Question 1

What does it mean to look to the rock you were hewn from in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When God says, "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn," He is telling His people to remember where they came from. The “rock” and “pit” point to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was just one man, called out of an idol‑worshiping background, and Sarah was barren. Yet God blessed and multiplied them into a nation. By looking back to them, the people are reminded that God can bring life, growth, and blessing out of very weak beginnings, so they should not lose heart when they feel small or broken.

Question 2

Why are Abraham and Sarah mentioned here, and what is their example?

Accepted Answer

Abraham and Sarah are held up as a living example of what God can do. Abraham was called alone, with no natural power to become a great nation, and Sarah could not have children. Still, God blessed and increased them. This shows that God’s people exist because of His promise and power, not their own strength. In hard times, they are to remember that their whole story started with a miracle of grace. If God began with one old couple and made a people, He can also restore and comfort them again.

Question 3

What does it mean that God will comfort Zion and make her wilderness like Eden?

Accepted Answer

Zion here pictures God’s people and their land, which had become like a wasteland through judgment and exile. God promises to comfort all her waste places and turn her wilderness into something like Eden, His first garden. That means He will bring life where there was barrenness, order where there was ruin, and worship where there was sorrow. The result is joy, gladness, thanksgiving, and singing. This is both about outward restoration and inner, spiritual renewal among His people.

Question 4

How is God’s righteousness and salvation described as everlasting in this passage?

Accepted Answer

God tells His people to look at the heavens and the earth and remember that even these will wear out and pass away. In contrast, He says, “my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” Human life, power, and even the visible world are temporary, but God’s saving work and His way of making people right with Him do not fade. This gives His people deep security. Even if everything else shakes, His promise to save and keep them stands from generation to generation.

Question 5

Why does God tell His people not to fear the reproach and fury of men?

Accepted Answer

The people were afraid of powerful enemies and constant threats. God gently corrects them: why be terrified of people who are like grass and will die, when you belong to the Creator who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth’s foundations? Those who mock and oppress may seem strong, but they are compared to a garment eaten by moths. Their power fades. God Himself is their comforter, and His righteousness and salvation remain. So they are called to remember Him instead of letting fear of people rule their hearts.

Question 6

What is the “arm of the Lord” and why is it called to awake?

Accepted Answer

The “arm of the Lord” is a picture of God’s active power to save. When the people cry, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord,” they are asking God to act again as He did in the past. They recall how He “cut Rahab” and wounded the dragon, a way of speaking about His defeat of Egypt and its ruler, and how He dried up the sea so His ransomed people could pass through. Remembering that earlier rescue encourages them to believe He can again bring them out of their present trouble.

Question 7

Who are the redeemed of the Lord who return with singing to Zion?

Accepted Answer

The redeemed of the Lord are those whom God has bought back out of bondage. In the first sense here, it points to those brought home from exile, no longer captives in a foreign land. God promises they will return to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. Their sorrow and mourning will flee away. This shows that God’s rescue is not only about freedom from chains, but also about deep joy, comfort, and the end of grief as they are restored to His presence and worship.

Question 8

What was happening to God’s people that made these promises needed?

Accepted Answer

God’s people were small, troubled, and felt crushed by stronger nations. Many were in exile, under foreign rule, facing shame, threats, and fear for daily bread. Their land was like a wilderness and their future looked dark. Into this setting, God speaks comfort. He reminds them of their beginnings with Abraham, promises to bring His law and light to the peoples, and declares that the time of captivity will not last. He points back to the rescue from Egypt to show He can again break every oppressor.

Question 9

What does this passage teach about God’s character and how He treats His people?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows God as a comforter, creator, and rescuer. He knows His people feel weak and afraid, and He speaks kindly to them, calling them “my people” and “my nation.” He does not forget His promises but moves to restore waste places and replace mourning with joy. He is powerful over seas, nations, and rulers, yet He uses that power to save and protect the ones He has redeemed. He also cares about what is written in their hearts, calling them those who know righteousness and have His law within.

Question 10

How can believers today apply the message of not fearing man in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When facing criticism, pressure, or even real danger from others, it is easy to let fear of people control us. This passage invites believers to remember who God is: the Maker of heaven and earth, the One whose salvation lasts forever. People, no matter how strong they seem, are like grass and garments that wear out. God’s word, promise, and care do not wear out. So instead of letting daily fears dominate, we can turn our eyes to Him, remember past ways He has helped, and rest in His promise, “Thou art my people.”

Isaiah 51:1

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Salvation for Zion

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Isaiah 51:1

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

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Salvation for Zion

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