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Isaiah 51:1
Verse
Context
Salvation for Zion
1“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn. 2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.
Sermons
David Wilkerson
Alan RedpathDavid Wilkerson
Alan Cairns
Chuck Smith
Art KatzSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Ye that follow after righteousness - The people who, feeling the want of salvation, seek the Lord in order to be justified. The rock - Abraham. The hole of the pit - Sarah; as explained in Isa 51:2.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness,.... After having declared the doom of the wicked, and those that trust to their own righteousness, the Lord returns to them that fear him, whom he describes as such that "follow after righteousness"; not the righteousness of the law, it is the character of carnal Israel to follow after that; nor is that attainable in the way it is pursued by such; nor is there any justification by it; nor is following that consistent with seeking the Lord, in the next clause: but the righteousness of Christ is meant; not his essential righteousness as God; nor the righteousness of his office as Mediator; but that which consists of his active and passive obedience; of which he is the author and giver, and is in him as its subject: this is what is commonly called imputed righteousness, an evangelical one, the righteousness of faith, and is justifying: "following after" this supposes a want of one; a sense of that want; a view of this as out of themselves, and in another; a love and liking of it, and a vehement desire for it; and what determines to an eager pursuit of it are its perfection, suitableness, and use: now such persons are called to hearken to the Lord; to the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; to Christ, to his Gospel, and to his ordinances, particularly to what is after said: ye that seek the Lord: the Lord Christ, for life and salvation; for righteousness and strength; for more grace from him; a greater knowledge of him, and of doctrine from him, as the Targum; and more communion with him; that seek his honour and glory in the world, and to be for ever with him; who seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; that seek him where he may be found, affectionately and sincerely, carefully, diligently, constantly, and for everything they want: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn; which is in the next verse interpreted of Abraham; so called, not so much for the strength of his faith, as for his old age; when he looked like a hard dry rock, from whom no issue could be expected; and yet from hence a large number of stones were hewn, or a race of men sprung: and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged; that is, to Sarah, who was for a long time barren, whose womb was shut up, but afterwards opened; and from whom, as from a cistern, (to which a wife is sometimes compared, Pro 5:15) flowed the waters of Judah, Isa 48:1 or the Jewish nation. Jerom thinks Christ is meant by both, the Rock of ages, in whom is everlasting strength; to whom men are to look for salvation, righteousness, and strength; and out of whose pierced side flowed blood and water: and in this sense he is followed by Cocceius, who interprets the rock of Christ, the Rock of salvation; out of whose side flowed the church, as out of the hole of a pit or cistern.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Observe, 1. How the people of God are here described, to whom the word of this consolation is sent and who are called upon to hearken to it, Isa 51:1. They are such as follow after righteousness, such as are very desirous and solicitous both to be justified and to be sanctified, are pressing hard after this, to have the favour of God restored to them and the image of God renewed on them. These are those that seek the Lord, for it is only in the say of righteousness that we can seek him with any hope of finding him. 2. How they are here directed to look back to their original, and the smallness of their beginning: "Look unto the rock whence you were hewn" (the idolatrous family in Ur of the Chaldees, out of which Abraham was taken, the generation of slaves which the heads and fathers of their tribes were in Egypt); "look unto the hole of the pit out of which you were digged, as clay, when God formed you into a people." Note, It is good for those that are privileged by a new birth to consider what they were by their first birth, how they were conceived in iniquity and shapen in sin. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. How hard was that rock out of which we were hewn, unapt to receive impressions, and how miserable the hole of that pit out of which we were digged! The consideration of this should fill us with low thoughts of ourselves and high thoughts of divine grace. Those that are now advanced would do well to remember how low they began (Isa 51:2): "Look unto Abraham your father, the father of all the faithful, of all that follow after the righteousness of faith as he did (Rom 4:11), and unto Sarah that bore you, and whose daughters you all are as long as you do well. Think how Abraham was called alone, and yet was blessed and multiplied; and let that encourage you to depend upon the promise of God even when a sentence of death seems to be upon all the means that lead to the performance of it. Particularly let it encourage the captives in Babylon, though they are reduced to a small number, and few of them left, to hope that yet they shall increase so as to replenish their own land again." When Jacob is very small, yet he is not so small as Abraham was, who yet became father of many nations. "Look unto Abraham, and see what he got by trusting in the promise of God, and take example by him to follow God with an implicit faith." 3. How they are here assured that their present seedness of tears should at length end in a harvest of joys, Isa 51:3. The church of God on earth, even the gospel Zion, has sometimes had her deserts and waste places, many parts of the church, through either corruption or persecution, made like a wilderness, unfruitful to God or uncomfortable to the inhabitants; but God will find out a time and way to comfort Zion, not only by speaking comfortably to her, but by acting graciously for her. God has comforts in store even for the waste places of his church, for those parts of it that seem not regarded or valued. (1.) He will make them fruitful, and so give them cause to rejoice; her wildernesses shall put on a new face, and look pleasant as Eden, and abound in all good fruits, as the garden of the Lord. Note, It is the greatest comfort of the church to be made serviceable to the glory of God, and to be as his garden in which he delights. (2.) He will make them cheerful, and so give them hearts to rejoice. With the fruits of righteousness, joy and gladness shall be found therein; for the more holiness men have, and the more good they do, the more gladness they have. And where there is gladness, to their satisfaction, it is fit that there should be thanksgiving, to God's honour; for whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving; and the returns of God's favour ought to be celebrated with the voice of melody, which will be the more melodious when God gives songs in the night, songs in the desert.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
51:1-8 This prophecy calls for trust in the Lord. Each of its three units begins with the phrase, Listen to me (51:1, 4, 7). 51:1 The rock and the quarry represent Abraham and Sarah (51:2).
