A Song of Victory

Remember that this is a brief picture of the Apocalypse… the end of times. Chapter 24 was about Judgment of the world, 25-27 are about the blessings God has planned for Judah in the Kingdom Age. Most of this chapter is a song of victory by God’s People.

Trust like you belong to the Lord

Isaiah 26:1–7 HCSB

On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Salvation is established as walls and ramparts. Open the gates so a righteous nation can come in— one that remains faithful. You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the Lord forever, because in Yah, the Lord, is an everlasting rock! For He has humbled those who live in lofty places— an inaccessible city. He brings it down; He brings it down to the ground; He throws it to the dust. Feet trample it, the feet of the humble, the steps of the poor. The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous.

Reversal of position The Beat Down will Be Lifted Up

Contrasting of Cities is a contrasting of Kingdoms

One City that had been exalted is now laid low.

The other city, marked with humility and poverty will be exalted.

Those who trust in the Lord find strong salvation. verse 1-2

Those who trust in the Lord find perfect peace verse 3

Those who trust in the Lord find perfect stability 4

Live Like You Belong to the Lord

Isaiah 26:7–21 HCSB

The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous. Yes, Yahweh, we wait for You in the path of Your judgments. Our desire is for Your name and renown. I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You, for when Your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. But if the wicked man is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness. In a righteous land he acts unjustly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. Lord, Your hand is lifted up to take action, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people, and they will be put to shame. The fire for Your adversaries will consume them! Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our work for us. Yahweh our God, lords other than You have ruled over us, but we remember Your name alone. The dead do not live; departed spirits do not rise up. Indeed, You have visited and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them. You have added to the nation, Lord. You have added to the nation; You are honored. You have expanded all the borders of the land. Lord, they went to You in their distress; they poured out whispered prayers because Your discipline fell on them. As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so we were before You, Lord. We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen. Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits. Go, my people, enter your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed. For look, the Lord is coming from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal the blood shed on it and will no longer conceal her slain.

It bears repeating that the theme of Isaiah’s prophecies up to this point had been that Judah should not trust in their own abilities, nor the military might of allied nations, nor the gods of other nations. Israel had not followed this advise and had gone off into captivity at the hands of the Assyrians. Judah was on the verge of going into exile at the hand of the Babylonians.

The point is clear: Whatever blessing and benefit would come to God’s people would NOT be because they had followed His Counsel perfectly, but because HE showed them grace as HIS PEOPLE!

It mus be noted however, that God people are marked by righteousness. Isaiah points out several markers of righteous people, and contrasts the wicked.

(Almost this whole passage is Isaiah talking to God about what He is doing and how is people are responding)

God makes a way for the righteous. So much of this section reminds me of the Psalms. God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He lears paths so the righteous can do His will. Testimonies could be made in this room of how God turned impossible situations into things that came to pass. 7

The righteous desire to make God’s name famous. 8

3. The righteous seek God diligently. 9

4. The wicked never learn, even when good things happen to them. 10-11

5. The righteous experience peace (in the Kingdom) 12

6. The righteous honor the Lord as the best MASTER 13

7. The righteous recognize that dead former master’s have no power 14

8. The righteous recognize that God’s work blesses God’s people 15. I think its important to remember that this is future. Isaiah sees a time when Israel is increased in size and number.

9. The righteous learn to trust through hard lessons of discipline 16-18

10. The righteous will see a resurrection 19. See Daniel 12.2

11. The righteous will need to prepare to endure the coming wrath 20-21

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