May 24: Isaiah 25

Numbers 33; Psalm 78:1–39; Isaiah 25; 1 John 3

Photo by Jeff Burrows on Unsplash

The point of this prophetic passage is in the middle, in v. 6-8. God is preparing for ALL peoples (6) of the richest foods - no second best with Him. It is a feast of eternal life, for He removes the veil of death from those who enjoy it (7-8). Thus He takes away the pain that precedes and attends death (8), as well as all His people’s reproach.

Two songs celebrate this future, the first by Isaiah himself (1-5). He exults in God’s “wonderful things” (1) - that in order to bring the feast, He will dissemble “the city” (2). Ironically, this probably refers to Jerusalem - the Jerusalem of this age, taken over by “foreigners” (2). Thus these foreigners may very well be Israelites, especially the scribes and Pharisees (see Luke 20:45-47), made like foreigners by their unbelief and their abuse of the needy (4).

Thus God will give up even His own chosen nation to be a stronghold to the needy (5). And this will draw the nations to Himself (4), and He will thereby subdue them, by His power and grace (5).

To which the peoples will rejoice (9-12). For this God spreads out the palm of His hand to gather the poor in spirit, and lavish them with this feast (11). But to the proud He gives the back of His hand, and lays them low. On this day people from every tongue, tribe and nation will exult: here is our God (9)! He was worth the wait!