NOTES for Isa 60:1-22

A majestic scene unfolds before us: we see Jerusalem triumphant, now a center of attraction for all nations. This was hardly what those who listened to the prophetic words by the rivers of Babylon dreamed of. Their hopes must have been simple and understandable: freedom and a return to their homeland. It is even possible that some of them saw the Lord's calling of their people as a burden beyond their strength. But He who calls people to serve Him also gives them the strength to do so.

And so, behind the events in the earthly history of a small Middle Eastern people, we can discern the outlines of history's deeper course, whose meaning the Lord reveals to us. We see that the exiled Israelites must return to the Promised Land not merely for their own practical interests, but first and foremost to continue there to stand before God and keep their covenant with Him. Then Jerusalem will become a lamp lighting the way to the Lord for all nations.