51:17
Jerusalem had been judged, she had experienced the wrath of God. It was because of her persistent sin and idolatry that she was judged by the Lord, that she had been destroyed. She had drunk “the cup of His wrath” “down to the dregs”. Remember that Jesus spoke of the cup He had to drink (Mark 10:38,39). Jesus was speaking about the cup of God’s wrath. On the cross Jesus took upon Himself the wrath of God in our place. This cup makes people stagger, they cannot withstand it.
51:18
Israel had many leaders, and many prophets. Most of the kings were evil, reading 1 and 2 Kings, or 1 and 2 Chronicles, can be very depressing. Most of them did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Even those who for a time followed godly paths fell away at the end. Hezekiah is an example of this, David is perhaps the most famous. He was so good for so long, but then there was the Bathsheeba episode, and the counting the people event. The prophets spoke the word of God, but they could no change the heart of the people. No one could take Israel by the hand.
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