Your Sunday Best
- Isaiah tells Jerusalem to put on beautiful robes—uncircumcised and unclean people won't enter the city anymore.
- Just as Jerusalem was sold for nothing (a.k.a. God didn't hand them over for a payday), it will be redeemed without money (says God).
- The Egyptians and Assyrians have both oppressed the Hebrews in the past, but now God is going to make his name known to his people, freeing them from the ignorance they suffered from these foreign rulers.
- God, again, repeats his call for rejoicing and celebration. He's sending a beautiful messenger to free the people.
- He requests the Lord's vessel-bearers (who carry his sacred vessels in the temple) to leave unclean places, purify themselves, and return home. God will guard them.
- His servant is going to be lifted up and exalted over all, which will surprise everyone because of how disfigured and defeated the servant had seemed to be.
- In fact, you could even say this servant has suffered quite a bit. Why...is that the Suffering Servant's music?
- Because of the servant, kings will be forced to deal with truths that they had denied before. As the Bible puts it, they'll have to "shut their mouths."