51:19
Isaiah is using poetic language to make the destruction more real, to paint a vivid picture. God knows that the things that have happened to Israel are truly traumatic. The northern kingdom had been defeated by Assyrian, with many of them being deported to other lands. The southern kingdom, Judah, had been defeated and exiled by the Assyrians. The disaster was so great that Israel seemed beyond consolation, what could be done?
51:20,21
Verse 20 continues the vivid description. Her children had fainted and were like antelopes caught in a net, caught in a trap. The wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of God was heavy upon them. Note that there is no attempt to sugar coat things, Israel was in the mess she was in because of the wrath of God, because of His judgment upon her.
Verse 21 continues the wrath theme. The good news about their situation being the result of God’s wrath is that God can redeem them. If the things that happened were just the result of chance then there would be no real hope of salvation, but if they are the result of God’s judgement then God can bring salvation.
5:22,23
We now get the salvation. The Lord was the one who gave them the cup of wrath, the cup that made them stagger, and He is the One who takes it out of their hand. The cup of wrath will be taken away, for them to never taste it again. The Lord’s salvation is everlasting. Instead the cup will go into the hands of her tormentors, for they were guilty as well.
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