Isaiah 52:11-12 – Depart
Here in verses eleven and twelve, it’s time for the people of God to depart, to leave. One thing this looks toward is 200 years from when Isaiah writes, when the people are being told, your time of exile in Babylon for your sins is over and done with. It’s time to be leaving Babylon. Leave that country, leave that culture, leave that way of thinking of things. It’s time to leave all that behind. It is time to leave for home.
We look beyond this fulfilment to a greater deliverance. Christ is calling His people forth from something far worse than an exile under man. He is calling them forth from an exile that has been since Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, and they were exiled from the garden, exiled from fellowship with God, exiled from life itself. Yes, they were given over to a cruel taskmaster, that of sin. Jesus is calling His people to depart from the sin surrounding them. People are called forth from their playing around with the world. They’re called forth from their laziness in taking up His cross and following Him. As we’ve seen so often, when there’s a call away from something, there’s a call to something. We are to seek to be entirely different from the world. Maybe you are having a hard time pulling up your roots in the world. You are battling sin and feeling discouraged. Take heart. When Jesus calls, He always brings a person out. Sin shall not have dominion over you. Keep fighting. You’re in the process of departing. You’re not stuck there. Jesus is bringing you out.
Verse 12 tells us this is a triumphant departure. We can read in Ezra how it was that the king of Persia sent out a command to all his empire saying that the Jews were to go home. No one was to hinder them. Everyone was to help them. They went home triumphantly. So it is now for those who depart from sin as individuals, as families, as the church of Jesus Christ. Christ leads people out by His Word, as it is faithfully preached, as it is truly taught. He sends His Spirit, who takes the Word and takes the benefits of Christ’s work as our Saviour, and applies the Word and the works to sinners’ hearts, making those who had been dead to be alive again. He leads us out of our exile, and we depart for the heavenly kingdom. He is both in front of us and behind us, guiding us and protecting us all along the way. And no matter how difficult the course may be, no matter how rough the road, He gets us over it.
Question
- What does God call us to do as His people?
Prayer Points
- Pray that you would leave sin in your life behind.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.