Arise and Sit Down...

I was reading where Christ was quoting Isaiah and I got started chasing some scriptures. Nothing I read was new but the imagery and the force of the words really struck me. First consider these words from Isaiah discussing the redemption of Zion. (I am sure that someone has written an entire book on these passages and that is ok, I will apply my own effort in them and be better edified than by reading someone else. I can always read their work another day.)

Isaiah 52

1 AWAKE, awake; put on thy strength , O Zion ; put on thy beautiful garments , O Jerusalem , the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shakethyself from the dust; arise ,and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money .

What a wonderful description of the redemption of His people. The Lord says to awake from sin and despair, get out of the gutter, clean up, stand up, then sit down. In other words, clean up, get out from the world, and sit (I imagine this like sitting at a table, the banquet of the Lord, and I must be presentable before doing this.) How is this done? Well, verse 3 reminds us that my sins are my own (I sell myself for things of no real worth), but through the Savior I can be redeemed without money (through faith).

Isaiah was a master at images and this is one of the best. There is one more image Isaiah give in this chapter that is very intriguing. Note verse 15.

Isa 52

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

The image to Christ as the atoning sacrifice (shall he sprinkle many nations). See my posting on Christ as the final and eternal sacrifice in the Mosaic Law.

An aside: That was my focus from the verse but I find the rest of the verse quite interesting. I imagine that at His coming to the world (for the second time), those people of power who have not had an opportunity to really hear, because no one ever tells people of great riches or power the truth (they don't want to offend), the powerful will not know what to say and they will consider things that they never heard. Anyone with additional thoughts on this is very welcome to comment, or leave a link. The imagery is intriguing.