Apr 10 - Isaiah 51:5

My righteousness is near,

my salvation has gone forth, and

my arms will bring justice to the nations.

Isaiah 51:5

What, is this passage’s saying to us? I hear three things …

“My righteousness is near.”

First, God is saying that he himself is near.

And it’s not just a vague righteousness that is near when he is near. It’s not an undefined holiness that he wants to bring. Rather, God’s desire here is to set all things right!

Thus, God is saying, “Look up! His new, holy, and right way of doing things is coming to us.”

“My salvation has gone forth.”

First, let’s simplify “salvation” into: “my way of saving you.”

Second, let’s focus on the verb tense. God is saying that the thing that is to take place “has already happened.”

In other words, “Take heart, dear friends. Even if you can’t see the victory yet, my way of saving you has already happened.”

Our response to God’s action is to stand back, trust, and watch as his salvation draws near.

“My arms will bring justice to the nations.”

Finally, God is saying, “My way of saving you is to set things right.” But that’s what we’ve already heard.

Now he adds to it! He says that his goal is to restore not just you, individually, but to bring justice to all the world.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants

individual blessings, to be sure,

but looks forward, even more so,

to the reconciliation of all things