Isaiah 51:1
Salvation for Zion
1“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn. 2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
A Prophecy for Russia and America
By David Wilkerson7.3K1:02:48ProphecyISA 40:9ISA 50:2ISA 51:1ISA 51:7In this sermon, the preacher expresses frustration and anger towards the wickedness in the world, particularly highlighting a case where a young man who had beaten up an elderly man and was shot while running away sued the police department and won a large sum of money. The preacher believes that these actions are the work of the devil trying to destroy the church. However, the preacher reminds the audience that God does not respond with fire and destruction, but rather calls a conference in heaven to address the concerns of his people. The sermon then shifts to a message about the great moving of the Holy Spirit on the youth and the expansion of the church. The preacher emphasizes that God is making his final move against the devil and that his children will be protected. The sermon concludes with a reference to Isaiah 51, where the prophet encourages those who seek righteousness to trust in God and not fear the reproach of men.
A Word for the Down-Hearted
By Alan Redpath5.4K29:12DiscouragementISA 50:4ISA 51:1ISA 51:3ISA 51:7JOL 2:25PHP 3:13In this sermon, the preacher addresses those who are feeling discouraged and downhearted. God speaks to His people, urging them to listen to Him amidst the various voices they have been hearing. The preacher emphasizes the importance of truly hearing and understanding God's message. He encourages the listeners to look back at their past and recognize their humble origins, which deepens humility and magnifies God's grace. The preacher also highlights the need to have faith in God's ability to restore and make use of their lives, even in seemingly hopeless situations.
God's Grief Over His People
By David Wilkerson3.5K42:50RepentanceEXO 20:3PSA 37:7ISA 51:1ISA 58:1MAT 6:33ROM 15:4HEB 3:12In this sermon, the minister shares various stories and concerns about the state of the church and God's people. He mentions a pastor whose wife left him, grandparents who feel disconnected from their Christian grandchildren, and a church in New Jersey that has started incorporating ballroom dancing into their services. The minister also shares a powerful testimony of a woman named Lucy who had a personal encounter with Jesus, where he expressed his weariness with his bride, the church. The sermon emphasizes the need for God's people to love and prioritize their relationship with Him, as He desires to be loved by His bride.
18th Century: Revolution and Revival
By Alan Cairns2.1K1:05:59Revival HistoryISA 51:1ISA 51:9In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of preaching the word of God. He shares an anecdote about a television producer who was surprised by the length of his sermon, highlighting the prevailing attitude towards preaching in England. The preacher compares the perception of preaching as foolishness in the days of the apostles, Whitfield, Wesley, and Edwards, to the present day. He also mentions the powerful impact of George Whitfield's preaching, describing how he was able to vividly portray heaven, hell, and the day of judgment, leading to filled churches and revival in New England. The sermon encourages a renewed focus on the power and significance of preaching the gospel.
(Through the Bible) Isaiah 51-52
By Chuck Smith1.4K38:53ISA 51:1In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Isaiah chapters 51 through 55 and how they prophesy the suffering and rejection of Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah accurately describes what would happen to Jesus, even though these prophecies were written 600 years before his birth. The preacher emphasizes the importance of following after righteousness and seeking the Lord. He also addresses the question of why God allows evil to persist and why He doesn't immediately punish evildoers. The sermon concludes with the promise of God's restoration of the earth and the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ bringing peace and salvation.
Revival Is Also Being Faithful in the Small Things
By Alan Martin1.3K00:00FaithfulnessISA 51:1In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the power of the gospel and the expansion of the kingdom of God. He mentions that despite the small number of believers compared to the world population, the gospel is reaching every continent. The speaker also acknowledges the weakness in the church and the need for revival. He shares his own experience of being stirred by a message but realizing that true fruitfulness comes from submitting to the Holy Spirit. The speaker encourages believers to strengthen one another and to teach the foundational principles of God's word. He emphasizes the importance of living in a way that confirms the reality of God's presence in our lives and sharing this gospel with sinners.
