Isaiah 26 - God's People Sing His Praise!

Chapter 25 of Isaiah revealed the salvation of the remnant, with the redeemed unable to keep quiet as they boasted in the salvation of YHWH. Chapter 26 continues with that theme, as Judah is lifted in rejoicing.

Isaiah 26:1-4 (HCSB) On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Salvation is established as walls and ramparts. Open the gates so a righteous nation can come in— one that remains faithful. You will keep the mind ⌊that is⌋ dependent ⌊on You⌋ in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the LORD forever, because in Yah, the LORD, is an everlasting rock!

On THAT day, when Christ returns to judge the nations, He also gathers His people. And on THAT day, the saints will sing and boast about the salvation and security they have in Christ; they will rejoice with all His people who are gathered in. YHWH will keep in perfect peace the soul that trusts in Him; He is trustworthy because Jesus is the everlasting Rock which gushes out refreshing water, provides a sure foundation in any storm, and will not be moved when all hell breaks loose.

Isaiah 26:5-6 (HCSB) For He has humbled those who live in lofty places— an inaccessible city. He brings it down; He brings it down to the ground; He throws it to the dust. Feet trample it, the feet of the humble, the steps of the poor.

We see, again, what happens to those filled with the pride of life - God humbles them, no matter how secure they think themselves. He knocks down all the idols of man and leaves the debris to be trampled on by the very people that were despised and mistreated by the proud, boastful men of the world. The meek SHALL inherit the earth - the new earth!

Isaiah 26:7 (HCSB) The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous.

The praise of His people continues, as they declare He makes a straight, level path for His people. A sermon I heard many years contained this pearl, which stuck with me: "The path of least resistance makes both MEN and rivers crooked. The Lord God makes man's path straight." People who "let go and let God" are drifting in the sea of humanity. Once raised we must be deliberate and determined, by the grace of God, to walk as children of the light.

Verses 8 - 10 continue with the praise of God and the vindication of His judgment, as some people learn righteousness while the wicked do not - they do not see the majesty of the Lord.

Isaiah 26:11 (HCSB) LORD, Your hand is lifted up ⌊to take action⌋, but they do not see it. They will see ⌊Your⌋ zeal for ⌊Your⌋ people, and they will be put to shame. The fire for Your adversaries will consume them!

If you recall from the early chapters, YHWH's hand being raised is a symbol of impending judgment. Wicked people will not see His zeal to defend His name and His people until it is too late and His fire consumes them.

Isaiah 26:12-13 (HCSB) LORD, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our work for us. Yahweh our God, lords other than You have ruled over us, but we remember Your name alone.

Read that again, slowly. YHWH establishes peace for His people, He has done ALL the work. They were ruled by lesser gods that were not gods and He put His name in their minds. Where, oh man, have ye room to boats of ANYTHING other the grace of God? If you have been feeling satisfied in anything you've done, repent.

Verse 14 reveals the doom of the wicked - they die and have no peace nor place with God. But -

Isaiah 26:15-16 (HCSB) You have added to the nation, LORD. You have added to the nation; You are honored. You have expanded all the borders of the land. LORD, they went to You in their distress; they poured out whispered ⌊prayers because⌋ Your discipline ⌊fell⌋ on them.

YHWH has added to the nation - bringing Gentiles to Mt. Zion where His righteousness reigns. The poor in spirit, people in distress, cried out to God in prayer and His chastisement fell on them, the chastisement that brings peace - Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." If His chastisement does not bring you peace, you will never have peace with God.

The next two verse describe how the chastisement of peace is akin to the travails of a pregnant woman giving birth. And the birth was without life, but a breeze - as someone passing gas (as one commentary put it); no victory or lineage in which to boast. But there is cause for boasting -

Isaiah 26:19 (HCSB) Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.

Contrary to the death of the wicked, those who die in Christ will live - their bodies will be raised on the last day! Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust - if Christ be your king, for on THAT day all who have died in YHWH will come up out of the earth to meet Him!

Isaiah 26:20-21 (HCSB) Go, my people, enter your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed. For look, the LORD is coming from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal the blood shed on it and will no longer conceal her slain.

While judgment is meted out on the nations in Israel's day, she was told to hide - the battle belongs to the Lord. As in the day of the angel of death, when the children of Moses hid in their homes with the blood of the lamb on their doorframe, so all His redeemed will hide in Him, covered by the blood of the victorious Lamb Who exposes the sin of the world and renders eternal judgment. As the nations are judged, we have refuge in Christ, who will then gather us to Himself as He makes a new heaven (the universe) and new earth.

