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Isaiah 60: Arise and Shine
Introduction: The context of Isaiah 60 follows the depressing picture of chapter 59 – our sins separated us from God, and even though we realized our condition and confessed to God agreement with his assessment of our sins, we could not escape our condition. There was no intercessor. Therefore, God became the intercessor. His own arm brought him salvation. But the result was not just our forgiveness. Chapter 60 asks us to lift up our eyes to see how much more God has done.
Understanding the Message of the Chapter
Notice the beginning of verse one and verse 4: “Arise and shine…” and “Lift up your eyes all around and see.” These are the only two commands in the chapter. Everything else is God showing his people what he has done. This is what happens when “the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Therefore, we want to pay careful attention to these commands and to understand what it means to respond to these commands. However, before we can properly respond, we want to discover what the Lord wants us to “Lift up our eyes” and see.
The first thing I want you to notice is that in spite of the world being in thick darkness, the Lord gives us light and the “nations shall come to your light!” In other words, we must not be discouraged by the darkness around us. “Arise and shine” and the nations will come!
Notice the word “for” in verse 1 and in the beginning in verse 2. God is giving the explanation of why we are to “arise and shine” and why we are to “lift up our eyes all around and see.” God wants us to see and be amazed at what he is doing. The only way that happens is if I appreciate the hopelessness of chapter 59 and therefore appreciate the reversal.
There is only one source of light in the midst of darkness. We should not be surprised that the world wanders in darkness; we see it all around us, even “thick darkness.” Only in Jesus do we find light. We need to consider how special that is! Every day we should give thanks to God for not leaving us in darkness. This is the mood of the chapter, calling us to see what God has done.
Why is it so important for us to not only acknowledge this, but to continue to be in awe and to lift up our eyes and see? It is because the more grand and amazing we see God in our eyes, the more our hearts turn toward him and the more we realize that “he is our everything; he is our all.” It causes us to passionately pursue him so that we are filled with all his fulness. Bottom line: this is the answer for every Christian who isn’t excited about their Christian life! The answer isn’t for someone to preach at you and make you feel guilty. The answer isn’t for you to feel guilty that you don’t have what others seem to have. The answer is recognizing chapter 59 so you can truly be amazed at chapter 60!
Consider: look at Israel, the physical nation. What do you see? Stubborn, rebellious, repeatedly turning back to sin after being delivered (Judges). What else do you see? God’s judgments that indicate his utter disgust with their sins and his pouring out of his wrath on them. Take a moment to read Lamentations 2. The prophet portrays the wrath of God, picturing in an earthly sense what hell will be and what you and I deserved. As you read, you are hit with a blast of the fiery breath of God, God brought the Babylonians and made this happen; this is my wages from my sins. I am Israel! But as 59:15 states, “The Lord saw it, and it displeased him.” And now his light has shone and his glory has come. Every breath you take is God’s restoration; God’s reversal of his judgment because of his mighty arm.
To thoroughly understand the next number of verses, please continue the Jeremiah picture in Lamentations. Isaiah foretold it, but Jeremiah saw it. Sit with Jeremiah in the city. What do you see? Babies, children, young women, old women, old men slaughtered in the streets, bodies rotting. And everyone else who wasn’t slaughtered is gone, taken to other countries as slaves. The few left in the countryside have cried till they can cry no more. The beautiful city that once stood for righteousness is in ruins It is hopeless; it is the end. We will never see our sons and daughters again. Now we can read verse 4ff:
Seeing God’s Restoration: 4-22
Verses 4-7: What do you see?
Suddenly when God’s glory rises, multitudes begin to return, sons and daughters and babies carried on the hip. What a sight!
And they come with an abundance of wealth replacing all the treasures that had been taken away by the enemy nations. In fact, the nations are sending their wealth as well.
Just as suddenly, there are camels from Africa and the far east, multitudes of them. They are carrying silver and gold and the precious frankincense (remember Matthew 2 and the wise men? That’s just a flicker of what will be).
Even more amazing, is these Gentiles are coming to serve in God’s house and are “accepted at God’s altar” (vs. 7). They have heard of the glory of the Lord and are telling the “good news.” Why did all this happen? Because the glory of the Lord “has risen on you…and his glory will be seen upon you.” God’s people are reflecting the glory of God throughout the world and bringing the world into God’s temple. God’s glory is the draw; it is magnetic.
Notice also that by this God is beautifying his temple, his beautiful house. No longer is God’s temple filled with wickedness and profaning his holy name. In fact, look further at verse 9, “because he has made you beautiful.” We are now his temple, and he has beautified us which bring praises to God throughout the world. Notice, even Midian has returned to glorify God!