The Gospel to the Jew First
By Art Katz1.3K1:04:11Gospel To JewsISA 51:1HAB 2:4ROM 1:161CO 15:3The sermon transcript begins with the speaker expressing a desire to start from verse 1 of the book of Romans but instead starts from verse 16. The speaker discusses Paul's salutation and introduction to the Roman congregation, highlighting his affection and desire to visit them. The speaker then focuses on verse 16, where Paul declares his lack of shame in the gospel, emphasizing its power for salvation to both Jews and Greeks. The transcript also includes a personal anecdote about attending a Jewish service and facing hostility for preaching the gospel.
Dizzy Heights
By Charles Anderson84845:01Christian LifeISA 51:1MAT 6:33EPH 2:1EPH 2:12In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the profound message found in Ephesians chapter 2. He compares the spiritual journey to climbing the peaks of the Swiss Alps, emphasizing the rare atmosphere one experiences when reaching the peak. The preacher shares a story about sharing the gospel with a Japanese woman, highlighting the simplicity and power of John 3:16. He then delves into the three different attitudes towards sin and the world that are outlined in Ephesians 2, emphasizing the need for moral strength to resist and overcome the world's influence.
Gospel of John (Study 9 of 24, Chap 3 Cont)
By G.W. North11452:16Christian LifeISA 51:1MAT 6:33JHN 3:29JHN 3:36EPH 3:18In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of seeing and experiencing the love of God in our lives. He warns about the consequences of not recognizing this love, which is ultimately the wrath of God. The preacher then introduces the story of Jesus and the woman at the well as an example of how we can be a source of spiritual refreshment for others. He encourages the audience to fully surrender to God and to immerse themselves in His Word, rejecting laziness and relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance.
Small Beginnings
By K.P. Yohannan0PrideHumilityDEU 32:102CH 26:52CH 26:15ISA 51:1HOS 2:1JAS 4:6K.P. Yohannan reflects on the life of King Uzziah, who, despite his young age and inexperience, sought God's guidance and prospered due to his humility. However, as he grew strong, pride crept into his heart, leading to his downfall when he violated God's laws and was struck with leprosy. Yohannan warns that this story serves as a serious reminder for believers and ministries to guard against pride and remember their humble beginnings. He emphasizes that forgetting where we came from can lead to a loss of God's grace, which is essential for our spiritual journey. The sermon encourages maintaining humility and dependence on God to avoid the destructive path of pride.
Your Real Nature
By Ernest O'Neill0ISA 51:1MAT 25:31MRK 15:34JHN 15:5ROM 8:172CO 5:19EPH 1:11PHP 2:5COL 3:3Ernest O'Neill preaches about our true identity as beings created inside Christ, emphasizing that we are part of the Great Human, Jesus Christ, who is both God and man. He explains that God's nature is to bear the consequences of His actions, including giving us freedom inside His Son, and that we are made to live in active trust and submission to God's will. O'Neill highlights the dangers of rejecting our real nature by either rising against it or passively withdrawing from it, leading to disorientation and despair.
The Pressing Problem
By Hyman Appelman0ISA 51:1LUK 7:19LUK 12:32JHN 14:6ROM 8:28ROM 8:32Hyman Appelman preaches on the story of John the Baptist sending his disciples to Jesus to inquire if He is the Messiah. Just like John, we often face temptations and doubts about the person, passion, power, and program of Jesus Christ, which can undermine our faith and vitality. Despite our failures, insufficiencies, inactivity, and impatience, we are encouraged to turn to Jesus, the Rock of Ages, who offers help, stability, and assurance in times of trouble and doubt. Through examining Jesus' credentials, including His atonement, resurrection, and the testimony of believers, we find the answer to our doubts and the power to overcome challenges.