Is Christ your peace? The chastisement, the punishment, laid upon Him - did He bring you peace? Trust not a man who says, "Peace, peace!" where there is no peace. Trust in the Man who brings peace and gives is to His people. 

Isaiah 25 - Salvation and Judgment

Chapter 25 of Isaiah is a proclamation of God's people about His victory and their redemption; His victory over the world. 

Isaiah 25:1 (HCSB) "Yahweh, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will praise Your name, for You have accomplished wonders, plans ⌊formed⌋ long ago, with perfect faithfulness." Here the remnant exalt YHWH, calling them "my God" whose name they will praise for the wonders of the plans He set out long ago. Who other than God can make a plan with absolute assurance it will be accomplished?

Isaiah 25:2 (HCSB) "For You have turned the city into a pile of rocks, a fortified city, into ruins; the fortress of barbarians is no longer a city; it will never be rebuilt." This fortified city is symbolic of the world, as with the city of chaos in 24:10. It's defeat is YHWH's victory over the world - when He returns a new earth will be raised up and the city of this world will never be rebuilt.

Isaiah 25:3 (HCSB) "Therefore, a strong people will honor You. The cities of violent nations will fear You." Those who honor God have His strength; those who depend on their own strength are violent men who will greatly fear Him when they discover they have no refuge.

Isaiah 25:4-5 (HCSB) "For You have been a stronghold for the poor, a stronghold for the needy person in his distress, a refuge from the rain, a shade from the heat. When the breath of the violent is like rain ⌊against⌋ a wall, like heat in a dry land, You subdue the uproar of barbarians. As the shade of a cloud ⌊cools⌋ the heat of the day, ⌊so⌋ He silences the song of the violent. "

His people testify of His provision for the poor and needy (blessed are the poor in spirit!), His refuge from the rain and a shade from the heat. Do you recall Jonah, the reluctant prophet? Disappointed in God's mercy on repentant Ninevites, Jonah pouted and sat down to see what would happen. Jonah 4:6 (HCSB) "Then the LORD God appointed a plant, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant." YHWH provided shade for Jonah just as He had for the remnant in Isaiah's vision. He subdued the barbarians and shuts the mouths of the violent.

Isaiah 25:6-8 (HCSB) "The LORD of Hosts will prepare a feast for all the peoples on this mountain— a feast of aged wine, choice meat, finely aged wine. On this mountain ⌊He⌋ will destroy the ⌊burial⌋ shroud, the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering all the nations; He will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove His people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the LORD has spoken."

Does this not bring to your mind the wedding feast of the Lamb? The peace with God found on Mt Zion? The promise of the new earth where He will wipe every tear and clothe us with His righteousness completely? So much of John's Apocalypse is taken from Old Testament passages, we should not be surprised to find his source material here.

Isaiah 25:9-10a (HCSB) "On that day it will be said, “Look, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” For the LORD’s power will rest on this mountain." Verse 10 is another place where ya got to wonder what where thinking, including the second sentence here rather than in verse 11. On THAT day, when Christ Jesus comes to judge the nations He will also bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him (Heb 9:28).  This salvation is not justification, but the final salvation that free us from the presence of sin.

Isaiah 25:10b-12 (HCSB) "For the LORD’s power will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trampled in a dung pile. He will spread out his arms in the middle of it, as a swimmer spreads out ⌊his arms⌋ to swim. His pride will be brought low, along with the trickery of his hands. The high-walled fortress will be brought down, thrown to the ground, to the dust."

Then end of this chapter is the sad record of the judgment on Moab - symbolic of the pride of life that dominates the city of this age. Swimming in dung - how's that for a word picture? No pride left, no tricks, no wealth - all undone when the Creator and Judge of all things returns.

Are you the joyful remnant praising God for His victory? Or are you still full of pride and self-sufficiency? Time is running out and none of us knows when He will return. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.

Isaiah 24 - The Day of Judgment

Isaiah's 24th chapter is accurately titled "The Earth Judged" in the HCSB. ESV has "Judgment on the Whole Earth" while the KJV has "The doleful judgments of God upon the land." I would say that seeing this chapter as "judgments upon the land" conveys too small a picture. This judgment is described in terms that force us to consider what the Bible says elsewhere of the end of this age.

The structure is poetic, with repeats of certain phrase and pairing of others. Isaiah 24:1a (HCSB) "Look, the LORD is stripping the earth bare and making it desolate." Verses 1b & 2 describe the effects of stripping the earth and making it desolate - the earth's surface will be twisted, its inhabitants scattered, without regard to status or condition of the people. Verse 3 repeats part of verse 1: "The earth will be stripped completely bare and will be totally plundered for the LORD has spoken this message."

