Listen to me, my people!

In this passage, God calls on his people to listen to his voice. He points his people to the fact that he is able to defy their expectations for the future and grant joy instead of sorrow. He reveals his purpose to bring salvation to the nations of the world, and emphasizes that this salvation lasts forever. Thirdly, he commands his people to abstain from the fear of man in light of the fact that men perish while his righteousness and salvation endure for eternity.