The Book of Isaiah

Hebrew Study

Explanation

The chapter opens not with a prophecy but with worship: "O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee." Isaiah has just seen the whole earth shaken, and his response is to praise the faithfulness of God, "thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." What God planned long ago He is bringing to pass exactly. Part of that plan is the fall of proud, oppressive cities, "thou hast made of a city an heap... it shall never be built", and the strange result that even "the strong people" and "the terrible nations" will come to fear and glorify Him. Then Isaiah names the tender heart of God's power: it is bent toward the weak. "Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." When "the blast of the terrible ones" beats like a storm against the wall, God is the shelter the helpless run to. The same LORD who topples empires stoops to shield the poor.

Gospel Focus

Notice where God's strength turns: not to the mighty, but "to the poor... to the needy in his distress." This is the very heartbeat of the gospel. Jesus opened His ministry saying, "he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor" (Luke 4:18), and God has "chosen the poor of this world rich in faith" (James 2:5). The world runs to power; God runs to the powerless who will trust Him. And He offers Himself as the refuge, "a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." Every soul meets storms it cannot stand against, and there is only one wall that holds: "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10). That strong tower has a name we know, Jesus, in whom God became our hiding place. When the blast of trouble beats against you, do not try to be your own wall. Run to Him. He has been a strength to the poor in every generation, and He will be your refuge too.

Hebrew Study

Explanation

Now comes the summit of the chapter, and one of the mountaintops of the whole Old Testament. "In this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things", a lavish banquet, the richest food and the finest wine, spread by God Himself for "all people," not Israel only. Then three great enemies are undone. First, the veil: "he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations", the shroud of grief and blindness torn off every nation. Second, and greatest, death: "He will swallow up death in victory." The devourer of all the living is itself devoured. Third, sorrow: "the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces," and the reproach of His people is taken away forever, "for the LORD hath spoken it." And the redeemed answer with a shout of recognition and joy: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD... we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

Gospel Focus

This passage reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and the New Testament tells us so directly. When Paul proclaims the resurrection, he reaches back to this very verse: "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). Christ rose, and death, the last enemy, was swallowed up in Him. The feast "for all people" is the gospel banquet to which every nation is now invited, "come; for all things are now ready" (Luke 14:17), consummated at "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). And the promise "the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces" is taken up almost word for word at the end of the Bible: "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying" (Revelation 21:4). Above all, hear the Oneness cry of that day: "Lo, this is our God... this is the LORD." The God they waited for and the LORD who saves them are one and the same, and He came to us in Jesus, whose very name means "the LORD saves." We do not wait for two; we wait for one God our Saviour, and when we see Him we will know Him: this is our God; we have waited for Him.

Hebrew Study

Explanation

The chapter ends by setting two destinies side by side. On the one hand, "in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest", the very mountain of the feast becomes the place where God's hand settles down to bless and protect His people. On the other hand, proud Moab is "trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill." Moab flails to save itself, spreading out its hands "as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim", a desperate, thrashing effort, but God will "bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands." Every high defense is leveled: "the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust." Moab stands here for all human pride that trusts its own high walls; its end is the dust, while the humble who take refuge in God are seated at His feast.

Gospel Focus

The contrast could not be sharper: the LORD's hand rests on His people in blessing, and comes down on the proud in judgment. It is the same truth Mary sang: "he hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree" (Luke 1:52). Moab's frantic swimming is the picture of every soul that tries to save itself by its own effort, thrashing to stay above the flood of judgment, and it is not enough; "their pride" and "the spoils of their hands" go down together. No high fort of human strength or self-righteousness will stand; it will be brought "even to the dust." But the same chapter that dashes proud Moab to the dunghill seats the poor and the waiting at the table of God. The difference is not that one group is worthy and the other is not; it is that one trusts its own walls and the other takes refuge in the LORD. Stop swimming to save yourself. Come down off your high fort, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and let that hand rest on you in blessing rather than fall on you in judgment. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:10).