Isaiah 12:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This marks a shift toward being chosen to contemplate what is pleasing to God, the Savior Himself. As he mentions a time akin to a journey into Egypt—which symbolizes preaching the Gospel message—he addresses those who once dwelled in profound darkness and were ensnared by idolatry. With enlightened understanding, you will behold the splendor of Him who called you, coming to recognize the former state you have departed from. You were once enslaved under an oppressive ruler, but now you exist free from his dominion, protected and aided by the Almighty who saves the lost. In that moment of realization, you will justly rejoice and declare, I will give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have turned Your anger away from me and shown me mercy. Their sacrifices of gratitude arise not from being under divine displeasure, but from the forgiveness they received while in such a state. The God of all was indeed displeased with those who engaged in such behaviors, treating them as idolaters. Why was this so? The Apostle Paul clarifies this when he states, 'Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images resembling corruptible man, birds, and animals, and creeping things; therefore God gave them up to dishonorable passions to do what is contrary' (Rom. 1:22-24, 28, 26). Those who have distorted the majesty of the Divine and attributed the glory of the highest nature to mere creatures justly face the wrath of God. Thus, you have turned away Your anger and shown me mercy, since we are called to salvation through faith and not by our deeds, as it is written (Titus 3:5; cf. 2 Tim. 1:9). Therefore, recognizing Your greatness, I will continually offer praise and proclaim, Behold my God, my Savior, the Lord; I trust in Him and am found safe in Him.

In former days, they clung to trees and stones, seeking salvation from lifeless idols; yet once they recognized the true God, they dismissed these false deities, declaring, 'Behold my God, my Savior, my Lord.' I will no longer place my trust in trees or stones, as it is written, but in Him and Him alone, through whom I will be redeemed. Should the one who previously led me astray endeavor to tempt and challenge me again, I will prevail over him, for my glory and my praise belong to the Lord. Do you see how they learned that praise is a means of salvation? For it is written, offer a sacrifice of praise to God, and let your prayers rise to the Most High; call upon Me in your time of trouble, and I will answer you, and you shall glorify Me (Psalms 49:14, 15).

Similarly, the scripture states: I will endure the Lord's displeasure, for I have sinned against Him; He will vindicate my situation, and afterward, He will bring judgment to fulfillment (cf.: Micah 7:9), for He does not remain angry forever, nor does He maintain enmity eternally (Psalm 102:9). The one who declares, I will praise You, O Lord, because You have been angry with me and have shown me mercy, recognizes the goodness of God and will rejoice, saying, Behold, my God has delivered me; I will place my trust in Him and will not be afraid, for my glory and my praise belong to the Lord.

Yet, those wounds emitted not the stench of regret, but rather the fragrance of divine compassion. Unlike the mortification typical to humanity, from His wound flowed the spring of everlasting life, as Scripture proclaims, "And water shall flow with joy out of the springs of salvation." From this wound shall arise water for us to partake in salvation. All sinners on earth shall draw from it to be liberated from their iniquities. However, each situation must be assessed individually. Christ endured suffering to bring joy to those ensnared in despair. Let no one deem the righteous as unfortunate, for He admonished, “Let no one make you miserable.” He was bent to straighten us; He was grieved so He could impart joy to us, as the Scripture states, "For if I grieve you, who shall make me glad but he that grieves me?" Thus, the one who mourns for the sake of the Lord Jesus finds joy in Him, and Christ finds joy in that person. Thus, we understand that no formal justifications are needed. Let us submit to the depths, holding not only faith in Christ but also steadfastness in our trials, so we may rejoice in them as Christ rejoiced in His Passion. The sufferings He bore for His servants will also be our tribulations for the sake of our Lord.

Despite any lack of personal capability, there remains ceaseless assistance in engaging with the Holy Scriptures, as the Apostle expressed, "The Lord Jesus, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that ye might be enriched by His poverty." Now, what is this poverty that enriches? Let us contemplate it, for it is pure and simple. It is not the blood of animals, as practiced in pagan sacrifices. The sinner is not cleansed by the blood of goats and rams, which can wash the flesh but not erase guilt. Instead, we are promised that water will flow out, bringing joy from the springs of salvation, and a heavenly feast shall be set before us; how delightful is the overflowing cup! This represents the richness of divine hospitality, inherent to the noble poverty of Christ. Furthermore, poverty aids in moral development; hence the Lord declared, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and in the Psalms, it is noted that "the Lord will save the humble in spirit." Abundance in faith can flourish even amid material scarcity, leading the Apostle to declare that "their deep poverty aboundeth in the riches of their gladness."

There exists a stark divide between the rich and the poor, for after death, recompense cannot be altered, and thus in the realm of the dead, the rich man is illustrated as yearning for relief from the poor man. For water sustains the soul in distress, and Isaiah proclaimed, "And in joy you shall draw water from the springs of salvation." The rich man suffers before judgment because deprivation of pleasures is punishment for those accustomed to excess. As the Lord articulated, "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God." Yet, it was too late for the rich man to become a teacher, for the time for instruction had passed.