Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 52:4-10 and Romans 10:9-17
Our reading today is a prophecy of the end times. Specifically, Isaiah speaks of a time when God reigns in Zion (vs. 7). All the watchmen of Israel will shout for joy together when they see God return with their own eyes (vs. 8). This event will be seen all around the world when God comes back to reign in Zion (vs. 10).
This is echoed by John in Revelation:
“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God’” (Rev 21:1-3).
Now that we have the context of this Scripture, there is an interesting rabbit trail we can follow. We can blame Paul for this diversion because he uses this Scripture to preach the gospel of Jesus to the Jews. Hidden inside Isaiah 52:7 is a reference to Jesus even though this verse more generally is speaking about all the prophets who came to Israel.
“How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
‘Your God reigns!’”
Paul writes to the Jews in Romans chapters 9-11 and summarizes for them all the things God has done through Israel and yet they have hardened their hearts towards Him. But God has a plan and that plan is to redeem the nation of Israel and to rule as their King. That time is coming but Jesus had to come first. When he comes again, that will be when Israel is redeemed.
Paul wrote in Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Both Jew and Gentile, if anyone believes in Jesus, they will be saved. God didn’t just send Jesus only for the Jews or only for the Gentiles. He came for all nations.
The Jews at that time would say things to Paul like, “How can we believe in Jesus if we never heard his message?” And “How can we hear this gospel if God didn’t send anyone to preach it to us?” (Romans 10:14-15). The Jews in Rome weren’t visited by Jesus. And the Jews of ancient times couldn’t believe in Jesus because he hadn’t come yet. So the Jews are pushing back on Paul essentially saying that God didn’t send anyone to tell them about Jesus.
Paul then quotes Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” And in the next sentence he would also quote Isaiah 53:1, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Paul then gets to the point and says, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did” (Rom 10:15-18).
Paul then goes on to explain that God has sent Israel prophets from the beginning of time and yet they have rejected them every single time. From the time of Moses until now, Israel has been told that Jesus was coming and they have been nothing but “a disobedient and obstinate people” (Rom 10:21). Even when Jesus himself showed up, they crucified him!
But that’s not the end of the story. Paul then goes on to write:
“Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!” (Rom 11:11-12).
Jesus came to save the world from our sins. More specifically though, Jesus came to save Israel first. Israel is God’s chosen people. Jesus preached to the Jews and they rejected him. So then he preached to the Gentiles and they received him. So what Paul is saying here is that we Gentiles are the beneficiaries of Israel’s rejection. We get salvation so that Israel will be envious of our relationship with God. And it will work!
One day, Jesus will return and Israel will accept him. Paul concluded his rabbit trail to the Jews with that message, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-26).
Jesus will return when the full number of Gentiles have been saved. And Israel will be delivered from all their sins and receive the King of Kings. But to us Gentiles, Paul has a message:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship… For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (Rom 12:1, 3).
We received salvation from God through Jesus as a gift. It’s a gift to us so that he could reach Israel through us. So don’t think you’ve earned anything. We should begin each day with a true evaluation of ourselves. We are instruments of God to share Jesus with all those around us. This is our true and proper worship.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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