Isaiah study & commentary

Isaiah 25:1-5

Isaiah praises God in response to His plans of judgment detailed in chapter 24.  In perfect faithfulness and truth God will do the things He planned long ago. 

Isaiah doesn't say what city he is referring to as the city of ruin; but Babylon is in keeping with this view toward the final judgment.  See Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:37 and Revelation 18.  (It has been said the bible is the story of two cities: Jerusalem and Babylon.)  Babylon was a literal city that represented humanism, paganism and rebellion against God.  In the end times either a literal Babylon will be rebuilt or the world system will be as a type of Babylon.  This Babylon will be destroyed forever, never to be rebuilt.  When that happens, the nations of the world will no longer be joined together against God but in will glorify Him and fear Him.

The song of the terrible is the boasting of those in power who rely on their pride.  They oppress, imprison and enslave.  But the redeemed find a place of refuge in the Lord.  To the poor, the needy and distressed He becomes a refuge in a storm or a cool place of shade in the heat.  God has always been and always will be a shield and protector of those who seek Him. 

Isaiah 25:6-8

The Lord will host a great banquet for the redeemed when His kingdom comes.  What an incredible feast this will be and think of all the saints of old that will be in attendance.

Man, due to his sinful nature, has the sentence of death over him; the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.  God will remove the covering of death and swallow it up forever.  This passage is reminiscent of Revelation 21.  Paul repeats this in 1 Corinthians 15:54 (see also Hosea 13:14).  Canaanite mythology portrayed death as a hungry beast that swallows its victims.  This makes the picture of the Lord 'swallowing  up death' particularly meaningful.

Our shame will be wiped away along with the tears from all the faces.  There will be no more sadness because the affects of sin will be gone.  The Lord spoke it and it is a sure thing. 

Isaiah 25:9-12

To have waited on the Lord is to show patience and trust in Him and His timing (see also Is 26:8).  Sometimes we don't see God move and we begin to wonder and we question His timing.  But God is sovereign, His timing is perfect and trusting Him wholly is to wait because we know He will save us.  In that day, when death is swallowed up and judgment is just and right, God's people will say, "This is our God!"  We will have known it all along, but then we will see it play out and see Him. 

Moab gets the distinct honor of representing all the nations that are the enemies of God.  They will be brought down, laid low to the very dust.  The Moabite fortresses had high walls that were fortified; they survived with the 'trickery' of their hands, their pride served them in world.  None of these things will stand against the hand of God.  They will be brought down by His hand.

©2018 Doug Ford