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Ye that follow after righteousness - The people who, feeling the want of salvation, seek the Lord in order to be justified. The rock - Abraham. The hole of the pit - Sarah; as explained in Isa 51:2.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness,.... After having declared the doom of the wicked, and those that trust to their own righteousness, the Lord returns to them that fear him, whom he describes as such that "follow after righteousness"; not the righteousness of the law, it is the character of carnal Israel to follow after that; nor is that attainable in the way it is pursued by such; nor is there any justification by it; nor is following that consistent with seeking the Lord, in the next clause: but the righteousness of Christ is meant; not his essential righteousness as God; nor the righteousness of his office as Mediator; but that which consists of his active and passive obedience; of which he is the author and giver, and is in him as its subject: this is what is commonly called imputed righteousness, an evangelical one, the righteousness of faith, and is justifying: "following after" this supposes a want of one; a sense of that want; a view of this as out of themselves, and in another; a love and liking of it, and a vehement desire for it; and what determines to an eager pursuit of it are its perfection, suitableness, and use: now such persons are called to hearken to the Lord; to the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; to Christ, to his Gospel, and to his ordinances, particularly to what is after said: ye that seek the Lord: the Lord Christ, for life and salvation; for righteousness and strength; for more grace from him; a greater knowledge of him, and of doctrine from him, as the Targum; and more communion with him; that seek his honour and glory in the world, and to be for ever with him; who seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; that seek him where he may be found, affectionately and sincerely, carefully, diligently, constantly, and for everything they want: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn; which is in the next verse interpreted of Abraham; so called, not so much for the strength of his faith, as for his old age; when he looked like a hard dry rock, from whom no issue could be expected; and yet from hence a large number of stones were hewn, or a race of men sprung: and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged; that is, to Sarah, who was for a long time barren, whose womb was shut up, but afterwards opened; and from whom, as from a cistern, (to which a wife is sometimes compared, Pro 5:15) flowed the waters of Judah, Isa 48:1 or the Jewish nation. Jerom thinks Christ is meant by both, the Rock of ages, in whom is everlasting strength; to whom men are to look for salvation, righteousness, and strength; and out of whose pierced side flowed blood and water: and in this sense he is followed by Cocceius, who interprets the rock of Christ, the Rock of salvation; out of whose side flowed the church, as out of the hole of a pit or cistern.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Observe, 1. How the people of God are here described, to whom the word of this consolation is sent and who are called upon to hearken to it, Isa 51:1. They are such as follow after righteousness, such as are very desirous and solicitous both to be justified and to be sanctified, are pressing hard after this, to have the favour of God restored to them and the image of God renewed on them. These are those that seek the Lord, for it is only in the say of righteousness that we can seek him with any hope of finding him. 2. How they are here directed to look back to their original, and the smallness of their beginning: "Look unto the rock whence you were hewn" (the idolatrous family in Ur of the Chaldees, out of which Abraham was taken, the generation of slaves which the heads and fathers of their tribes were in Egypt); "look unto the hole of the pit out of which you were digged, as clay, when God formed you into a people." Note, It is good for those that are privileged by a new birth to consider what they were by their first birth, how they were conceived in iniquity and shapen in sin. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. How hard was that rock out of which we were hewn, unapt to receive impressions, and how miserable the hole of that pit out of which we were digged! The consideration of this should fill us with low thoughts of ourselves and high thoughts of divine grace. Those that are now advanced would do well to remember how low they began (Isa 51:2): "Look unto Abraham your father, the father of all the faithful, of all that follow after the righteousness of faith as he did (Rom 4:11), and unto Sarah that bore you, and whose daughters you all are as long as you do well. Think how Abraham was called alone, and yet was blessed and multiplied; and let that encourage you to depend upon the promise of God even when a sentence of death seems to be upon all the means that lead to the performance of it. Particularly let it encourage the captives in Babylon, though they are reduced to a small number, and few of them left, to hope that yet they shall increase so as to replenish their own land again." When Jacob is very small, yet he is not so small as Abraham was, who yet became father of many nations. "Look unto Abraham, and see what he got by trusting in the promise of God, and take example by him to follow God with an implicit faith." 3. How they are here assured that their present seedness of tears should at length end in a harvest of joys, Isa 51:3. The church of God on earth, even the gospel Zion, has sometimes had her deserts and waste places, many parts of the church, through either corruption or persecution, made like a wilderness, unfruitful to God or uncomfortable to the inhabitants; but God will find out a time and way to comfort Zion, not only by speaking comfortably to her, but by acting graciously for her. God has comforts in store even for the waste places of his church, for those parts of it that seem not regarded or valued. (1.) He will make them fruitful, and so give them cause to rejoice; her wildernesses shall put on a new face, and look pleasant as Eden, and abound in all good fruits, as the garden of the Lord. Note, It is the greatest comfort of the church to be made serviceable to the glory of God, and to be as his garden in which he delights. (2.) He will make them cheerful, and so give them hearts to rejoice. With the fruits of righteousness, joy and gladness shall be found therein; for the more holiness men have, and the more good they do, the more gladness they have. And where there is gladness, to their satisfaction, it is fit that there should be thanksgiving, to God's honour; for whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving; and the returns of God's favour ought to be celebrated with the voice of melody, which will be the more melodious when God gives songs in the night, songs in the desert.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
51:1-8 This prophecy calls for trust in the Lord. Each of its three units begins with the phrase, Listen to me (51:1, 4, 7). 51:1 The rock and the quarry represent Abraham and Sarah (51:2).