Transcript

ANNOUNCER: In Isaiah 52:1-3, there is a salvation mentioned that is without cost. Is this talking about eternal salvation? And who is he talking to? What are the possibilities here? Let’s have a discussion about it today here on Grace in Focus. We are a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. We come to you each weekday and we’re glad you’re with us today. Our website is faithalone.org and at that website there are many things that may interest you. We have a number of articles that we’ve written, different topics. If there’s something that you have a question about, it’s likely there’s an article there that you can read. You will also find our blogs and our bookstore where Bob Wilkin’s latest book, The Gospel is Still Under Siege, is available. It’s all at faithalone.org.

 And now with today’s question and answer discussion, here are Ken Yates and Kathryn Wright. 

KEN: And we have a question that has sprung from a conversation we had with Bob and this is not Bob Wilkins. We know a lot of Bob’s. 

KATHRYN: We do know a lot of Bob’s. 

KEN: But anyway, from Bob, he was asking about the redemption that’s in Isaiah. 

KATHRYN: And specifically the, I’m not sure redemption so much is the free salvation. I’m going to use the word salvation very broadly here. But yeah, what does Isaiah mean when he talks about that the nation will be saved without cost or without money? 

KEN: Right. And an example of that is, and I’m going to read this verse in Isaiah chapter 52 verse 3. Let me just put it a plug. You know, GES is putting together the Old Testament commentary and Kathryn here is the one who is doing the book of Isaiah. So in Isaiah chapter 52 verse 3, and as I read this verse for all of our listeners, when you hear these words, is this talking about the offer of eternal life? Or is it talking about something else? Because when we, when we first hear these words, I think even a lot of grace people might be tempted to say, well, this is talking about eternal life because here’s what Isaiah says: “For thus says the Lord, you have sold yourselves for nothing and you shall be redeemed without money.” Or we would say without cost. So you are redeemed without cost. 

KATHRYN: So it’s free. 

KEN: It’s absolutely free. And you know, Zane Hodges’ book. I’m looking at it right now on my shelf. Absolutely Free. And he’s talking about eternal life. So is that what I Isaiah is talking about here in Isaiah 52? And this is not the only place where this salvation or whatever he’s referring to is free. It’s about cost it’s without money. And so again, we would be tempted to say, okay, that’s probably—

KATHRYN: Right. We’re free grace people. So it’s free. It’s eternal life. 

KEN: Now one of the problems we have with this, before we let Kathryn expand on this is in the verse immediately before that. So we’re talking about Isaiah 52:2. He is talking to Jerusalem. And then in verse two, it ends by saying, “O captive daughter of Zion”.

KATHRYN: Also in verse one, “O Jerusalem, the holy city”. 

KEN: Yes. So okay, he’s talking about Jerusalem. Is it legitimate to say, oh, no, this is the church. Obviously we would say, for me to be like, no, no, this is not talking.—or is he talking to Jerusalem, that there’s a time coming when I’m going to give you eternal life, absolutely free. So he’s talking to the Jews. Because obviously Isaiah is not thinking of the Church, because the Church is a mystery, is not revealed in the Old Testament. So as your work on the Old Testament commentary, what have you come up and Bob asked a question about this because Bob took the position that this is talking about the offer of eternal life, right? 

KATHRYN: In a different passage, which maybe we’ll get to, which has similar language, which is in the same book, which is just a few chapters later in chapter 55. Yes, I think that was Bob’s view. And so first, Isaiah at this point is talking to the Babylonian exiles, the Jews that have been taken into captivity by Babylon. And part of the messaging here is that, yes, you were cut off. Yes, the Lord put you in time out, if you will, for those 70 years, because you were dumb dumbs and fell into idolatry and all that, but that he is not forsaken you. 

KEN: Now I’m curious, the phrase when he says, for you have sold yourself for nothing. He’s obviously using that as a, what a contrast or a parallel, you will be redeemed without cause. Right. So you sold yourself—

KATHRYN: Into slavery. The issue here is slavery. They have, they by their actions they enslaved themselves. We could maybe say to sin. And because of that, they were turned over to the wrath of God. 

KEN: When he says for nothing, do you take the view then that you didn’t really get anything in return? 

KATHRYN: Oh, yeah. No, yeah. This was a bad deal. 

KEN: Yeah, you went off in the captivity. And you went there and got nothing in return.

KATHRYN: That’s right. But he’s also speaking here, there’s the immediate context to the readers that are in exile. And part of the messaging there is that God has not forsaken His people. He is going to deliver the Israelites. He is going to preserve a remnant and bring them out of Babylon. But He’s here specifically looking further into the future at the Tribulation period and that there’s going to be a full redemption of the Israelites in the coming of Christ. So there is a foretaste of that in the return of the Babylonian exiles. But the message is the same. God has not forsaken His people.

