Isaiah 51:9
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?
Awake, awake
The repetition of the word "awake" serves as a powerful call to action and alertness. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "עוּרִי" (ʿûrî), which conveys a sense of stirring oneself from slumber or inactivity. This double invocation emphasizes urgency and the need for immediate attention. Historically, this call can be seen as a plea for divine intervention, urging God to act as He did in the past. It reflects a deep yearning for God's presence and power to be manifest once again in the lives of His people.

put on strength
The phrase "put on strength" suggests clothing oneself with power and might. The Hebrew word for "strength" here is "עֹז" (ʿōz), which implies not just physical strength but also moral and spiritual fortitude. This imagery of clothing oneself with strength is reminiscent of Ephesians 6:10-17, where believers are encouraged to put on the full armor of God. It is a call to be equipped and ready for the challenges ahead, relying on God's strength rather than human ability.

O arm of the LORD
The "arm of the LORD" is a metaphor for God's power and might. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the arm was often associated with strength and the ability to accomplish tasks. The Hebrew word "זְרוֹעַ" (zĕrôaʿ) is used here, symbolizing God's active intervention in history. This phrase evokes memories of God's past deliverance, such as the Exodus, where His mighty arm was revealed in freeing the Israelites from bondage. It is a reminder of God's sovereignty and His ability to save and protect His people.

Awake, as in days past
This phrase calls for a return to the former days when God's power was visibly at work among His people. It is a plea for God to act as He did in the past, recalling the mighty deeds He performed. The historical context here is crucial, as it reflects the longing of the Israelites for the restoration of God's favor and intervention, similar to the times of the patriarchs and the Exodus. It is a call to remember and seek the same divine action that characterized those earlier days.

as in generations of old
The mention of "generations of old" further emphasizes the historical aspect of God's mighty works. It points back to the ancestral accounts of faith and deliverance that have been passed down through the generations. This phrase underscores the continuity of God's faithfulness throughout history. It serves as an encouragement to trust in God's unchanging nature and His ability to act in the present as He did in the past. The faith of previous generations becomes a foundation for present hope and expectation.

Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces
"Rahab" here is a symbolic representation of chaos and opposition, often associated with Egypt in biblical literature. The act of cutting Rahab to pieces signifies God's triumph over formidable adversaries. The Hebrew word "רַהַב" (Rahab) can also mean "pride" or "arrogance," further illustrating the defeat of those who oppose God's will. This imagery recalls the Exodus narrative, where God delivered His people from the oppressive hand of Egypt, demonstrating His supreme power over all creation.

who pierced the monster through?
The "monster" is another metaphor for chaos and evil, often linked to mythological sea creatures like Leviathan. The Hebrew word "תַּנִּין" (tannîn) is used, which can refer to a dragon or sea serpent. Piercing the monster through signifies God's decisive victory over chaos and evil forces. This imagery reassures the faithful of God's ability to conquer any threat, reinforcing the theme of divine sovereignty and protection. It is a powerful reminder of God's ultimate control over all creation and His commitment to His people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Arm of the LORD
A metaphorical expression representing God's power and might. It is often used to describe God's intervention and deliverance.

2. Rahab
In this context, Rahab is a symbolic name for Egypt, representing chaos and opposition to God's people. It is not to be confused with Rahab the harlot from the book of Joshua.

3. The Monster
This likely refers to a mythical sea creature, symbolizing chaos and evil forces that God has subdued in the past.

4. Days of Old / Generations of Long Ago
Refers to the historical acts of God, particularly the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, which is a foundational event in Israel's history.
Teaching Points
God's Unchanging Power
Just as God demonstrated His power in the past, He remains powerful today. Believers can trust in His ability to deliver and protect.

Call to Spiritual Awakening
The repeated call to "awake" is a reminder for believers to be spiritually vigilant and to actively seek God's intervention in their lives.

Remembering God's Past Faithfulness
Reflecting on God's past acts of deliverance can strengthen our faith and encourage us in present challenges.

Symbolism of Rahab and the Monster
These symbols remind us of the spiritual battles we face and the assurance that God has already overcome the forces of chaos and evil.

