Isaiah 12:2, commentary and pictures

God himself is the salvation of his people, and as the eternal Lord he is their strength and the theme of their song, having become their deliverance, so they can trust him without fear. This song belongs to the time when his anger is turned away and he comforts his own, and they answer him with praise and rejoicing in his saving power. That salvation becomes personal to those who take hold of heaven's provision by living faith, which is fulfilled in Jesus as the living Advocate who saves completely all who come to God through him. When in mercy he lifts the burden of sin and gives peace, strength, comfort and victory, the sinner lays every trouble at his feet and trusts without fear, discouragement or faint-heartedness. Those who have tasted his goodness are to be joyful in their King, speak of his works intelligently to make him known, and help others still in darkness, with no place for mourning and complaining.

Meaning and Setting

Behold, God himself is salvation, and the LORD JEHOVAH is strength and song and has become salvation, so his people can trust and not be afraid. The verse belongs to the time when his anger is turned away and he comforts his people, and they answer with praise and comfort and rejoicing in his saving power. It is the comfort and praise of his gathered and redeemed people, giving grounds for trust without fear.

At the Feast of Tabernacles its words were sung during the pouring of water at the altar. The poured water recalled the water God brought from the rock for Israel in the wilderness and the stream that refreshed them there. It pictured drawing water with joy from the wells of salvation in Isaiah 12:3, joining praise to the water ceremony with the declaration that God is strength and salvation and the LORD JEHOVAH is strength and song.

In that day the root of Jesse stands as an ensign of the people, the Gentiles seek to him and his rest is glorious. Then the Lord sets his hand the second time to recover the remnant from Assyria and Egypt and Pathros and Cush and Elam and Shinar and Hamath and the islands of the sea. He assembles the outcasts of Israel and gathers the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The praise of the verse includes drawing water with joy from the wells of salvation, praising the Lord, calling on his name, declaring his doings among the people, making mention that his name is exalted, singing because he has done excellent things known in all the earth, and crying out and shouting in Zion because great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst.

The verse will be fulfilled to God's people as soon as they lay off commercial enterprises and burdens he has not placed on them, obtain the robe of Christ's righteousness, answer Christ's prayer, and serve the Lord with all humility in the great work to be done in the world. It was used to celebrate the success of believers' first Sabbath meeting, expressing praise because God's anger has turned away and he has comforted his people.

Trust and Salvation

God himself is salvation to those who lay firm hold on heaven's provision by living faith, trusting him without fear because the Lord Jehovah is strength and song and has become salvation. This is fulfilled in Jesus as the living Advocate who saves to the uttermost all who come to God through him, whom those who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them and have tasted that the Lord is gracious are to tell of and talk of in faith. Believers are to look to him at the cross, trusting him as their strength and salvation and relying wholly on his merits rather than on themselves, for his grace and power are available to all who seek in faith. Applied to the young, Jesus is their strength and righteousness and clothes them with salvation, enabling hope and joy, and joyful praise belongs to God and not to self.

When in mercy God takes the sinner's burdens, sins, remorse and anger, turns away his anger and gives peace, strength, comfort, joy, song and victory, the sinner answers by laying every trouble and perplexity at his feet. The answer is to trust in the Lord without fear, sadness, discouragement or faint-heartedness, being comforted and drawing near with the assurance that he comforts the heart. He is then rejoiced in as strength, song and salvation, praised with light and joy as from the wells of salvation, and this confession follows prayer for deliverance from evil thoughts and perverse actions.

This confident trust draws believers nearer to God with increased faith and firm reliance on his help and power. The Lord Jehovah becomes their strength and sufficiency and the ground for good courage, so that they can be strong in his strength and be fully awake. In that trust there is complete triumph over Satan and sin, and those who so trust become a help and blessing to others as they do his works.

The verse opens the royal path cast up for the ransomed to walk in, a better and safer way through the narrow, conflicting pilgrimage to heaven. On it the Saviour is seen as refuge and as shield to defend from the arrows of Satan. Grace and power are available to all who seek in faith, enabling triumph as the provision is laid hold of by living faith.

Living the Promise

Those who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them and have tasted that the Lord is gracious are commanded to be joyful in their King and to glorify God by offering praise. Really knowing His goodness and power always finds open expression, in meetings and in daily life, in telling of His goodness and leaving no place for mourning and complaining. They are to speak His praises intelligently to make Him known, to talk faith, to tell of Jesus as the living Advocate who saves to the uttermost all who come to God through Him, and so to help others who are in the region and shadow of death. They are to declare His doings among the people and to sing because of His excellent works and His greatness in the midst of Zion.

The promises of the verse are to be practiced by repeating them by day and meditating on them by night, and by being happy in the Saviour as refuge and as shield to defend from the arrows of Satan. It is a precious promise shining with light for those praying for the refreshing streams of the water of life, to be looked at, lingered over, and gathered into the soul. It is to be fed upon, eaten and digested as the precious Word, bringing encouragement, refreshment, light in the Lord, and joy in drawing water out of the wells of salvation.

Rested upon in physical weakness with prayer for helpful words, its truth becomes living reality that gives immediate bodily strength, a clear voice, and power to speak under the Spirit to help and bless hearers including the sick. It renews courage, improves health, imparts the blessing of God, and leaves no weariness. Trusted day by day it gives grace enough for constant, demanding soul-saving labor, reviving mind and body through walking with Christ as companion and receiving His healing touch, while also taking needed periods of rest and bringing cheer into the work.

A will obedient to the will of God sees His salvation through full trust and dependence on the Saviour instead of trust in human understanding. The Lord is strength and sufficiency and the ground for good courage, in whose strength His people can be strong and fully awake at this time. This requires immediate obedience to whatever God commands without stopping to defend party names, putting away a separating spirit that criticizes, condemns, judges and censures. It recognizes one Leader and Master, Christ the Majesty of heaven and King of glory through whom all can be saved, refuses for any person to rule, command and judge another since there is but one Lawgiver to whom every person is directly accountable, loves God supremely and neighbor as self, and acts out Christ's example in every detail by loving righteousness and hating iniquity through sanctifying grace.