"Whom have you so dreaded ..." Fear is one the things that turns people away from God, that causes them to turn to wrong things. Israel frequently turned away from God and instead trusted in idols or other nations when she was under threat. Such a reaction is totally illogical, and we need to apply this to ourselves. God is all powerful and all loving, He is totally committed to us. So committed that He sent His Son to die for us. So there is nothing that threatens us that makes it wise to turn from God.
So God presented them with a stark choice. The futility of the things they had chosen to trust in would be shown up, they would be the cause of their ruin. Conversely, those who did trust in God would inherit the land and possess His holy mountain.
Back in Chapter 40 Isaiah had spoken about preparing the way, now this message is repeated, with the need for repentance made more explicit. The Lord is highly exalted, but He also dwells with those who are contrite and humble, ie with those who will repent. Repent and believe is the message that is preached in the New Testament. Those who are contrite will find that God revives their spirit and their heart. Our sin was awful, it was serious, but God will forgive us completely. God faces up to the full reality of our sin, we need to do likewise. And the God who faced up to the full reality of our sin has chosen to forgive us and invite us into His kingdom.
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