Isaiah 12:1 NKJV
And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
The God Who Turns His Wrath into Comfort
MY NOTES
“And in that day you will say: ‘O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.’” — Isaiah 12:1 (NKJV)
When you’ve truly experienced the heavy weight of God’s conviction, nothing in the world compares to the sudden, overwhelming relief of His grace. Isaiah puts the song in their mouth before the day fully arrives. That is how sure the promise is. After the Root of Jesse stands as a banner for the nations—
“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10)
—the people do not shrug and move on. They praise. The same way Israel sang when the sea closed:
“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: ‘I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!’” (Exodus 15:1)
Just as Israel stood on the banks of the Red Sea looking back at the waters that saved them, Isaiah points us toward a far greater deliverance. Through Jesus Christ—the Root of Jesse—the Holy God found a way to be both completely just and the justifier of the guilty. On the cross, Jesus stepped directly between us and the holy wrath our sin had earned. He absorbed it entirely, leaving none left for those who belong to Him.
Notice what they admit first. “Though You were angry with me.” They do not rewrite the story. God was not moody. He was just. His people had earned the judgement. The healthy heart does not pretend the wilderness never happened. It tells the truth, then tells the better truth: the anger did not stay.
“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5)
That is not a slogan for people who never get disciplined. It is hope for people who have felt His hand and lived.
“But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32)
God’s anger against sin isn’t a fiery, unpredictable temper tantrum. It’s His holy, righteous rejection of everything that breaks His creation and separates us from Him. When we step outside His will, we feel the weight of His displeasure—not because He delights in punishing us, but because He loves us too much to leave us comfortable in our brokenness.
How does the anger turn? Not because of anything we’ve done. Because Christ stood in the way of it.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1–2)
He is our peace. The sin is not negotiated away. It is borne away. Then comes the second gift: “and You comfort me.” God does not only stop the blow. He draws near.
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her” (Hosea 2:14)
Sometimes the wilderness is where the comfort finally becomes audible. He lifts His countenance. He applies a promise. He lets you feel forgiven, not just informed that forgiveness exists. God’s anger against sin isn’t a fiery, unpredictable temper tantrum. It’s His holy, righteous rejection of everything that breaks His creation and separates us from Him. When we step outside His will, we feel the weight of His displeasure—not because He delights in punishing us, but because He loves us too much to leave us comfortable in our brokenness.
Isaiah speaks to the people as if they were one person: “you will say.” Scattered folks become one mouth.
“That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6)
Because of Jesus, God didn’t just stop being angry; He moved toward us with deep, intimate comfort. He doesn’t just tolerate you; He wraps His arms around you. The Spirit enters the very places where you once felt condemned and speaks forgiveness, peace, and restored identity.
When that reality hits your heart, praise isn’t something you have to drag out of yourself. You don’t praise Him because everything in your life is perfect; you praise Him because His favor has permanently replaced His judgment.
Prayer
Abba, I come before You with a deeply grateful heart. I admit that I have fallen short, and I know that my sin gave You every reason to turn Your face from me. Yet, instead of giving me what I deserved, You poured out Your wrath upon Your own Son at the cross. Thank You, Jesus, for standing in my place. Thank You for absorbing the judgment that belonged to me and turning Your Father’s holy anger away forever. Today, I rest in the sweetness of Your comfort. When my own heart tries to condemn me, remind me of the blood You shed to bring me peace. Give me a heart that overflows with praise—not just when life is easy, but because my eternal destiny has been secured by Your grace. Use my story and my voice to point others to the rescue found only in You. In Jesus’ powerful name, Amen.
Key takeaways
- Real praise tells the truth: God was angry, and He had cause.
- His anger toward His people does not last forever; His favor does.
- The anger is turned away at the cross, not by our repayment.
- Those God reconciles, He also comforts.
- We should thank God for mercy shown to others, not resent it.
