Isaiah 25

In the midst of all the prophecies given to Isaiah concerning many Nations, Isaiah gets a revelation of God’s plan through it all, for which Isaiah is determined to praise God and extol His fame, vs 1.

God is the one who will protect the poor and the needy in their distress, vs 4, as well as, subdue their tyrants too, vs 5, even if He has to make their city into a heap of rubble, and the fortified town into a heap of ruins; and the fortress of foreigners to cease from being a city, so as to never be rebuilt, vs 2!

He also gets a revelation of the marriage feast of the Lamb, and that time when death will be swallowed up forever! It will be then that we shall see Him face to face and He will take away our disgrace from the entire earth, vs 6-8!

This special privilege and eternal joy will be given to those who made Him their God and patiently waited for His salvation, vs 9! On the other hand, in that day the pride of Moab will be completely brought down, as also the cleverness of their hands which they used to bring about their own salvation, vs 10-12!

So, we see that in times of distress, oppression and need, the bride responds in faith and patience, overcoming evil with good and waiting hopefully for God to vindicate and fulfill His promises to her, while those who belong to the company of the Moabites use their own cleverness and walk in pride and arrogance and seek their own revenge!

Eventually, God, Himself will vindicate His bride and crown her with victory and deliverance, while He will judge those who operate in the spirit of Moab!
Let him who has an ear, hear!

Isaiah 26

At the time when God establishes victory for His people, His Church will be built against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, vs 1.

The righteous who walk in faith will enter and abide therein, vs 2, and they will be kept in perfect peace, for their mind will be stayed on the Lord in whom alone they trust, vs 3,4. On the other hand, those who choose to continue walking in pride and who refuse to walk the path of the righteous and the way of the just will be abased, vs 5-7! However, the righteous who waited patiently for God’s judgments in the ‘night-seasons’ of their lives, so as to ensure that they walk in righteousness, will be crowned with victory, peace and rejoicing, vs 8,9,12,13. The wicked should not be shown favour or they will not learn righteousness, for they do not perceive the majesty of the Lord, vs 10.

So, they need to see God’s zeal on behalf of His people, and so, be put to shame, vs 11.

But, the wicked who continue in wickedness will die spiritually for all eternity, vs 14. However, God will enlarge the Nation who humbles itself when chastened by the Lord, and who in difficult times seek God secretly and diligently behind closed doors when God punishes the inhabitants of the earth for their sins.

It is them whom He will resurrect and restore. And although they will suffer for a while and seem fruitless, yet ultimately they will wake up from the dust and live amidst shouts of while vs 15-21!

So, in the midst of the troubled times that we are living in, let us determine to humble ourselves and set our way right, while offering unto the Lord a sacrifice of praise for then He has promised to show us His salvation, Psalms 50:14,15,23.

Rowena Thomas
Mumbai, India.