awake, awake
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generation of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?
Isaiah 51:9
Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
Isaiah 51:17
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 52:1,2
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Isaiah 52:11,12
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Verse 9 starts with the Israelites crying out to God, reminding Him (as if God needed reminders) that it was He that saved them long ago from the clutches of Egypt, and yet, they find that in their captivity in Babylon does not seem to match God's saving power. So in effect, they are almost trying to remind God saying, "God, what are you doing?"
And yet, the Lord responds in the following passages above, by turning the tables on them and reminding them that in fact, they are the ones that need to "wake up". He calls out to them, "wake yourself, wake yourself"; "awake, awake"; "depart, depart." God calls out to the Israelites showing them that it was not He that has laid waste upon them, but that they are the ones that need to rise and remember the Lord's promises to them.
There might be moments when it seems like the Lord is asleep, and He is nowhere to be found. But it is in those moments when we should seriously examine our lives and remember that God is faithful even when we are not. It's easy to point out flaws in others as a defense mechanism so that we don't bear the weight of our actions or inactions.
We are called out, like the Israelites here, to depart therefore, from the pit of self-despair and (for a lack of better term), whining. Depart, touch no unclean thing, wear the royal robes that God has given you, put on the strength He gives and remember who you are - redeemed and known by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We must stand, walk, and depart from the life of sin as God has enabled us to do.
Awake yourselves, turn to Christ, and depart from your old ways into His marvelous light.
Isaiah 51:9
Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
Isaiah 51:17
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 52:1,2
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Isaiah 52:11,12
---
Verse 9 starts with the Israelites crying out to God, reminding Him (as if God needed reminders) that it was He that saved them long ago from the clutches of Egypt, and yet, they find that in their captivity in Babylon does not seem to match God's saving power. So in effect, they are almost trying to remind God saying, "God, what are you doing?"
And yet, the Lord responds in the following passages above, by turning the tables on them and reminding them that in fact, they are the ones that need to "wake up". He calls out to them, "wake yourself, wake yourself"; "awake, awake"; "depart, depart." God calls out to the Israelites showing them that it was not He that has laid waste upon them, but that they are the ones that need to rise and remember the Lord's promises to them.
There might be moments when it seems like the Lord is asleep, and He is nowhere to be found. But it is in those moments when we should seriously examine our lives and remember that God is faithful even when we are not. It's easy to point out flaws in others as a defense mechanism so that we don't bear the weight of our actions or inactions.
We are called out, like the Israelites here, to depart therefore, from the pit of self-despair and (for a lack of better term), whining. Depart, touch no unclean thing, wear the royal robes that God has given you, put on the strength He gives and remember who you are - redeemed and known by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We must stand, walk, and depart from the life of sin as God has enabled us to do.
Awake yourselves, turn to Christ, and depart from your old ways into His marvelous light.
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