Proverb for Today
My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:13-14 NKJV
Daily Scripture
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
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Commentaries:
Enduring Word
And in that day you will say: Isaiah 11 spoke powerfully of the reign of the Messiah as king over all the earth. This brief chapter of praise comes from the heart of the one that has surrendered to the Messiah as king and enjoys the benefits of His reign. (Guzik)
O LORD, I will praise You; though You were angry with me: The worshipper decides to praise the LORD, even though he has felt the LORD’s anger against him. (Guzik)
i. Under the New Covenant, does God get angry with us? There is a sense in which all the anger and wrath of God against us was poured out upon the Son of God on the cross. In this sense, there is no more anger from God towards us because His anger has been “exhausted.” But there is also a sense in which we receive chastening or discipline from the LORD, which certainly feels like His anger. This chastening feels unpleasant (Hebrews 12:11), but it really shows the fatherly love of God instead of His hatred. (Guzik)
Your anger is turned away: It is wonderful when the anger of God is turned away. In the larger sense, His anger is turned away because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus put Himself in between us and the anger of the LORD and receiving that anger in Himself, He turned away God’s anger. (Guzik)
i. In the sense of God’s chastening or discipline in our lives, how wonderful it is when His anger is turned away, and “spanking” stops. (Guzik)
And You comfort me: When God disciplines us, He does so as a perfect parent, knowing perfectly how to comfort us after we have been chastened.
Sometimes, like rebellious children, we refuse the comfort of God after discipline, but that is always our fault, not His. (Guzik)
i. “Satan also tempts us by all methods, and employs every expedient to compel us to despair. We ought, therefore, to be fortified by this doctrine, that, though we feel the anger of the Lord, we may know that it is of short duration, and that we shall be comforted as soon as he has chastened us.” (Calvin)
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Albert Barnes
And in that day — The day referred to in the previous chapter, the time of the Messiah, when the effects of his reign shall be seen everywhere. The duty of praise, however, is couched in such language as to make it applicable to the event predicted in the former part of the prophecy Isaiah 10 – the delivering of the nation from the invasion of Sennacherib, as well as the more glorious event on which the prophet fixed his eye Isaiah 11 – the coming and reign of the Messiah. The language of this song of praise would be appropriate to both these events.
Thou shalt say — The address to an individual here, in the term ‘thou,’ is equivalent to “everyone,” meaning that “all” who were thus interested in the divine interposition should say it.
O Lord — O Yahweh – the great author of this interposition.
I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me — If this language is applied to the Jews, and supposed to be used by them in regard to the invasion of Sennacherib, it means, that God suffered their land to be invaded, and to be subjected to calamities, in consequence of their sins (Isaiah 10:6 ff.) If it is supposed to be applied to the time of the Messiah, then it is language which every redeemed sinner may use, that God was angry with him, but that his anger is turned away. As applicable to the redeemed, it is an acknowledgement which they all feel, that they have no claim to his mercy, and that it lays the foundation for unceasing praise that his anger is turned away by the plan of salvation.
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John Gill
And in that day thou shalt say,…. The following song of praise; just as Israel did, when they were brought through the Red sea, and saved out of the hands of their enemies; to which there are several allusions and references in it; that deliverance being typical of salvation by Christ; the Gospel day, or the times of the Gospel, are here meant:
O Lord, I will praise thee; or “confess thee”; to be my Lord, Redeemer, and Savior, my Husband, Head, and King; or “confess to thee”, my sins and transgressions, and unworthiness to receive any favor from thee, and gratefully acknowledge all the favors bestowed upon me:
though thou wast angry with me; as it appeared to the church, and according to her apprehensions of things, though not in reality, or strictly or properly speaking; for anger is not to be ascribed to God; but it is a speaking after the manner of men; and the Lord seems to be angry when he hides his face from his people, when he refuses to hear their cries, when he afflicts them, and continues his hand upon them, and when he lets in a sense of wrath into their consciences:
thine anger is turned away; he granting his gracious presence; taking off his afflicting hand; manifesting his love, particularly his pardoning grace and mercy; peace and reconciliation being made by the blood of Christ, and justice satisfied, the effects of resentment and displeasure cease:
and thou comfortedst me; by shedding abroad his love in her heart; by discovering the free and full forgiveness of sin; by lifting up the light of his countenance; by an application of precious promises; and by means of the word and ordinances, through the influence of the blessed Spirit as a comforter; who leads in this way for comfort to the person, blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and fulness of Christ, and comforts with these, by applying them, and showing interest in them. The Targum is, “and thou shalt say at that time, I will confess before the Lord; for that I have sinned before thee, thine anger is upon me; but when I am turned to the law, thine anger will turn from me, and thou wilt have mercy on me;” or rather turned to Christ, and embrace his Gospel, which is the only way to have comfort.
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Matthew Henry
Now as Moses and the children of Israel then sang a song of praise to the glory of God (Ex. 15:1) so shall the people of God do in that day when the root of Jesse shall stand for an ensign of the people and shall be the desire and joy of all nations.
