Rejoicing to follow
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Isaiah has been prophesying for the last several chapters about the destruction and punishment from God that is going to come upon the disobedient. It is no wonder that this chapter rightly follows.
This chapter begins by praising God. Isaiah notes the power of God, the wonderful things He has done, and the praise He deserves. Then Isaiah rejoices that the almighty God has delivered the righteous from the wicked.
Sometimes we fail to realize the difference between good and evil. Hell is good. We don't want to go there, but hell is a good thing. Just like the flood of Noah's day was a good thing, hell is also a good thing. Hell is God's way of justly punishing the wicked. Yet if we were left to justice alone every man living would be justly doomed to the punishment of hell. Hence we are very thankful for the mercy and longsuffering of God as well. Thankful that He is merciful enough to provide forgiveness through His son. Thankful that He is longsuffering to provide opportunity for us to change our lives. Yet it is that same longsuffering that those who have turned to God often don't understand. Justice is coming...from an all powerful creator...and it will be a day of rejoicing for the righteous.
ISAIAH 25
[25:1] O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. [2] For You have made a city a ruin, A fortified city a ruin, A palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. [3] Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You. [4] For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. [5] You will reduce the noise of aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be diminished. [6] And in this mountain The LORD of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. [7] And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. [8] He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. [9] And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” [10] For on this mountain the hand of the LORD will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. [11] And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride Together with the trickery of their hands. [12] The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, And bring to the ground, down to the dust.
