Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; “for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2).
In this “Hymn of Praise,” the Prophet Isaiah gives us divine instructions in who God is, what He has done, and His people’s response to Him! He begins each stanza by saying, “and in that day you will.” The day of deliverance was/is coming for God’s people! And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say: ‘Praise the Lord, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things; this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst’” (Isaiah 12:1-6)!
In these verses, the Prophet praises God because His anger has been turned away and Israel has been comforted. Isaiah exclaims that God is his salvation which results in trust and fearlessness. He declares that the Lord is the source of strength, salvation, and Israel’s song. He has become their “salvation” which includes joy, peace of mind, deliverance, and prosperity. As a result of the Lord’s forgiveness, His anger has been turned away, and His comfort has become identifiable and quantifiable, which means God’s comfort could/can now be felt and measured. What God did for Israel, He does for believers today! Therefore, we can take comfort in that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We experience God’s blessings as did Israel and will also shout our praise, calling on His name, declaring His deeds and proclaiming that His name is to be exalted throughout the earth! The Prophet encourages Israel to cry out and shout because of the goodness and greatness of God in their midst. We too are encouraged by reading these verses and will unashamedly praise God who is in the midst of us!