Isaiah 12

I love Isaiah 12. It is a song of praise following the Messianic prophesy of chapter 11. (There are similarities to the song in Exodus 15 celebrating the first Exodus.)

1 In that day you will say:

'I will praise you, LORD.

Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away

and you have comforted me.

2 Surely God is my salvation:

I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD himself, is my

strength and my defence;

he has become my salvation.'

3 With joy you will draw water 

from the wells of salvation.

4 In that day you will say:

'Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done,

and proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;

let this be known to all the world.

6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.'

In the middle of the two songs there's a prophetic promise of salvation (v3)  "experienced in full measure, like water drawn at will from inexhaustible wells. The result is joy.... In the end this comfort (salvation) can be found only by fleeing into the arms of the righteous God whose wrath we have incurred (v1)." (Barry Webb)

A theme of ch 1-11 of Isaiah has been God's holiness. A climax is reached (v6) as the Holy One is described as dwelling in the midst of  his people (see Rev 21.1-5)!

Barry Webb (BST):

"The two songs of this chapter celebrate good news which, in the end, cannot be contained (v4-6). It must be proclaimed far and wide, for only as the nations hear of the LORD's glorious deeds will they be able to recognize at last that he alone is God, and come to Zion to learn of his ways,

Many peoples will come and say,

'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.' (2.3)

Thankfulness and praise overflow, as they always must, into evangelism."