KEN: Well, I think it’s interesting. You know, we mentioned the word redeemed. And so often people think redeemed is the same thing as being saved from hell. And it’s not, it’s being bought out of slavery. And he says in the first part of this verse, you sold yourself.

KATHRYN: And he also talks about right before that in verse two, shake yourself from the dust arise, sit down, out of Jerusalem, loose yourself from the bonds of your neck. So it’s chains, right, they’ve got chains on. So it’s very much captive daughters of Zion. So the emphasis here is on slavery. 

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KATHRYN: On their servitude of their oppression, he uses that word in verse four. In verse four, he describes Israel’s history as being held captive by the Egyptians, right? We all know the story. They’re in Egypt for 400 years and they are turned into their slaves and then the Lord what—redeems them. Same thing with Assyria who oppressed them and then to the readers—

KEN: That’s also in verse four.

KATHRYN: That’s right. And then the Babylonians who have mocked their God and who have mistreated them. But here again, He’s going to deliver the exiles and He will do the same at the end of the Tribulation period. So no, it’s not the Church. God has not forsaken His people and He’s going to fulfill those promises to them and He’s going to redeem them. 

So when we talk about that redemption, it’s not about the individual receiving eternal life. It is about this tiny, desolate, broken nation is going to be made beautiful once again. 

KEN: They won’t be slaves. 

KATHRYN: They won’t be slaves. And he talks about the beautiful garments that they’re going to wear. And so it’s going to be the idea here is the full scope of their deliverance from their enemies. And I would also add from their servitude to sin. 

KEN: Okay. So that’s what redemption means to be bought out of that. Okay. How is this without cost then? He says this is without cost. Because some people would say, well, wait a second, if I’m going to live holy or even even in the Tribulation period, the Jews who are believers are going to have to repent, call upon the Lord. Is it that work? So what do you think Isaiah means here when he says, I’m going to redeem you without cost? You sold yourself for nothing and I’m going to redeem you without cost. 

KATHRYN: I think a couple things. One being we are right at the edge of the suffering servant description, which is the end of chapter 52 and into obviously we all know Isaiah 53. And the picture of Christ who will suffer and die and then be exalted, which is what is going to—through His sacrifice. It is through His blood that the nation will be delivered in this way that they couldn’t do this in their own power. The nation could never have, it could never come up with this plan, first of all, but could never have redeemed themselves out of their slavery and their, their servitude. It can only be done—

KEN: It’s not, yeah, they couldn’t accomplish it. He’s going to be the source of this redemption, but this redemption is freedom from slavery to sin. 

KATHRYN: Which—that’s the second thing I want to bring out, that verse seven is quoted in Romans 10. And this is where it also can get a little tricky because he talks about the good news or the quote gospel of peace. And Paul’s using it in Romans as he’s talking about the nation of Israel as well. Romans 9, 10 and 11 is all about the nation of Israel. What is God going to do with his people or is He just done with them. And the answer is no, He is going to deliver them at the end of the Tribulation. And they’re going to be a righteous people. They will be holy. They will be faithful, not only have they, but will they believe, but they will be a righteous people and actually fulfill their role, which was always intended for the nation to be a light to the world. 

But it’s interesting here when you look at verse seven and he’s talking about this good news. What is the good news that he says to Zion, your God? 

KEN: There’s Israel again. 

KATHRYN: Israel again. And this is the good news, what? Your God reigns. So it’s looking forward to this kingdom in which Jerusalem, Zion is going to be the center of the world, this city on a hill that will magnify the wisdom and the incredible multifaceted plans that the Lord has always had for Israel. And again, I think going back to this idea that the nations mocked the God of Israel when they saw what happened to them by Babylon. Is that how their God obviously, you know, is a weakling or didn’t really love them. But then by redeeming them out of Babylon, we see that no, the God of Israel is real. 

Isn’t that what happens today? Well, God just got rid of Israel and replaced them with the church. But that one day in His return when He delivers them from the man of sin, we will see that through the Israel that the Lord will be truly glorified. 

KEN: And this is something that Israel could never do for themselves. Like Romans, like you said, salvation there in Romans 10, quotes there in Romans and here in verse 7 is the salvation when they’re delivered. It’s without cost because they’re not going to do it through sacrifices, they’re not going to do it because they’re a good people. God is going to accomplish all this. And the source is Christ. So, well, we hope this does a couple things for you. We hope that it causes you to look at some of these verses in Isaiah differently. And until we meet again, remember, keep grace in focus. 

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On our next episode, hope you’ll join us: a little phrase teachers use—”no fruit, no root”. What does this mean? Hope you’ll join us and until then, let’s keep grace and focus.