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God Will Swallow Up Death Forever
25 O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners’ palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
as heat by the shade of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is put down.
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain,
and Moab shall be trampled down in his place,
as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.
And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it
as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim,
but the LORD will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands.
And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,
lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.
(ESV)
Isaiah 25 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost reads like a prayer, and this is significant. When we face trials, struggles, sin issues, fear, etc., the only hope we have is in the Lord. We must lean into His trust and His faithfulness during the most brutal storms. We must remind ourselves of who He is and what He has promised. It is critical to remember both His truth and His grace.
Really, Isaiah’s response here is exactly how his people should react. It’s how we should react. There is humility and genuine praise offered forth. There is a recognition of how big He is and how small we are. We see a righteous fear of God. For those who respond with repentance, redemption overflows. However, those who continue in their selfish rebellion will face the coming wrath. It really is that simple.
There is another point that sticks out from this chapter. Though God will always crown Himself as the ultimate authority, and show His great power and strength, His desire is for us to change. Why else would He go to such lengths to put His own Son on a cross? God wants us to respond with love, joy, and holiness. The Scriptures make it plain what our response should be…
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ESV For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
- 1 Peter 2:15-17 ESV For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Give thanks. Pursue holiness. Fear God. Honor the King. For repentant believers, this is how we must respond to our Lord each and every day!