Thankful Praise For Delieverance Series

ISAIAH 25: 1-5

THANKFUL PRAISE FOR DELIVERANCE

Isaiah now describes the situation which will exist when the kingdom of God is established on the earth. Yahweh will win the great victory when He overthrows His enemies and causes all men to fear Him.

Chapter 24 closed with the proclamation of the future gloriously reign of the Lord of Hosts on earth. In Chapter 25 we find it happening as the prophet speaks of the glorious majesty of God’s kingdom (Ps. 145:12), and gives thankful praises for what God will do. The prophet ascribed praise to the Lord for His marvelous future acts of judgment (2-3) and deliverance (vv. 4-5). God will be faithful in caring for and delivering His people (CIT).

I. LONG PLANNED WONDERS, 1.

II. LAYING LOW THE RUTHLESS, 2-3.

III. SAFEGUARDING THE REDEEMED, 4-5.

Speaking in the first person Isaiah describes the great wonders which will occur when the Kingdom is established on the earth. Beginning with verse1, O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You. I will give thanks to Your name. For You have worked wonders; plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

The prophet himself determines to praise God. Those who would stir up others to praise God should first stir up themselves. Isaiah thus begins with an intensely personal affirmation that YHWH is his God. He has laid claim to the Lord as his God. Recognizing Yahweh for who He is and personally claiming God as your own provides the desire and motivation to exalt Him.

Isaiah ascribes praise to the Lord’s name (His revealed character) because of His marvelous acts. The Creator God is not bounded by natural law or occurrences when He acts. He is able to act supernaturally and often does to save His covenant people. Wonders are part of His planned action on behalf of His suffering people.

The things God does and will do have been planned from long ago (14:24, 26, 27; 23:8-9). God is not making it up as He goes along. His wonders, His amazing acts, have been given forethought and are part of His overall design. He has a divine purpose and a divine strategy to accomplish His plan especially and specifically when it concerns His people. And when it does, the normal and natural are not barriers to His action on their behalf. What He plans He is not only capable of carrying out, He is perfectly faithful in carrying it out.

Friend, if you are making you own plans with out considering His plan for life and specifically for your life, you need to reconsider. Entrusting your life and your purpose for life to anyone but the LORD God is foolishness and may well lead to folly.

Any other plan but the one the Sovereign Lord has for life will prove worthless to you in the long run. Give Him your life and learn to trust His faithfulness.

Then give thanks to God. Praise Him! Exalt Him!...for His wise purposes and His willing action to carry them out on behalf of His people. For God’s marvelous acts demand a response from God’s people, from all who call Him my God. The awaken redeemed who recognize that it is God who is working out His wise plan upon the inhabitants of His earth respond with love and rejoicing.

II. LAYING LOW THE RUTHLESS, 2-3.

The praising prophet now let’s us look into the future plan of God. Verse 2 states, For You have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin; a palace of strangers is a city no more. It will never be rebuilt.

God plans to humble all the works (and workers) of human pride and oppression, typified as the fortified city and a palace of strangers. [As in ch. 24 no specific city is identified and seems to represent the place of world leadership. Some say it is "Babylon," which also represents all those opposed to God.] They had strength and human wisdom to fortify what they were trusting in and the worldly wealth to live in royal luxury, but they were strangers to God. Thus all their skill and work will be shattered never to continue into the future.

God will act in miraculous manner in the future for a decisive victory over all who oppose Him. This victory will extend to the permanent destruction of all they have done with their life. God’s triumph has been planned from the beginning. [Oswalt, p 461]

Verse 3 tells the result of this judgment. Therefore a strong people will glorify You. Cities of ruthless nations will revere You.

Why will it take such destruction to cause God to be honored? When people come to recognize no authority or persuasion but power, God will demonstrate He is the most powerful. God’s judgment on the cities, representative of the world’s leadership (24:12-13), will cause peoples from ruthless nations to honor and revere (fear) Him. Those that have been the terror of the world shall tremble before the judgments of God [and call in vain to rocks and mountains to hide them]. He will speak in a way that they will understand and obey.