Isaiah 60:1–5
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,and thick darkness the peoples;but the Lord will arise upon you,and his glory will be seen upon you. – Isaiah 60:2
Click to read passage
There is something powerful about being told to rise up while it is still dark. Isaiah is writing to a people who have just gone through exile, Jerusalem lies in ruins, and the temple is gone. Even those who returned came back to a city that was broken down and discouraging.
Yet, God doesn’t wait for the darkness to lift before He speaks. He calls to His people right in the middle of the ruins. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
The light does not come because Israel finally got themselves sorted out. The light comes because God’s glory has risen. And just like the moon, which doesn’t make its own light but reflects the light of the sun, God’s people reflect the light that comes from the glory of God’s presence. We shine because His light shines upon us.
This calling actually goes back much further than Isaiah. Long before Jerusalem was even built, God made a promise to Abram in Genesis 12. He would bless him, and through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. From the very beginning, Israel was never chosen just for their own sake. They were chosen to carry God’s blessing and God’s light outward, to everyone else.
Isaiah 60 gives us a glimpse of this ancient promise bearing fruit. Verse 2 tells us plainly that darkness still covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples. The reality is that things are not fine in the world. The darkness is real. But into that darkness, God’s people are called to reflect a light that is not their own.
Then something remarkable happens in verses 3 to 5. Nations start coming to the light. Kings come to the brightness of the rising. Sons and daughters return from far away. Nations are being drawn in by what they see happening among God’s people. This is the promise to Abraham taking shape right in front of them.
This is where we see the heart of missions. Our calling is to let God’s glory be so evident in us, in our worship, our love, our hope, that people are drawn toward the source of that light. A light that shines through the darkness and the ruins all around us.
Verse 5 ends with an unexpected note. It says the heart will thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea and the wealth of the nations will come. What was scattered will be gathered. What seemed lost will return with joy.
And this is a story that doesn’t end with Isaiah. Revelation 21 gives us the final picture. In the new Jerusalem, there is no need for sun or moon, because the glory of God gives it light. And the nations walk by that light. Kings bring their glory into it. What began as a promise to one man, Abraham, and was pictured in Isaiah’s vision of nations streaming to Zion, finds its full and final fulfilment here. Every nation, walking in the light of God’s glory, forever.
Reflection:
Where in your life right now is God inviting you to arise and shine? Think of one person this week who might need to see God’s light through you.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you that your light has already risen upon us. Help us to shine in such a way that others are drawn to You, and to be blessed by You. Gather the scattered, restore what is lost, and let our hearts thrill at what you are doing among the nations. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Click to read passage
There is something powerful about being told to rise up while it is still dark. Isaiah is writing to a people who have just gone through exile, Jerusalem lies in ruins, and the temple is gone. Even those who returned came back to a city that was broken down and discouraging.
Yet, God doesn’t wait for the darkness to lift before He speaks. He calls to His people right in the middle of the ruins. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
The light does not come because Israel finally got themselves sorted out. The light comes because God’s glory has risen. And just like the moon, which doesn’t make its own light but reflects the light of the sun, God’s people reflect the light that comes from the glory of God’s presence. We shine because His light shines upon us.
This calling actually goes back much further than Isaiah. Long before Jerusalem was even built, God made a promise to Abram in Genesis 12. He would bless him, and through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. From the very beginning, Israel was never chosen just for their own sake. They were chosen to carry God’s blessing and God’s light outward, to everyone else.
Isaiah 60 gives us a glimpse of this ancient promise bearing fruit. Verse 2 tells us plainly that darkness still covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples. The reality is that things are not fine in the world. The darkness is real. But into that darkness, God’s people are called to reflect a light that is not their own.
Then something remarkable happens in verses 3 to 5. Nations start coming to the light. Kings come to the brightness of the rising. Sons and daughters return from far away. Nations are being drawn in by what they see happening among God’s people. This is the promise to Abraham taking shape right in front of them.
This is where we see the heart of missions. Our calling is to let God’s glory be so evident in us, in our worship, our love, our hope, that people are drawn toward the source of that light. A light that shines through the darkness and the ruins all around us.
Verse 5 ends with an unexpected note. It says the heart will thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea and the wealth of the nations will come. What was scattered will be gathered. What seemed lost will return with joy.
And this is a story that doesn’t end with Isaiah. Revelation 21 gives us the final picture. In the new Jerusalem, there is no need for sun or moon, because the glory of God gives it light. And the nations walk by that light. Kings bring their glory into it. What began as a promise to one man, Abraham, and was pictured in Isaiah’s vision of nations streaming to Zion, finds its full and final fulfilment here. Every nation, walking in the light of God’s glory, forever.
Reflection:
Where in your life right now is God inviting you to arise and shine? Think of one person this week who might need to see God’s light through you.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you that your light has already risen upon us. Help us to shine in such a way that others are drawn to You, and to be blessed by You. Gather the scattered, restore what is lost, and let our hearts thrill at what you are doing among the nations. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.