Zion is commanded to awake! God's people will be redeemed from their exile, and their captives shall be punished. God once again is promising to keep his people safe, to go ahead of them and to be their rear guard [52:12], just as he did when the Israelites left Egypt.
The end of 52 and all of 53 introduce us again to the Servant. There are two descriptions of the Servant in this section. One refers to his outer form, the other to his works. The Servant is described as being marred, as having no no form, comeliness, or beauty. I think, by this description, that he would blend into the crowd and never be noticed. But he was noticed, and was despised and rejected by men [53:3]. The Servant suffers for us. He suffers both physically [53:5] and spiritually [53:4].
"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him..." [53:10]. God was pleased with this because he knew that it meant that he would be reunited with his people, and this sacrifice would be so great that it would forever blot out their sins.
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors. [53:12]
The Servant's obedience to God and willingness to offer himself as a sacrifice for all of mankind's sins is simply beautiful and awe-inspiring. It is his intercession that saves us, not any work that we accomplish ourselves. We have the benefit of not standing from Isaiah's viewpoint. For us, it is something that has already happened. The world has seen the Servant's arrival, his rejection, his death, and his salvation.
How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
"Your God reigns!" [52:7]
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