Praise For Deliverance
Have you ever been delivered out of something? Maybe you were in a bad relationship, or an oppressive situation. Maybe you were living through homelessness, joblessness or financial distress. Whatever you were delivered from, you know the sense of joy that you felt and experienced when you realized that you were set free. You may have shouted out loud or moved your body in dance as a sweet release of the weight and pressure that you had previously endured. In Isaiah 25:1-10, the prophet foretells of a day when the Lord will deliver His people. We will be saved from death and the ruthlessness of this world, to live in peace and fellowship with Him. In that day, there will be great celebration and God will wipe every tear of sorrow from our eyes. We will praise Him for our deliverance and be glad that we put our trust in Him. I pray that God will help you to look forward, in faith, to His deliverance…. and to give Him praise in advance of it. Amen
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. 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. Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you. 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 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. (Isaiah 25:1-5)
The prophet Isaiah praised God’s name, His acts of judgement and His deliverance of His people. God had long ago planned the deliverance of His people, and He is faithful to His promises. God is a protector and a refuge for those in need and distress. Those who are part ruthless nations will be stilled from their oppression of God’s people and they will come to honor and revere God.
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. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 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. (Isaiah 25:6-8)
The establishment of God’s kingdom on earth will bring additional benefits. There will be a great banquet feast where all of God’s people will be fed. God’s deliverance will eliminate death and it’s sorrow. The Lord has spoken that He will do these things and His word has the authority and power to accomplish what He has spoken (see Isaiah 55:11).
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.” 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. (Isaiah 25:9-10)
God’s people will praise Him in that day and will rejoice in their salvation. Their trust in God will be vindicated by His deliverance of them. God’s presence will be with his people. And His enemies will be destroyed.
This vision of future deliverance was specifically prophesied by Isaiah for Israel to occur during the millennial period (1,000 year reign of Christ when He returns). During that time, the remnant of Israel will be gathered back together from the places where she has been scattered. She will be saved, enjoy peace from enemies and fellowship with God. But Isaiah’s prophecy also foretold the future eternal state of all believers where death will be defeated and it will no longer cause us pain and sorrow. And so we look forward, in concert with Israel toward the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. In that day, all who are saved will rejoice in worship and praise…. because our faith in God will rewarded, we will be delivered and we will live with Him in peace and celebration forever!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
