, the preacher’s task is to discern how God’s providence might be at work. Today’s messengers, dusty and bruised though their feet may be, help the community remember God’s name, to assure the community that God is speaking, and to declare to the community, “Your God reigns.”

Awake, awake! Live into God’s Promise

This passage begins with the double imperative, “Awake, awake” (Isa 52:1), the second occurrence of this double imperative in the larger section of Isa 51:1–52:12. Initially the imperative is addressed to God: “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord!” (Isa 51:9). ³ Drawing from the plea to “Awake, awake,” the prophet reminds God— and therefore God’s people—of the story of Rahab and the crossing of the Red Sea, two of God’s saving acts on Israel’s behalf (Isa 51:9–10). In Isa 52:1, “Awake, awake” is addressed to the people—God’s command communicated by the prophet. The people are instructed to dress in beautiful garments and to shake themselves from the dust in anticipation of their release from captivity.

Having remembered God’s faithful acts of the past, the prophet stirs the community to participation in God’s present work. Having remembered God’s promises fulfilled in the stories of their ancestors, the community is invited to live as if God’s promised future has already been realized. For the exiled community, God’s promise had not been fulfilled, and yet the community is called to dress and act in anticipation of God’s promised freedom.

I am reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the March on Washington in August of 1963. In the spirit of Second Isaiah speaking to the exiled people of Jerusalem, Dr. King stated, “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.” ⁴ The reality around him was dictated by segregation and discrimination, and yet Dr. King had a dream where judgments rely on character and not skin color and a dream where dining tables are surrounded with descendants of both former slaves and former slave owners.

The preacher could follow this pattern of Second Isaiah: reminding the people of God’s faithfulness and calling the people to live into God’s promises. A sermon could direct the community to remember God’s faithfulness in the stories of Scripture and in world, national, and local histories. Once the community has been reassured of God’s faithfulness and promises, the charge can be given to live as if these promises are already realized. The preacher can help listeners imagine answers to these questions: What is keeping us captive? What bonds hold us back from living into our identity as the people of God? How might the community “awake, awake,” remembering God’s saving acts of history? How might we live into the promises of God as if they were already fulfilled, even when the bonds have not been fully loosed?

Here I Am: The Servant’s Response

The English translation of hinnēnî in Isa 52:6, “Here am I,” may sound like the declarations of YHWH; however, Christopher R. Seitz makes the argument that the phrase, “Here am I” is more accurately applied to the prophet of Second Isaiah, rather than to the God who has sent the prophet. ⁵ The phrase, “Here am I,” is recorded as the prophet’s response in First Isaiah (Isa 6:8). The phrase, “Here am I,” is the response to God uttered by Abraham before being tested (Gen 22:1), by Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:4), and by Samuel in the middle of the night (1 Sam 3:4). In the Hebrew Bible, “Here am I” is a frequent affirmative answer of the prophet in response to God’s invitation.

One mark of the faithful prophet and faithful community continues to be an affirmative response to God’s invitation to participate in divine activity. With the simple phrase, “Here am I,” one word in Hebrew and three in English, the faithful commit themselves to God’s promises; the faithful rely to the God revealed in Scripture to imagine the world as it could be, not merely as it is; the faithful commit themselves to shining a light on God’s providence and activity.

A sermon on Isa 52:1–7 may explore the ways the prophet of Second Isaiah lived into the response, “Here am I.” The congregation may be more familiar with the other prophets’ “Here am I” responses, so additional context may be required to help illustrate the affirmative response of this prophet, one who speaks of hope in the midst of exile and despair, acknowledging the loss of land and temple, but also calling devotion back to God.

In addition to exploring affirmative responses to God’s invitation in Scripture, the preacher may also explore the ways the congregation has already responded, “Here am I,” to God’s summons, or perhaps the sermon could explore new opportunities and new invitations to participate in God’s work. If the congregation is discerning a new partnership or project, Second Isaiah may assist the congregation in responding to God’s invitation.