The Triumph of the Lord

Text: Isaiah 25-26

Praise to the Name of the Lord - Isaiah 25:1-5

A person's name is their reputation and their authority. Isaiah gives praise to God's name and lists out reasons.

• God's miracles show His power.
• God's ability to formulate plans in the distant past and then carry them out with perfect precision.
• God's ability to bring down a capital city so thoroughly that it is never rebuilt. Even strong and ruthless nations respect God's power.
• God's care for the less fortunate.
• God's bringing down the ruthless.

Praise for the Feast God Hosts - Isaiah 25:6-9

God will prepare a lavish feast for all people at Mount Zion. The feast is not physical, but a banquet on God's teachings brought to the world by Jesus. He will remove the covering that blinded people (II Corinthians 3:15-16; Ephesians 4:17-18). Death will be conquered (I Corinthians 15:58). He will comfort all people. For His people, God will remove their reproach.

The people will praise the God whom they had waited for Him to save them (Psalms 25:1-5). They rejoice in the salvation that He brought them.

God Brings Low the Enemy - Isaiah 25:10-12

Moab has long been an enemy of Israel, so Moab is selected to represent the enemies of God's people. Moab will be trodden down and made repulsive and useless. God will divide them while bringing down their pride and deceitfulness (Proverbs 16:18). They might think their walls protect them, but God will bring the walls down.

Praise for God's Protection - Isaiah 26:1-10

A song is lifted up as God's people sing about the provisions God has made for their protection. It is for the righteous who remain faithful and steadfast. To them, God brings them perfect peace. All are urged to trust in God. He is their sure foundation. He has brought down the enemies of His people so low that the weak and the helpless can tread on them.

God smooths the way for the righteous. His people long for Him and His Judgments. Even the memory of God is desirable.

The wicked have been shown mercy but don't learn righteousness when they have the chance.  Instead, they treat God's people unjustly. They cannot see the majesty of the Lord, who rules and judges them.

God Will Bring Us Through Tribulations - Isaiah 26:11-19

God's hand is lifted to strike the wicked, but they don't see it. However, they do see how God zealously defends His people, and they are put to shame.

The righteous will see peace. They are confident seeing all that God has done so far.

Others have ruled over God's people, but only God is acknowledged as the true authority. World rulers cannot compare to God. They are dead, but God is everlasting. They will not return to this world. They have faced God's punishment. God has caused His nation to increase, and as a result, God is glorified (Daniel 2:44-45).

In times of distress, people call upon God, even if it is only a whispered prayer. God chastens His people for their good (Hebrews 12:5-11). The righteous are like the pregnant woman who cries to God in distress. It seems they can't make a change. All they deliver is wind. Their efforts can't save people. But the dead will one day rise. The earth will give birth.

Be Patient, Deliverance Will Come - Isaiah 26:20-21

Isaiah invites all his people to lay low in their homes. The time of wrath will eventually run its course. God is about to punish the people of the world for their sins and what has been done will be brought to light.