Encouragement in Times of Trouble
In times of difficulty, believers are encouraged to call upon the "arm of the LORD," trusting in His strength and deliverance.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of the "arm of the LORD" in Isaiah 51:9 encourage you in your current life situation?

2. In what ways can you "awake" spiritually to see God's power at work in your life today?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's deliverance. How does remembering this event strengthen your faith?

4. How can the symbolism of Rahab and the monster help you understand the spiritual battles you face?

5. What other biblical events or accounts remind you of God's power and faithfulness, and how can they inspire you to trust Him more fully?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 14
The crossing of the Red Sea, where God displayed His power by delivering Israel from Egypt, is a direct connection to the imagery of God defeating Rahab and the monster.

Psalm 89:10
This Psalm also speaks of God crushing Rahab, reinforcing the theme of God's power over chaos and opposition.

Isaiah 30:7
Refers to Egypt as "Rahab who sits still," highlighting Egypt's inability to help, contrasting God's active deliverance.
The Awakening of ZionAlexander MaclarenIsaiah 51:9
A Sure Criterion of Character, EtcW. Clarkson Isaiah 51:7, 8, 12,13
Fear, and Fear NotR. Tuck Isaiah 51:7, 12, 13
Christ the Arm of GodN. Schenck, D.D.Isaiah 51:9-10
Prayer for National ProsperityJ. Witherspoon, D.D.Isaiah 51:9-10
The Arm of the Lord InvokedJ. Parsons.Isaiah 51:9-10
The Awaking of ZionA. Maclaren, D.D.Isaiah 51:9-10
The Church S Cry and the Divine AnswerA. Rowland, LL. B.Isaiah 51:9-10
The Force in ReserveW. Clarkson Isaiah 51:9, 10
Thy Strength! My StrengthJ. H. Jowett, M.A.Isaiah 51:9-10
The Arm of JehovahE. Johnson Isaiah 51:9-11
People
Isaiah, Rahab, Sarah
Places
Jerusalem, Rahab, Tigris-Euphrates Region, Zion
Topics
Ancient, Arm, Awake, Clothe, Cut, Generations, Isn't, Monster, O, Pieces, Pierced, Rahab, Strength
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 51:9

     1210   God, human descriptions
     5534   sleep, spiritual
     5537   sleeplessness
     5694   generation

Isaiah 51:9-11

     5854   experience, of God

Library
August 25 Morning
Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.--ISA 51:1. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity.--None eye pitied thee but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, Live. He brought me up . . . out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

January 26. "I Called Him Alone and Blessed Him" (Isa. Li. 2).
"I called him alone and blessed him" (Isa. li. 2). When we were in the East we noticed the beautiful process of raising rice. The rice is sown on a morass of mud and water, ploughed up by great buffaloes, and after a few weeks it springs up and appears above the water with its beautiful pale green shoots. The seed has been sown very thickly and the plants are clustered together in great numbers, so that you can pull up a score at a single handful. But now comes the process of transplanting. He first
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Awakening of Zion
'Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old.'--ISAIAH li. 9. 'Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion.'--ISAIAH lii. 1. Both these verses are, I think, to be regarded as spoken by one voice, that of the Servant of the Lord. His majestic figure, wrapped in a light veil of obscurity, fills the eye in all these later prophecies of Isaiah. It is sometimes clothed with divine power, sometimes girded with the towel of human weakness, sometimes
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Hearken and Look; Or, Encouragement for Believers
THE second verse contains my actual text. It is the argument by which faith is led to look for the blessings promised in the third verse. It is habitual with some persons to spy out the dark side of every question or fact: they fix their eyes upon the "waste places," and they study them till they know every ruin, and are familiar with the dragons and the owls. They sigh most dolorously that the former times were better than these, and that we have fallen upon most degenerate days. They speak of "shooting
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 27: 1881

A Prospect of Revival
THE pedigree of God's chosen nation Israel may be traced back to one man and one woman--to Abraham and Sarah. Both of them were well stricken in years when the Lord called them, yet, in the fulfilment of his promise, he built up of their seed a great nation, which, for number, was comparable to the stars of heaven. Take heart, brethren; these things are written for our example and for our encouragement. His Church can never sink to so low an ebb that he cannot soon build her up again, nor in our
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

