Isaiah 51:21

"Therefore" marks the transition from peril to promise. Isaiah appealed to afflicted Israel to listen to God’s message. The Israelites had suffered the effects of intoxication, not from drinking real wine but the wrath of God (Isaiah 51:20).

"Unlike Babylon, who sees herself as voluptuous (Isaiah 47:8), Zion knows herself as afflicted. But the same God speaks to both, telling Babylon to go down into the dust, and telling Zion to arise from the dust (Isaiah 52:2). Babylon thought herself independent and self-existent (Isaiah 47:10), but Zion believes the very opposite about herself: she is a helpless victim who can do nothing about her situation (Isaiah 40:27; Isaiah 49:14). All this could be changed; if she would only listen to the voice of God (through the Servant, Isaiah 50:10), she could stand in quiet confidence." [Note: Oswalt, The Book . . . 40-66, p. 355.]