In that day thou shalt say, O Lord! I will praise thee. The scattered church, being united into one body, shall, as one man, with one mind and one mouth, thus praise God, who is one and his name one. In that day, when the Lord shall do these great things for thee, thou shalt say, O Lord! I will praise thee.
“Thou shalt have a heart to say so.” All God’s other gifts to his people shall be crowned with this. He will give them grace to ascribe all the glory of them to him, and to speak of them upon all occasions with thankfulness to his praise. Thou shalt say, that is, thou oughtest to say so. In that day, when many are brought home to Jesus Christ and flock to him as doves to their windows, instead of envying the kind reception they find with Christ, as the Jews grudged the favor shown to the Gentiles, thou shalt say, O Lord! I will praise thee. Note, we ought to rejoice in, and give thanks for, the grace of God to others as well as to ourselves.
Believers are here taught to give thanks to God for the turning away of his displeasure from them and the return of his favor to them (v. 1): O Lord! I will praise thee, though thou wast angry with me. Note, Even God’s frowns must not put us out of tune for praising him; though he be angry with us, though he slay us, yet we must put our trust in him and give him thanks. God has often just cause to be angry with us, but we have never any reason to be angry with him, nor to speak otherwise than well of him; even when he blames us we must praise him. Thou was angry with us, but thy anger is turned away. Note,
- (1.) God is sometimes angry with his own people and the fruits of his anger do appear, and they ought to take notice of this, that they may humble themselves under his mighty hand.
- (2.) Though God may for a time be angry with his people, yet his anger shall at length be turned away; it endures but for a moment, nor will he contend for ever. By Jesus Christ, the root of Jesse, God’s anger against mankind was turned away; for he is our peace.
- (3.) Those whom God is reconciled to he comforts; even the turning away of his anger is a comfort to them; yet that is not all: those that are at peace with God may rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5:1, 2. Nay, God sometimes brings his people into a wilderness that there he may speak comfortably to them, Hosea 2:14.
- (4.) The turning away of God’s anger, and the return of his comforts to us, ought to be the matter of our joyful thankful praises.
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Calvin’s Commentary
And thou shalt say in that day. Isaiah now exhorts all the godly to thanksgiving. Yet the exhortation has also this object, that the promise may be more fully believed; for he seals it with that exhortation, that they may be convinced that it is certain, and may not think that they are deluded by unfounded hope, when a form of thanksgiving is now given, and, as it were, put into their mouth; and this would not have been the case, if there had not been just and solid grounds. At the same time, he points out the purpose which the Lord has in view in doing good in his Church. It is, that the remembrance of his name may be extolled; not that he needs our praise, but it is profitable to ourselves. We ought also to consider the honor which he bestows upon us, when he condescends to make use of our services for extolling and spreading the glory of his name, though we are altogether useless and of no value.
Thou shalt say. He addresses the whole people as if he were addressing one man, because it was their duty to be so united as to be one. We also are taught by the same example that we ought to be united together, that there may be one soul and one mouth, (Romans 15:6,) if we desire to have our prayers and thanksgivings accepted by God.
Believers, therefore, first acknowledge their guilt, and next ascribe it to the mercy of God that they have been freed from their distresses. The words being in the future tense, the following interpretation might also be adopted: — “The temporal chastisement will not prevent thee from having at length compassion on me, and from giving me ground of joy and comfort.” Whichsoever of these views be taken, this sentiment ought to be carefully observed; for as soon as a conviction of God’s anger seizes our minds, it prompts us to despair, and if it be not seasonably counteracted, it will speedily overwhelm us. Satan also tempts us by all methods, and employs every expedient to compel us to despair. We ought, therefore, to be fortified by this doctrine, that, though we feel the anger of the Lord, we may know that it is of short duration, (Psalms 30:5,) and that we shall be comforted as soon as he has chastened us.
When we have been relieved from distresses, let us call to remembrance that our punishment is ended, not because we have paid to the justice of God what we had deserved, but because through his fatherly love he spares our weakness. This confession belongs properly to the godly and elect; for though the chastisements of the godly and ungodly appear to be the same, yet the reasons of them are exceedingly different. The wrath of the Lord against the ungodly is perpetual, and the chastisements which are inflicted on them are forerunners of everlasting destruction: no alleviation or consolation is promised to them. But the godly feel that the wrath of God is of short duration, and encourage their hearts by hope and confidence; for they know that God will be gracious to them, since he has declared that he punishes their sins for no other reason than to train them to repentance, that they may not perish along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:32.)
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