Today's Reading:

Isaiah 23
Isaiah 24
Isaiah 25
Isaiah 26

He will remove the veil of spiritual blindness. In 2 Corinthians 3-4, Paul talks about the veil being taken away in Christ. When we turn to Jesus, our eyes are opened to see God’s glory clearly. Like a thick curtain that kept people from understanding God’s truth, this spiritual blindness was only lifted through Jesus. We can now see the Lord and His grace with open eyes and full hearts.

He will wipe away the tears from our faces and swallow up death forever. This is a beautiful resurrection promise. There is complete fulfillment in Jesus’ victory over the grave. Our Savior brings a happy ending to the story.

Imagine standing in the darkness with a heavy veil over your eyes, unable to see the feast table laid out by God, or the tears He wants to wipe away. Then you hear the voice of the Messiah calling your name. What would it feel like that very second the veil is lifted? How does that moment of sight change the way you walk through life today?

Isaiah continued with his prophecies. Chapter 23 focused on Tyre. Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician coastal cities (modern Lebanon). Tyre was known for their purple cloth, cedar trees (remember Solomon’s palace was built with them), and shipping port. These international trading ships were returning and heard the bad news that their favorite port would be destroyed (later fulfilled by Alexander the Great 332 BC). Egypt would be saddened when Tyre falls. Tarshish would wail (modern Spain; remember that was where Jonah wanted to flee). The Lord planned this destruction on Tyre, not another wealthy nation, to bring down the prideful and humble them. Look at how Assyria was destroyed by Babylon. Tyre would be forgotten for 70 years (~700 to ~630 BC fulfilled). Tyre would return to prostitution, making money by whatever means; yet those profits earned, God declared would benefit His people. God would destroy the commercial empires, because their hearts did not return to Him, so He used their profits for His own people.

God would destroy all, from the leaders to the poor. All of humanity had trashed the earth, so like Genesis 9 (Noah’s time), judgment would come. Yet they acted shocked. This was the same story, just a different time. The joyful celebrations would stop, but a remnant would glorify God even in judgment.

Isaiah cried out in suffering because the enemies of God tried to crush Israel. The earth, the earth, the earth, would have a total collapse and complete destruction. “The earth reels like a drunkard”; the weight of humanity’s sins is too much. Sin had reached its limit. While everything falls apart, God is still there, sovereign and giving perfect peace to those who trust in Him. God said there would be no flood again before this verse, but humanity broke the covenant. Creation would be undone, and the earth would be destroyed. Right after total destruction comes praise. Isaiah knows that God has always had a plan. When life seems chaotic, use verse 25:1 like a prayer: “Lord, you are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” You have been a shelter from the storm and heat (a reference to the total destruction of chapter 24).

God will create a feast for all, not just the Israelites. His banquet serves the best meats and aged wine. The watchmen question how long, and their patience is rewarded with a celebration feast. God will bless Zion, but Moab, they will be face planted and trampled like straw into poo. They will flail like bad swimmers. God judges those full of pride and sin.

Chapter 25 was a praise to the Lord for His great victory and celebration feast. Now chapter 26 was a song to trust and praise God even in a broken world. They are to wait for Him, and He will give perfect peace, resurrection hope, and hiding in Him until judgment passed. This is wonderful for quiet daily faith. Isaiah continued with the idea to trust and find joy in the Lord. Get to know God and His character. This is the epitome of the entire Old Testament. If you seek Him and trust in His love, you will have peace. The Hebrew word “shalom” means peace, so Shalom, Shalom means double peace, or perfect peace.

In John 19:30, when Jesus was on the cross and cried out, “It is finished,” that echoed the verse from Isaiah 26:12, where God does the real work in our lives. He declared the completed work of salvation, just like God’s people confessed that He has done for us all of our works. We do not produce good work or fruit on our own; it is all from Him. Most early Christians and modern Christians look at verse 26:19 as pointing to Christ’s resurrection and our own future resurrection. This verse is the clearest picture of bodily resurrection in the Bible. The chapter ends with a picture of protection, just like Noah was safe in the Ark and the Israelites were marked safe during Passover; God told the people to hide safely until His wrath passed while He dealt with the sin of the earth.

Today's Discussion question:

Imagine standing in the darkness with a heavy veil over your eyes, unable to see the feast table laid out by God, or the tears He wants to wipe away. Then you hear the voice of the Messiah calling your name. What would it feel like that very second the veil is lifted? How does that moment of sight change the way you walk through life today?

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