Isaiah 12 is a hymn of praise. Isaiah prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah and in one sense he is looking ahead to Judah’s return from exile in Babylon. That was the more immediate relevance for the original audience. When God delivers Israel from powerful oppressors by a mighty act, they cannot help but to give thanks (12:1, 4) and make known among the nations what he has done (12:4-5; Psalms 66:1-12; 105:1-6). Those recently returned from exile and now living in Zion must sing for joy because God is in their midst (12:6).
However, Isaiah was also offering the people a broader perspective than the sufferings they were enduring. He wanted to encourage them with hope from God. In a sense, Isaiah compared Israel’s new exodus from the nations with the old Exodus from Egypt. But this passage also looks ahead to people’s exodus from the bondage of sin and death that Christ leads people out of. And that is the relevance for us today.
This Sunday we will take a closer look at Isaiah chapter 12 and what it means for Christians today.