February 4, 2011
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Isaiah 25
Scott Dickson
Central Truth
We should live our lives remembering that our best experiences will come after Christ returns.
Key Verse | Isaiah 25:6–7
The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
And refined, aged wine.
And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.
(Isaiah 25:6-7)
Isaiah 25
God Will Swallow Up Death Forever
1
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.
2
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.
3
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4
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,
5
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.
6
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.
7
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8
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.
9
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.”
10
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.
1
25:10
The Hebrew words for dunghill and for the Moabite town Madmen (Jeremiah 48:2) sound alike
11
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
2
25:11
Or in spite of the skill
of his hands.
12
And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,
lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.
Dive Deeper | Isaiah 25
I have a bucket list. You know. . . a list of the things I'd like to do before I die, or "kick the bucket." So far there are only three things on it:
#1: See U2 perform live. (Thanks for a great show, Bono!)
#2: Head up north and see the northern lights. (Still waiting on that one.)
#3: Create a longer bucket list.
Sometimes, I wonder if it's biblical to make bucket lists. I think they're fine when held with an open hand. But once we begin to measure how fulfilling our life has been by what we have and haven't gotten to experience, we've entered into dangerous waters. For one thing, the Bible never declares that a well-lived life is one that has traveled all over the world, gone sky-diving, or seen a favorite band in concert. The world may look at a non-adventurous person and say that they haven't "lived." But those who have truly lived are those who know God, are growing in holiness, loving Him and others, regardless of their travel resume.
Another thing, as this text in Isaiah reminds us, this isn't the only world in which we, as Christians, will ever live. Even the best experiences of this life happen in a world broken by sin and its effects. There is much to laugh and get excited about, but there is also much to cry about. We can rejoice in our health, but all of us will die one day. We have friends, but also enemies. This life is bittersweet, but in this chapter, Isaiah reminds us of the world that will replace this one and last forever. In that world, lives will be lived in which death is a past experience, not a future certainty (verses 7-8). The sorrow of this current life will be banished, and God will wipe away all tears (verse 8). Everyone who opposed God and His people ("the city," verse 2) will be gone.
So don't worry about doing everything on your bucket list. A renewed earth and a feast better than anything in this life are coming (verse 6). So get hungry!
Discussion Questions
1. What are some things you hope to experience before you die? Would you be disappointed if you didn't get to experience them? Why or why not?
2. Are you honestly excited for Christ to return? If not, how can you get more excited? (See 1 Peter 1:13)
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
ISAIAH 21-25 (JAN 31-FEB 4)
Read: Isaiah 25
In verse 1, Isaiah talks about God doing wonderful things. Make a list of wonderful things that God has done, both things from the Bible and things you have seen Him do in your life.
How does Isaiah describe God in verse 4? How have you seen Him be a refuge in your life?
In verse 9, Isaiah said the people did “something,” and God saved them. What did the people do? What are ways that you are trusting God with your life?
Activity: As a family, write a song of praise to God. (Hint: you can read ahead to chapter 26 to see an example.) Include specific things from your answers above. Be sure to share it with someone outside of your family this week.