Now go back to verses 1-2. Does this describe you? Does this describe the picture Luke gives us of Christians in the book of Acts? It certainly does. Now you know why “they went everywhere preaching the word.” You know why after being beaten the apostles went right back to the temple and continued teaching. You know why Luke’s message was, nothing stopped them!
Verses 8-14
These from the Gentile nations come like flying clouds and doves who return to their natural home. The coastlands, all the way to Spain (Tarshish) are no more enemies, but are now hoping in the Lord and bringing their wealth into God’s temple. Is this the way you view your experience in God’s kingdom? In other words, are we so in tune with God’s cause, God’s love for the nations, God’s power to change an unrighteous, rebellious heart to a person who glorifies him – does that cause us to “rise and shine?” Does that cause us to “lift up our eyes and see” and be amazed at what God has done? Is this what “church” is about for you? You see, we are a “group” of disciples, but God is saying, “Open you eyes and see what I am doing throughout the world – come and be a part of it!”
As we read 10-14, keep in mind that God is referring to the Kingdom of Christ. Foreigners and kings will be a part of building God’s restored kingdom. This could not refer to Nehemiah’s return since he would not allow the foreigners to help built the walls.
Now God is showing mercy instead of wrath for their rebellious deeds. Their gates are open continually, indicating that there is no fear of attack and that all who desire God’s mercy can enter.
Verse 12 gives a strong warning very similar to Psalm 2. Those who rebel against God’s King and refuse his mercy, will perish. Remember, this is an offer of mercy through the Messiah. The whole world deserves the wrath of God, but when God offers mercy through the Suffering Servant and that mercy is rejected, the wrath of God still stands. In John 12:46-47, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness…for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”
Verse 13-14: just as when Solomon built the temple and used the cedars of Lebanon and the best materials to beautify it, the so the best are coming into God’s new temple. Even those who were most dangerous and brutal nations are now submitting to God and joining God’s people. This is a reminder that the most sinful people will turn to God.
Verses 15-18
The idea of verses 15-16 is that God has permanently restored the people to glory. The Lord will change the attitude of the nations so that they come with the best, signified by rich milk, with “breasts” implying intimate, loving care. The idea is that God’s people have a transformed relationship with the world (2 Cor. 5:16). In the days of physical Israel it was “us versus them.” But no more. “All are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28-29). Of course, the reason all this happens is God being Savior and Redeemer.
The bronze/iron comparison to gold reminds us of when Rehoboam lost all the gold and silver in the temple to the Egyptians and had to replace it with bronze. In other words, the worst of the past is transformed into the best. Righteousness and peace is what will govern God’s people from this point on. The old taskmasters and overseers will be gone. There is no more violence and destruction. Now their new culture will be Salvation and Praise. This is the culture we should always see among us! Again, don’t think of a physical temple. This is a description of us, of God’s people in the Messiah. We are the ones who become gold and silver instead of bronze and iron. We are the ones who live under the rule of peace and righteousness.
Verses 19-22
19-20: in the prophets, the sun rising with brightness and light is always a picture of joy and goodness. However, the sun going down with the coming of darkness always indicates defeat and a lack of joy. In God’s kingdom God is always the light and there will never again be darkness. You see this at the end of verse 20, “your days of mourning shall be ended.” There are two ways we see this fulfilled in the NT:
First, Paul’s words in Phil. 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice…be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Revelation 21:22-26 actually quotes this text to apply to our heavenly reward.
How are we to understand, “possess the land forever?”
- Amos 9:11-15, etc.
- Hebrews 6:13-20
Vs. 21, “that I might be glorified…” God is glorified in what we have become as a new creation. Eph. 2:8-10, “…and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works.” This is God’s eternal purpose. This is the primary reason he saved us, not simply for forgiveness, but to transform us into his image and show the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places his manifold wisdom.
- Ezekiel 36:22 “Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations.”
- Ezekiel 36:23 “And the nations will know that I am the Lord, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.”
- Ezekiel 36:31-32 “Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways.”
- Bottom line, we are not to simply live to make sure we are “forgiven enough” to make it to heaven. We are to live so our God is glorified, reflecting what he did to change us into a people who reflect the glory of God.
Conclusion for Our Lives
Go back to verses 1-2. Paul makes reference to this in Ephesians 5:6-17. God has recreated us into his image so that we shine with his light and the “the nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (3).
The reason this draw will be powerful is because of the strong contrast between light and darkness. You notice that the darkness does not go away. The world is covered in darkness. Now in the context, what is the response of God’s people? The natural reaction might be to hide, keep silent, or fear. But Isaiah prophesies the opposite. We are to use the opportunity of “thick darkness” covering the earth to “shine” and all the more reflect the glory of God. When darkness is great, light becomes more attractive.
Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:7–14 ESV)
Berry Kercheville