Read Isaiah
33-35 & Philippians
2
To discover:
As you read note that
different things that will mark the final state for God’s people.
To ponder:
In the context of the book, the destroyer and betrayer who
will be destroyed and betrayed is probably Assyria
(33v1). But this is a truth that stands for all who do evil in the light of
final judgement. What follows is a prayer for God’s grace seen in daily giving
strength and salvation in the face of threat. And it is said in confidence that
at God’s word of command people scatter as he providentially brings other men
to harvest the plunder of Israel ’s
enemies like locusts (33v2-4). And so Isaiah can declare God is exalted (most
highly regarded) because he dwells in heaven and will bring his people in Zion
to live in justice and righteousness. So he is Judah ’s
sure foundation that will keep her from falling, giving salvation, wisdom and
knowledge as a treasure to those who fear him (33v5-6). Our confidence for all
these things should therefore be in God.
33v7-9
pictures Assyria breaking her agreement with Judah
and attacking, so the warriors cry and envoys that agreed peace weep.
Furthermore, the land is deserted and ashamed – probably at the Jews relying on
their deals for deliverance, rather than on God. At this point God says he will
arise and show his power so he is exalted (see 33v13). He will burn up the
Assyrian peoples. By saying Assyria ’s breath is fire, he
implies her own actions will lead to her downfall. In the light of this, God
calls people near and far to acknowledge him, stating how the sinners in Zion
tremble in considering their own liability to his anger (everlasting burning).
However, he affirms that those who are righteous, refusing to act unjustly or
do evil, will be kept safe and well supplied so they survive (33v10-16).
This language suggests God’s
treatment of Assyria is actually intended to cause us to
contemplate the judgement to come and the grace we need from him. What follows,
builds on this (33v17-24): A beautiful king will be seen ruling an expansive
land. This language is too much for any merely human king ruling Judah ,
and is later seen to refer to God (33v22). But in being “seen” there is a hint
of him being visible as Christ. At that time, faithful Jews will remember their
trials under Assyria , recognizing that the Assyrian
officials who counted Jerusalem ’s
towers and arranged a tribute to be paid accordingly will have gone. Moreover,
they will witness Jerusalem as
peaceful and secure forever, with God reigning there as judge, lawgiver, king
and saviour. The wide rivers symbolise the abundance of the land, and the note
that no ships will sail them, stresses its security, as no enemy will use them
to attack. So although Judah
is now in disarray like an unkept ship unable to attack her enemies; then, even
the lame will share in the plunder from the nations. More than that, there will
be no sickness, and those there will have experienced the forgiveness of their
sins. In other words, these great blessings will be received because God will
have dealt with the sin that provoked him in justice to bring Assyria
against Judah
in the first place. And because sin will have been dealt with, those in this
new Jerusalem will experience freedom even from the curse of Eden
that brought sickness and death.
Following
this picture of the final state, chapter 34 calls the world to be attentive to
the fact that God is angry with all nations and their armies, and will utterly
destroy them (34v1-4). There is suggestion too that the creation itself will
unravel as it experiences what it is to be cut off from the source of life. But
the removal of the stars may also speak of God’s judgement on evil angelic
beings too. So God’s sword of judgement will punish those in the heavens, and
then turn to the world. Whereas Israel
was descended from Jacob , Edom Edom
here may be symbolic of all who are not God’s people. Or Isaiah may be
portraying its destruction soon after his prophecy as a paradigm for the
ultimate destruction of all nations. Its destruction is said to be like a
sacrifice, implying it satisfies the demands of God’s justice at sin (34v5-7).
Yet, it is also a day of vengeance against those who have attacked his people. Sulphur
on the land recalls God’s judgement of Sodom
and Gomorrah , implying utter
destruction. Moreover, the unquenchable fire and forever rising smoke stresses
that this is an irreversible destruction, from which Edom
and ultimately the world will never recover, as God’s anger against human sin
will burn forever (see Rev 14v10-11). Just as measuring lines were used to
build, here God is pictured using chaos and desolation to demolish. So
important people will vanish, mighty fortresses will be overrun with brambles,
and the land will be forever portioned out by God to animals that his Spirit
will gather together to live with one-another in peace (34v8-17). This may be
purely figurative language stressing how human beings have forfeited the gift
of creation. But it does describe the reality in many parts of the world where
great cities once stood before falling. This implies a literal fulfilment of
this prophecy for Edom
was probably intended, although as a paradigm of the final judgement. Indeed,
the call to examine the scroll (34v16) may be a way of saying: “look and see
how Isaiah’s words have been fulfilled for Edom
as a warning that they will be fulfilled for all nations too.”
Isaiah 35
takes up this theme by compacting a description of the new creation, that was
foreshadowed in the miracles of Jesus’ ministry (35v5-6, Lk 7v21-23), and the
final judgement he will bring at his second coming: The renewal of creation is
pictured as desert wilderness blossoming and rejoicing, being as glorious as
the most beautiful parts of the current world because it will see God’s glory,
or excellence – which we know is to behold him in Christ. And so those living
in fear of Assyria or any other evil are urged to
encourage each other to be strong as they wait for God to arrive, confident he
will come with vengeance for how they’ve been treated, saving them by
destroying their oppressors. It is then that physical affliction will be gone
and the land flourish in abundance, as the time of devastation throughout the
earth passes (compare 35v7 with 34v13). And at this time, those God has
redeemed (set free from oppression) and who are clean (and so acceptable to
him), will return to Jerusalem with joy along a “highway of holiness,” without
fear of being attacked and so being kept from their destination. Then in Zion ,
sorrow and sighing will flee away. With poetic language we therefore see the
certain future those who lead holy lives of faith and worship will one day
enjoy in comprising the new Jerusalem.
Praying it home:
Praise God for the
certain hope portrayed here. Pray that you be full of holiness and joy as you
travel towards the heavenly Zion .
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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