Isaiah 12:1–6 (ESV)

¹You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
            for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
            that you might comfort me.
²“Behold, God is my salvation;
            I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
            and he has become my salvation.”

            ³With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 

             ⁴And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
            proclaim that his name is exalted.
⁵“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
            let this be made known in all the earth.

This is a beautiful song of praise and thanksgiving.  It is as if Isaiah is saying to the people of Israel, “You need a break from the preaching of repentance and punishment.” Scripture tells many times of God’s people raising their voices with songs of praise to the Almighty. The best example is the Psalms, which was the hymnbook for Old Testament worshippers. These songs tell of the thankfulness and happiness the children of God have in their hearts and minds.

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As joyous as Isaiah and the people were, they began their song by confessing their sins.  They realized God had been angry with them because of their many transgressions.  Then, in the next breath they confidently sang, “Your anger turned away” before going on to profess, “God is my salvation” (1-2).  For Israel “salvation” brought one national event to mind: the defeat of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea (cf. Exodus 14).  They were confident that if God could protect His people through nature, their salvation was secure.

How much confidence in God do you have?  We have never experienced as great an event as ancient Israel did, yet through God’s holy Word, we have witnessed an event that should provide you with motivation to say, “God is my salvation!”  Through faith, you have the privilege to stand at the foot of the cross where God gave of Himself to redeem the whole human race through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Three days later you witness the empty tomb on Easter morning.

Thanks be to God that in Christ we are restored to a right relationship with our heavenly Father and those around us.  So, shout and sing for joy, “O inhabitants of Zion,” for you are right with God!  Rejoice in the abundance of your life, because “the Lord God is [your] strength and [your] song, and He has become [your] salvation!”

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