"Sing, O Heavens; and be Joyful, O Earth; for the Lord Hath Comforted his People. " -- Isaiah 49:13.
"For the Lord shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." -- Isaiah 51:3. "Sing, O Heavens; and be joyful, O Earth; for the Lord hath comforted his people." -- Isaiah 49:13. A living, loving, lasting word, My listening ear believing heard, While bending down in prayer; Like a sweet breeze that none can stay, It passed
Miss A. L. Waring—Hymns and Meditations

Of Inward Silence
Of Inward Silence "The Lord is in His Holy Temple, let all the earth keep silence before him" (Hab. ii. 20). Inward silence is absolutely indispensable, because the Word is essential and eternal, and necessarily requires dispositions in the soul in some degree correspondent to His nature, as a capacity for the reception of Himself. Hearing is a sense formed to receive sounds, and is rather passive than active, admitting, but not communicating sensation; and if we would hear, we must lend the ear
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Of Rest in the Presence of God --Its Fruits --Inward Silence --God Commands it --Outward Silence.
The soul, being brought to this place, needs no other preparation than that of repose: for the presence of God during the day, which is the great result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be intuitive and almost continual. The soul is conscious of a deep inward happiness, and feels that God is in it more truly than it is in itself. It has only one thing to do in order to find God, which is to retire within itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds itself in prayer. It is astonished
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

Lii. Manna. Exodus xvi. 4.
I.--Manna like salvation, because undeserved. The people murmured at the very first difficulty. If they had been grateful they would have said, "The God who brought us out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, will not allow us to die of hunger." But instead of this they accused Moses of being a murderer. And in answer to this God said, "I will rain bread from heaven." What an illustration of Romans v. 8. II.--Manna like salvation, because it saved the people from perishing. Nothing else would
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

Early Battles
Six months of joyous service amongst the Welsh miners was cut short by a telegram announcing to the sisters the serious illness of Mrs. Lee. Taking the news to their Divisional Commander, they were instructed to Headquarters. It was found that the illness was due to shock. The income from investments of the little estate left by Mr. Lee had dwindled; it now had disappeared altogether. Captain Lucy faced the matter with her usual practical decision. 'Mother, darling, there are two ways out. Either
Minnie L. Carpenter—The Angel Adjutant of "Twice Born Men"

Stedfastness in the Old Paths.
"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."--Jer. vi. 16. Reverence for the old paths is a chief Christian duty. We look to the future indeed with hope; yet this need not stand in the way of our dwelling on the past days of the Church with affection and deference. This is the feeling of our own Church, as continually expressed in the Prayer Book;--not to slight what has gone before,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

An Appendix to the Beatitudes
His commandments are not grievous 1 John 5:3 You have seen what Christ calls for poverty of spirit, pureness of heart, meekness, mercifulness, cheerfulness in suffering persecution, etc. Now that none may hesitate or be troubled at these commands of Christ, I thought good (as a closure to the former discourse) to take off the surmises and prejudices in men's spirits by this sweet, mollifying Scripture, His commandments are not grievous.' The censuring world objects against religion that it is difficult
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Ci. Foretelling his Passion. Rebuking Ambition.
(Peræa, or Judæa, Near the Jordan.) ^A Matt. XX. 17-28; ^B Mark X. 32-45; ^C Luke XVIII. 31-34. ^b 32 And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem [Dean Mansel sees in these words an evidence that Jesus had just crossed the Jordan and was beginning the actual ascent up to Jerusalem. If so, he was in Judæa. But such a construction strains the language. Jesus had been going up to Jerusalem ever since he started in Galilee, and he may now have still be in Peræa. The parable
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the Poultry, 1689. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary on my left. It was very frequently republished;
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Death Swallowed up in victory
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory! D eath, simply considered, is no more than the cessation of life --that which was once living, lives no longer. But it has been the general, perhaps the universal custom of mankind, to personify it. Imagination gives death a formidable appearance, arms it with a dart, sting or scythe, and represents it as an active, inexorable and invincible reality. In this view death is a great devourer; with his iron tongue
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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