Commentary - Isaiah 12:1-3

Bird's-eye view

Isaiah 12 is a short psalm of praise, a burst of doxology that erupts after the grand prophecy of the Messiah's kingdom in chapter 11. It is the fitting response to the revelation of the Branch from the stump of Jesse, the one upon whom the Spirit of Yahweh rests. This chapter is what the redeemed sing when they finally grasp what God has done. It is a song for "that day," the day of salvation, the day when the Root of Jesse stands as a banner for the peoples. The chapter divides neatly into two parts: a personal testimony of salvation (vv. 1-3) and a corporate call to worldwide praise (vv. 4-6). It is a microcosm of the Christian life, moving from individual conversion and assurance to the great missionary task of the Church. Here we find the gospel in miniature: God's anger turned away through a substitutionary work, resulting in comfort, trust, and overflowing joy.

This is the songbook of the redeemed. It is what you sing when you move from the demerits of your sin under God's wrath to the sheer, unadulterated grace of His salvation. The central theme is salvation, mentioned three times, and it is a salvation that is not an abstract concept but is embodied in a person: "God is my salvation." This is a profoundly Christological chapter, for Yahweh has become our salvation in the person of Jesus. The imagery of drawing water from the springs of salvation points to the work of the Holy Spirit, poured out on the people of God, quenching a thirst we could never satisfy on our own. This is the song of a people set free, a people who were once under wrath but are now secure in the Lord's comfort.

Outline

Context In Isaiah

Isaiah 12 cannot be understood apart from what immediately precedes it. Isaiah 11 describes the coming of the Messiah, the Branch from Jesse's stump (Isa. 11:1). This king will rule in righteousness, filled with the Spirit of God, and will establish a kingdom of universal peace, where the wolf dwells with the lamb (Isa. 11:6). He will gather the remnant of Israel from the four corners of the earth (Isa. 11:12). This chapter is the great crescendo of this section of Isaiah's prophecy. So when we arrive at chapter 12, the phrase "in that day" points directly back to this Messianic age. The song of Isaiah 12 is the song of those who are living under the reign of this righteous King. It is the anthem of the new exodus, where God has not just delivered His people from Egypt or Babylon, but from sin and death itself. This is not just a hymn for a future millennial kingdom; it is the song that the Church has been singing ever since Christ came, the one who is our strength, our song, and our salvation.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 1 Then you will say in that day, “I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me.

The praise begins at the appointed time, "in that day." This is the day of the gospel, the era of the Messiah's reign inaugurated at His first coming. The response is personal and direct: "I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh." True worship is never vague; it is addressed to the covenant God by name. The worshiper then states the grounds for his praise, and it is a stark and beautiful summary of the gospel. He begins with a frank admission of his prior condition: "You were angry with me." This is not a popular doctrine in our therapeutic age, but it is the bedrock of biblical reality. Before Christ, we are objects of wrath (Eph. 2:3). God's anger against sin is holy, just, and terrifying. The redeemed do not pretend this anger was not real; they acknowledge it. But the glorious turning point is this: "Your anger is turned away." How? The prophet does not say here, but the whole sacrificial system and the later prophecies of Isaiah, particularly chapter 53, make it clear. The anger was not simply wished away; it was absorbed. It was satisfied by a substitute. This is the doctrine of propitiation. God's just wrath was poured out upon His Son, so that it could be turned away from us. The result is not just a neutral cease-fire, but positive, active comfort: "And You comfort me." This is the peace that passes all understanding, the comfort of the Holy Spirit given to those who know they are reconciled to God.

v. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not dread; For Yah, Yahweh Himself, is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.”

The worshiper calls for attention: "Behold." Look here. Pay attention to this monumental truth. "God is my salvation." He does not say that God provides salvation, or that God gives a gift called salvation. He says God is salvation. Salvation is a person, and His name is Jesus, which means "Yahweh saves." This is the heart of the Christian faith. Because God Himself is our salvation, the logical and necessary response is faith: "I will trust and not dread." Fear is banished by a confident trust in the person of God. Where does this trust come from? "For Yah, Yahweh Himself, is my strength and song." This phrase is a direct quote from the Song of Moses after the first exodus (Ex. 15:2). Isaiah is deliberately tying the salvation of the new covenant to the great redemptive event of the old. Just as God delivered Israel from Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea, He now delivers His people from their ultimate enemies: sin, death, and the devil. He is our strength for the fight and our song in the victory. The verse concludes by reiterating the central point, but with a slight change that emphasizes the historical reality of it: "And He has become my salvation." This points to the finished work of Christ. God did not remain distant; He entered history, He took on flesh, and He accomplished the work necessary to be our salvation.

v. 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.

The word "Therefore" connects this verse directly to the preceding truths. Because God's anger is turned away, because He is our salvation, strength, and song, therefore this is what follows. The result of this great salvation is not grim duty but joyous activity. "You will joyously draw water." The Christian life is to be characterized by joy. This is not a superficial happiness based on circumstances, but a deep-seated joy rooted in the reality of our salvation. The imagery of drawing water is rich. In the arid climate of the Ancient Near East, water was life itself. To have access to springs of water was to have life, refreshment, and abundance. Jesus picks up this very imagery when He speaks to the woman at the well, offering her "living water" so that she would never thirst again (John 4:10-14). He also cried out at the Feast of Tabernacles, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37). This drawing of water from the "springs of salvation" is a picture of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. We are not saved and then left to fend for ourselves. We are given access to an inexhaustible source of spiritual life and refreshment. The salvation God provides is not a stagnant pool but a series of ever-flowing springs. There is always more grace, more life, more joy to be had in Him.

Application

First, true worship begins with a right understanding of who God is and what we were. We were under His righteous anger. If we skip this part, our gratitude will be shallow and our understanding of grace will be sentimental. The gospel is not good advice for nice people; it is good news for condemned sinners. We must acknowledge the wrath we deserved to truly appreciate the comfort we have received.

Second, our assurance is not based on our feelings or performance, but on the objective fact that God Himself has become our salvation. When dread and fear creep in, we must preach this verse to ourselves. Our strength is not in ourselves, but in Yahweh. Our song is not about our accomplishments, but about His. This is the antidote to both pride and despair. We do not trust in our trust; we trust in Him.

Finally, the Christian life is meant to be one of joy. The command here is to "joyously draw water." This is not a suggestion. If our Christian walk feels like a dry, dusty, dutiful march, it is because we are not availing ourselves of the springs of salvation. We have been given free access to the life-giving water of the Spirit. We are to come, day by day, moment by moment, and drink deeply of the grace that is ours in Christ Jesus. This is not a chore; it is the great privilege of the redeemed. Let us therefore come with joy and draw water from the wells of salvation.