How do we know these things will happen? YHWH has spoken it! I read a book once wherein the author asserted some of the good stuff from age - even that done by unbelievers - would be deemed by God to be so good that they would survive judgment and be extant on the new earth. There are so many passages that flatly deny that idea, including verse 3 of this passage: "The earth will be stripped completely bare and will be totally plundered." Not partially or mostly stripped bare; completely. Nothing man can do is truly good: "If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it." (Ex 20:25)

Verses 4-12 describe the effects of the judgment of God mentioned in verses 1 & 3. Isaiah used couplets to emphasize the totality of the devastation. Isaiah 24:4 (HCSB) "The earth mourns and withers; the world wastes away and withers; the exalted people of the earth waste away." Note how the earth mourns and withers, wastes and withers and the rulers of earth waste away. The repetition of terms conveys the idea of completion.

Verse 5 tells us those who dwell on the earth have polluted it, they have transgressed His teaching and decrees, and violated "the everlasting covenant." The language here likely refers to Genesis 6, where man is wicked in every thought, full of violence, having corrupted their way on the earth; and Genesis 9, where God gave law to Noah and all the earth and set His bow in the sky as a sign of "the everlasting covenant."

As an aside, read Gen 9:1-7 and then read Acts 15:23-29 and think of other passages in the New Covenant Scriptures that touch on what YHWH told Noah. The continuity of God's law does not depend on His covenant with national Israel.

In Isaiah 24:6-12 we see "only a few survive" the judgement of God upon the earth, after a curse consumed it and burned up most of the inhabitants. The vineyards have withered, the tambourines are quiet, earth's rejoicing has gone into exile - only desolation remains as the city's gate has collapsed in ruin.

Verse 13 brings a change in perspective, "For this is how it will be on earth among the nations: like a harvested olive tree, like a gleaning after a grape harvest." When an olive tree or vineyard is harvested, only a few olives or grapes remain. This remnant sings and praises the majesty of God (vs 14), "From the ends of the earth we hear songs: The Splendor of the Righteous One" (vs 16a).  What a contrast from those who pollute and corrupt the earth - despising their Creator.

Verse 16b brings Isaiah's voice to our attention: "But I said, “I waste away! I waste away! Woe is me.” The treacherous act treacherously; the treacherous deal very treacherously." This ought to draw our attention to something written much later, as an angel spoke: Revelation 22:10-11 (HCSB) He also said to me, “Don’t seal the prophetic words of this book, because the time is near. Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being made filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy.” At the end, there is no room for repentance, no second opportunity for salvation. Only judgment for those who are not in Christ while those in Christ can only sing His praises.

Verses 17 & 18 bring poetic terms of trouble that await those who deal treacherously - "Panic, trip, and trap" await them; windows in heaven are opened up and the foundations of the earth are shaken - just as noted in Hebrews 12:25-27 (HCSB) Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain.

Scripture cannot be broken. When the foundations of the earth are shaken, the end is nigh. The security for the saints is found in Christ and the kingdom that CANNOT be shaken, which shall remain forever.

Verses 19 & 20 continue to describe God's judgment on earth: Isaiah 24:19-20 (HCSB) "The earth is completely devastated; the earth is split open; the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a hut. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again." The totality of God's judgment, the completeness of man's depravity are on display.

Isaiah 24:21-23a (HCSB) On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished. The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced."

Peter had this to say: 2 Peter 3:10-13 (HCSB) "But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that ⌊day⌋ the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, ⌊it is clear⌋ what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell."

The angels that rebelled and all the people of the world will be thrown into hell and all the saints eagerly await the NEW heaven and the NEW earth, where RIGHTEOUSNESS dwells. Do you yearn for that?

Isaiah 24:23b - "the LORD of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will ⌊display His⌋ glory in the presence of His elders." This is displayed in another book based on a vision from God:

Revelation 5:8-14 (HCSB) "When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed ⌊people⌋ for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice: The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say: Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

When the end us upon us, YHWH reigns as King of kings, displaying His glory in the presence of His elders. And all will sing praises to the One who is worthy to open the seals; the One who ransomed His people from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. Countless redeemed people will never tire of praising the Lamb Who is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

If you cannot say "Amen!" to that, perhaps you are of those who corrupt the earth. While it is yet today, before He returns ON THAT DAY, cry out for mercy and harden not your heart. For time is running out and there is a day appointed wherein Christ will judge the works of man. He stands as a refuge for all who trust in Him.