Isaiah 25:1

Isaiah 25 and 26 take the form of a song, which celebrates the effect of God's intervention. Let us look at its main subjects. God is faithful. He accomplishes His purposes. He has brought the city of human pride to nothing through His power. All the strong organisation of man's pride is destroyed.

How good it is to watch the mighty arm of God coming down in stroke after stroke — the judgment laid on Babylon, on Moab, on Tyre, on all the great and mighty nations of earth, on His chosen and beloved Israel, on the whole world. It is good to know that this is meant to build up and establish His glory for ever, in a way that can never be shaken… In view of all the desolation he lifts his voice in praise. When man is humbled, when his greatness is brought into the dust, God alone is glorified, His name is magnified.

Here Israel are pictured as taken up with the wonderful things God has done to deliver their nation. God will have stepped in. He will have used His power to rescue His ancient people by judging their mightiest enemies. They speak of the ruin God has inflicted on all around them.

It is now the prophet who speaks for Israel. He breaks into praise, and makes it personal for the people in verse 1. What are the wonderful things? The death and resurrection of Christ? Not a word about either. These are the themes we should speak about. So on the Lord's-day morning, when we come together, what fills our hearts is the theme of His praise. We have the still more wonderful works of God in Christ and the new creation.

Isaiah praises the counsels of the Lord (Isa. 25:1), which he describes as being of old, and as "faithfulness and truth." God has no need to make plans to meet current events in the world. He foreknew all that takes place, and He deals with everything by His wisdom. At His will He makes the city a heap and the fortified city a ruin. He is a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. So He shows His faithfulness and truth to all who trust Him.

"Counsel" and "purpose" are common words with Isaiah too. He writes: "I have purposed"; "The Lord of Hosts has purposed"; "My purpose shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure"; "The counsel of the Lord"; "Which is wonderful in counsel"; "Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."

They do not address God as Father in the Spirit of adoption, for they are not Christians. They will be believers, but believing Jews… Jehovah is the name of God seen as a ruler who maintains His kingdom. Father is the name that first came out in connection with His beloved Son. Now, because of redemption, that name is true of us who believe in Him.

When these things come to pass it will be easy to sing the note of praise, but it is our privilege as Christians to praise before they have come to pass.

What will it be when the storms of life are over and past, and we review all the way that God has led us, and how He has sustained us and brought us through when our way seemed completely closed… But we can sing it now, for we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose.