NOTES for Isa 12:1-6

Among the accusatory prophecies we suddenly hear news of the coming King, filled with the Spirit, in whose Kingdom there will no longer be enmity either among animals or among people. But God has just been rebuking His people! Someone may say that He is inconsistent or unjust: if He has rebuked, then He must also punish. But Scripture reminds us that God's love is stronger than human sin; in His mercy God comes not to the righteous, but to sinners.

The Genesis reading is preceded by the Lord's promise not to destroy the earth and every living thing. And Isaiah's words "You were angry with me, but You turned away Your anger and comforted me" precede the coming of Christ. Comfort for people lies in Salvation and the path of Resurrection, and everything will be resolved on the day of Judgment.

And in Proverbs we find the words: "The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it". The Lord blessed us for life, for work, for happiness. But with Him and in Him, in His blessing. The whole world is now saved only through Christ and judged through our deeds.

And as the Lord restored the world after the flood, so through the Church and Christ each person will be restored. And each receives the whole world and bears his own burden of responsibility before the Lord.

The shoot from the root of Jesse, Christ, comes for the salvation of all humanity. The Consolation of Israel is given for all, says the Lord. The prophet Isaiah proclaims today that Christ will become a banner for the peoples and that the nations will turn to Him.

The prophet sings a majestic hymn to the deliverance that the Lord gives. In this deliverance there is a place for all: for Judah and Ephraim, and for all the Gentiles. God's plan is to save the remnant of Israel and through this draw all nations to salvation. "...God is my salvation," the prophet says on behalf of all peoples, "I will trust in Him and will not be afraid." Everything said about the remnant of Israel belongs to His judgment, God's judgment.

But where would all of us be if He, in His mercy, had not opened this trust to us as well? Therefore this is not only the hymn of an ancient Hebrew prophet, but ours too.

Once again the prophet Isaiah proclaims a word of hope to us. He announces the Lord's word that Christ—the shoot from the root of Jesse—will become a banner for the peoples, and the Gentiles will turn to Him. The prophet sings a majestic hymn to the deliverance the Lord grants. In this deliverance there is room for everyone: for Judah and Ephraim, and for all the Gentiles. God's purpose is to save the remnant of Israel and thereby draw all peoples to salvation. “God is my salvation,” says the prophet on behalf of all peoples; “I will trust in Him and not be afraid.” Everything said about the remnant of Israel is His judgment, God's judgment. But where would any of us be if, in His mercy, He had not opened this hope to us as well? Therefore, this is not only the hymn of an ancient Hebrew prophet, but ours too.

For the prophet Isaiah "that day" is the day of the Lord, when God will manifest His presence and His power. The day, in which man turns out to be face to face with God, unless he hides from Him. But indeed, such a day has already come for us! God has fulfilled salvation through the Son, Who is with us every day, He sent the Comforter, Spirit filling our hearts of fearlessness, strength and song of praise. So, for us every day is the day of the Lord, and today also. Don’t we try to hide?

At first glance, the coming Savior is portrayed as a fearsome judge dealing with sinners, which would seem to be confirmed by the words that He will kill the wicked. But then we read that the wolf will lie down with the lamb, and the lion will eat straw. That means cruelty and predatory ways will no longer reign, not only in human society but even in nature. But if violence will not be needed even to protect lambs, why then kill a wicked human being?

These words, apparently, still refer not to sinful people who are under the power of evil, but to the inspirer of evil, the ancient tempter who provokes people to sin in the hope of enslaving their souls. In that case, the words about the victory over him, accomplished by the spirit of the Savior's mouth, should be understood as a prophecy of the Lord's final victory over every evil, which is to come at the end of time.

It may appear that different events are joined in the prophecy: the final victory over evil and the more immediate deliverance of the people from captivity. But there is no contradiction here; the joyful pictures of the people's liberation from foreign oppressors were seen by Isaiah as a foreshadowing of the coming victory of truth and justice for all nations. For every genuine good is a particle of that great good coming from the Lord, which in the end must triumph.