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.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over. Isaiah 51:1, 6, 22-23
Beginning in verse 1, above, we see admonition to look in two directions that we might remain mindful. Attentive, first, of the Lord our creator who has made us in His image and His intention that we would walk after Him in His way. Heedful, second, we are not to forget the pit from which we have been pulled, our incarceration before the release afforded us by Jesus. We will only be able to maintain our way on the upward path through gratitude in our relationship in Him and humility that remembers our inability to extract ourselves from the mire. We were utterly unable to turn away from the downward trail we were trudging until we accepted the finished work of Christ and His guiding hand to turn us to the upward way.
Though the heavens be removed and the earth fail, the salvation that God has made available to all who willingly receive it endures forever, because it rests on the eternal foundation of His own nature, which changes not. This salvation is offered freely, a gift beyond human comprehension, more priceless than we have yet understood. Though we ought to remember the pit of the past, increasing appreciation of the life we have been handed does not lie in that direction, but in adoration of the Giver.
Finally, observe verses 22 & 23. Our old lives accrued only wrath. Now, some assert that God’s wrath was vengeful anger directed at His own disobedient children. However, an honest reading of the word will reveal that His heart has ever been for our welfare and not for our destruction. (Deuteronomy 28, Jeremiah 29:11). In Jesus, we find an incalculable love, holding Him to bear all the oppressions of the fetid pit in which we wallowed. No more will the tyrant oppressor walk all over us, for our Savior has imputed to us soaring freedom on wings of light and love.
Merry Christmas, my friends!
Missionary Sojourn 
Jon,
“We were utterly unable to turn away from the downward trail we were trudging until we accepted the finished work of Christ and His guiding hand to turn us to the upward way.”
So beautiful. How wonderful to find your words today! Thank you.
Deb
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Thank you, Deb. Hearing from you is always a day brightener! The Truth is possessed of an intrinsic beauty. When I read Isaiah 53 I am struck by how blinded to that beauty and grace we were before He made it possible for us to know him. May your day be filled with blessings from on high. – Jon
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Aww thank you. Your comment is as beautiful as your post! It’s a good time to say thank you for your wisdom and encouragement over all these years I’ve been writing in this space. Let’s see, that would be eleven years now! I just love your conversations with God. They would remind me of my own and helped me believe I wasn’t just imagining it could be true for me too. May the coming year be filled with blessings from on high too! ♥️
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(Psst, that last sentence should have said, May YOUR coming year be filled…)
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Beautifully said. Merry Christmas.
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Merry Christmas to you Kymber! Thank you.
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The innocence of that newborn baby lasted His whole life. And when He was done with it (both the innocence and the life), He gave it to me. That is a miracle, at Christmas or any other time.
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A miracle. A miracle gift. Merry Christmas to you Steve!
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What if we were to consider that the word “pit” in verse 1 could also translate as “quarry”? Tied to verse 2, how might that impact the meaning? It makes me think of Matthew 3:9 😄
My favorite word that you shared in this post: “However, an honest reading of the word will reveal that His heart has ever been for our welfare and not for our destruction” I love that! Hearty AMEN 👏🤗❤️
Jon, I pray your Christmas was filled with the wonder and awe of Christ, and I speak the presence of Jesus over you and yours in 2025. May it be full of joy and blessings!
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Berean Standard Bible Isaiah 51
Salvation for Zion
1“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut,
and to the quarry from which you were hewn.
2Look to Abraham your father,
and to Sarah who gave you birth.
When I called him, he was but one;
then I blessed him and multiplied him.
3For the LORD will comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
He will make her wilderness like Eden
and her desert like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and melodious song.
I think this rendering in the Berean Bible captures what you have said about this passage. That is one of the marvelous things about the word. There are endless layers and applications. An entire lifetime in insufficient to plumb the depths of it!
Thank you for the blessing! The same grace be manifest at your house!
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That is so true! And thank you, Jon 🤗
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