“The Lord shall arise for battle”
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion. —Isaiah 59:20
Read Isaiah 59:16-21
This chapter must be read in the context of the exile. The people wondered why the Lord did not deliver them from their captivity. Through the mouth of Isaiah, the Lord told His people that His hand could still deliver, but their sins had caused a separation be-tween them and their God. Verse 15 gives a shocking account of their iniquities. The following verse explains that there was no one who judged righteously, and no intercessor for the weak and ungodly people.
But God Himself stood up to fight for His people; He would save them. Scripture uses the image of a soldier preparing for battle and putting on his armour. He puts on righteousness as a coat of mail, protecting his chest. He also places the helmet of salvation on his head. It is remarkable that the Hebrew word indicating salvation also contains the name “Jeshua,” which is translated into English as “Joshua”, or the New Testament equivalent, “Jesus”. And so the term contains more depth than what initially meets the eye. Salvation for God’s people is found in Jesus Christ.
This description of God’s armour in Isaiah compares to what the Apostle Paul has written about the spiritual armour worn by Christians in their battle against the devil and sin (Eph.6:10-20). Do you have this armour?
To whom does Isaiah refer here? Why does he do so?