Isaiah 25: 1 – 12
Gold Medalist In Swimming
1 O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 2 For You have made a city a ruin, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You. 4 For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 You will reduce the noise of aliens, as heat in a dry place; as heat in the shadow of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones will be diminished. 6 And in this mountain The LORD of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and 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; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” 10 For on this mountain the hand of the LORD will rest, and Moab shall be trampled down under Him, as straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. 11 And He will spread out His hands in their midst as a swimmer reaches out to swim, and He will bring down their pride together with the trickery of their hands. 12 The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, down to the dust.
I enjoy sports. Are you aware of how they distribute the medals for winning an Olympic event? First place is gold, 2nd is silver, and 3rd place is bronze. Do you know where they got the order of metal value from? Yes, good guess – the bible. I think the best description of the significance of metal priority is the Tabernacle. The further away from the Holy of Holies the less value of metal is used. As you get closer you have silver then the most valuable is gold. Today we are going to see the One Who wins the gold medal for swimming. In truth no one can compete against Him. He Is the best, was the best, and will always be the best. He Is our God. When you win the gold we are moved to tears as the winner stands on the podium and their country’s national anthem is played. Chapter 27 is similar in that it is a song dedicated to the number One Victory of all – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today we are going to look at the last mini apocalypse chapter directed against our world. We will understand that the consequences upon the sinful world can only be brought about by our Supreme Ruler.
1 O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Verse 1 puts in beautiful words of just how Awesome our God really Is. Please notice the personal relationship - ‘1 O LORD, You are my God.’ Can you say the same? - “Lord, You Are my God!’ If you are reading or listening to this message and you are unsure of this essential truth, then we need to stop and deal with this eternal matter right now.
In the bible we read in Psalm 90, “The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” You know what 70 isn’t very long and then you have to meet your eternal destination. Where will it be – heaven or hell? Our Holy King, Lord, and Savior volunteered and gave His life for you and me. However you need to do something to receive God’s forgiveness.
Don’t just believe me but see what God says you have to do to be saved. We find out the way from the book of Romans chapter 10, “8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Now, what exactly is this saying? I would say that you know that Jesus Christ lived and died here on earth. Am I right? Well, then you are half way to being saved. The book of Romans says if you believe this and then confess this with your mouth, what will happen? You will be saved!
So, if you want forgiveness from our God and have not prayed to ask for His Salvation, then, if you are truly sincere and want this, then I invite you to join with me with this prayer. I ask you now to get on your knees and pray out loud this prayer to God.
‘Dear Heavenly Father, please receive my prayer. I know that Your Son, Jesus Christ came to earth and died for me. I know that He rose again from the dead and sits at your right hand. Please forgive me of my sins. Dear Jesus, please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me Lord Jesus to live the rest of my life pleasing to You. I will pray from now on in Your Name. Amen.”
If you have prayed that prayer there is a party going on in Heaven right now. You don’t believe me? Look at what it says in the Gospel of Luke chapter 15, “7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.’ Sounds like a celebration to me, how about you?
Now, back to our study.
We also see in verse one how this song is dedicated to Him - 1 O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your Name.’
We need to lift up the One Who Is deserving of our praise, yet look at what He does, He Is so Great that He in turn lifts us up as we read in Psalm 18, ‘46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; 48 He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name.’
If you ever have some time do a research of His Great Attributes and Abilities as brought out by the statement – ‘I will praise Your name’
Do you remember when Moses wanted to see God’s Glory? This awesome thing happened for him in whom we read about from the book of Exodus chapter 34, “5 Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
Isaiah exalted and praised our Holy El Shaddai – Almighty God - because he had come to understand that our Precious God will fulfill everything He has promised. Have you come to this same conclusion in your life also? If not, to help you do this, write down the prayers that He has answered for you. Every day review this list and when the occasion occurs then add to this list.
This chapter goes on to state reasons for why we should remember what God will do to His enemies.
