Isaiah 51:17-23: a reflection

17Awake, awake! Stand up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the LORD’s hand the cup of his wrath. You have drunken the bowl of the cup of staggering, and drained it. 18There is no one to guide her among all the sons to whom she has given birth; and there is no one who takes her by the hand among all the sons whom she has brought up. 19These two things have happened to you— who will grieve with you?— desolation and destruction, and famine and the sword. How can I comfort you? 20Your sons have fainted. They lie at the head of all the streets, like an antelope in a net. They are full of the LORD’s wrath, the rebuke of your God. 21Therefore now hear this, you afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: 22Your Lord GOD, your God who pleads the cause of his people, says, “Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering, even the bowl of the cup of my wrath. You will not drink it any more. 23I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to your soul, ‘Bow down, that we may walk over you;’ and you have laid your back as the ground, like a street to those who walk over.”

God speaks to Jerusalem, which has suffered greatly, describing her affliction as having drunk from his hand the cup of his wrath, the cup of staggering, and drained it to the dregs. She has been brought low, with no one to guide her. But then the word turns to comfort and promise: Your Lord GOD, who pleads the cause of his people, says, Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering, the bowl of the cup of my wrath; you will not drink it any more. God himself takes the cup of wrath out of his people's hand.

Notice the promise: I have taken the cup of wrath from your hand; you will drink it no more. The cup of judgment that his people had been drinking is removed by God himself; their suffering under it comes to an end. God does not leave his afflicted people drinking the cup forever; he takes it from their hand. There is comfort here for those bowed down under a weight that has felt like wrath: God is able to take the cup away.

And this promise finds its deepest fulfillment in Christ. In the garden, facing the cross, Jesus prayed about a cup, the cup of God's wrath against sin, and he did not ask that it be taken from his own hand, but drank it in our place. Because Christ drank the cup of wrath to the dregs, those who are his will never have to drink it. The cup has been taken from your hand, not by ignoring your sin, but by Christ's bearing it. If you are weighed down and afraid of judgment, look to the Christ who drank the cup of wrath for you. God has taken the cup from your hand at the cost of his own Son; you will not drink it. Rest in the one who drank it in your place.

Lord, to your afflicted people you promised, I have taken from your hand the cup of my wrath; you will not drink it any more. Thank you that you do not leave your people drinking the cup of judgment forever, but take it from their hand. And thank you above all that this promise finds its depth in Christ, who in the garden faced the cup of your wrath against sin, and did not ask that it be taken from his own hand, but drank it in my place. Because he drank the cup to the dregs, those who are yours will never have to drink it. When I am weighed down and afraid of judgment, help me look to the Christ who drank the cup of wrath for me. You have taken the cup from my hand at the cost of your own Son; I will not drink it. Let me rest in the one who drank it in my place, and give you thanks.