WOW AND AMEN!
Opening Prayer
Lord God, thank you for your salvation, and thank you that you are altogether trustworthy. Help me to respond with thanksgiving and praise in ways that bless you and show others who you are.
Read ISAIAH 25
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Praise to the Lord
25 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.
2 You have made the city a heap of rubble,
the fortified town a ruin,
the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
4 You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall
5 and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
10 The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled in their land
as straw is trampled down in the manure.
11 They will stretch out their hands in it,
as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim.
God will bring down their pride
despite the cleverness[a] of their hands.
12 He will bring down your high fortified walls
and lay them low;
he will bring them down to the ground,
to the very dust.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 25:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name.’1 Spend a moment praising God for the things you love about him.
Think Further
Wouldn’t verse 1 be the perfect inspirational message for a wall poster or screen saver? In fact, it sounds very similar to something David would write. Take a moment to read Psalm 139 and see if you can spot any similar themes. Here, Isaiah reflects on the very personal relationship he has with God – and it fills him with praise for God’s blessing and plan. Take a moment to praise God for the wonderful things he’s done in your life; perhaps list them in a notebook or note-taking app. It’s true that life isn’t always wonderful, but even then, especially then, it’s important to remember that God has a loving plan for your life. The God of the universe knows you personally. Wow!
We must be careful, though, to understand this verse in its original context, a principle we should follow whenever reading God’s Word. What was Isaiah saying to the people of Judah? The central image is that of a celebratory feast, with two distinct aspects: blessing for the poor and needy, and punishment for the strong and ruthless (vv. 2–5). Together they produce a fusion of joy. What animates our praise is not just that God wants to do good things for us. It’s that someday he will completely eradicate sin and death: ‘The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces’ (v. 8). Wow!
Did you notice the phrase Isaiah mentions three times in this chapter, ‘On this mountain,’ a reference to Mount Zion (vv. 6, 7, 10)? Geographically, Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, the location of the temple and the special place where God intended to dwell.2 Spiritually, however, Mount Zion symbolizes the amazing truth that God wants to meet with his people, including you. Wow and amen!
Apply
What things make you more aware of God’s presence? What things make you less interested in seeking God? How might this affect your day?
Closing prayer
Father, because of the hope that is mine in Christ, help me to live in ways that are overflowing with gratitude, with joy, and with expectancy for the things you have promised.
1 Isa 25:1 2 Ps 2:6; 5:7; 9:11; 27:4; 74:2; 87:1, 2; 99:9
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