2 For You have made a city a ruin, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You. 4 For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 You will reduce the noise of aliens, as heat in a dry place; as heat in the shadow of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones will be diminished.
The Lord will wipe out their dwelling places. Their cities will be destroyed - 2 For You have made a city a ruin, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt.
When we see certain cities wiped off the map, if you have the time do some investigating into their background. Is it just a natural consequence or is it the hand of the Lord striking out?
Remember that our Lord takes no pleasure in destroying the wicked. He allows terrible consequences to get mankind’s attention in order for them to look to Him for help. We see this in verse 3 - 2 For You have made a city a ruin, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You.
In verse 4 we find a very important verse that is overlooked by many people. This is a great fear among people who are aware of the upcoming Great Tribulation.
Some teachers proclaim that believers will not have to face the Great Tribulation. They believe in a theory called the Rapture, which teaches that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will come and snatch His church from off the earth before He brings about the devastation on planet earth. I do not believe that this is going to happen. I believe that we will see the Tribulation but not take part in it just like verse 4 here in Isaiah says – ‘4 For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.’
I do not just cling to this verse for my belief but I look to other verses in Scripture. The most important for me is how our Great Holy and Merciful God protected His own when the Egyptians faced the 10 plagues. Look with me at the book of Exodus chapter 8, “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. 23 I will make a difference between My people and your people.
I believe that our God will separate and protect us during this horrible time coming upon this planet. God’s enemies will see this difference and will see that our God help’s His people as verse 5 reveals. Their mockery of us will come to an end - 5 You will reduce the noise of aliens, as heat in a dry place; as heat in the shadow of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones will be diminished.’
When you are in love with someone you like to talk of the great things the future will hold for you both. Our Love is Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High and in His outpouring of Love for us He tells us about how our futures will be together.
6 And in this mountain The LORD of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and 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; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day: “ Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Let’s break it down. For one thing look at the delights that He will provide for us – ‘6 And in this mountain The LORD of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees.’
Does this sound familiar? He Is going to throw us a great dinner. David knew about this great feast for he talks about it in one of our favorite Psalms. Look at what he says in Psalm 23, ‘5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
I want to also share with you what our Holy Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said to us about this in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 8, “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.’
We are all going to sit down with these men of renown for a great steak dinner.
The destruction that will befall on all nations that our Lord teaches here in chapter 8 of Matthew is the same information that Isaiah proclaims in verse 7.
7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
Our destiny however is clearly revealed in verse 8 and that is our ‘resurrection’
8 He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.
The Apostle Paul took this truth and expanded it for us in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
Our Lord knows that we have faced difficult times here on earth. But for all of us we can rejoice in these encouraging words of comfort and hope - 9 And it will be said in that day: “ Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Let’s us look again at the closing of chapter 25
10 For on this mountain the hand of the LORD will rest, and Moab shall be trampled down under Him, as straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. 11 And He will spread out His hands in their midst as a swimmer reaches out to swim, and He will bring down their pride together with the trickery of their hands. 12 The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, down to the dust.
We are in good hands with our Wonderful Holy King - 10 For on this mountain the hand of the LORD will rest, and Moab shall be trampled down under Him, as straw is trampled down for the refuse heap.’
I love what Isaiah says later to us in chapter 49, “The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.”… 16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;”
Our Lord will represent us in the ultimate Olympic games. When the starter’s gun goes off He will extend his mighty arms and win the swimming competition hands down - 11 And He will spread out His hands in their midst as a swimmer reaches out to swim, and He will bring down their pride together with the trickery of their hands. 12 The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, down to the dust.
And as He steps upon His Throne as the Supreme Victor, and He receives a Crown above all crowns, you and I will sing to Him a new song which He will teach us to sing as these Scriptures inform us;
Psalm 33:3 “Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Psalm 40: 3 “He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
Psalm 96: 1- 3 “1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
Revelation 5: 9 “And they sang a new song, saying: “ You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,’
