Isaiah 2.5

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Isaiah 24-27

These chapters, 24-27, represent the climax of the section we’ve been in since chapter 13. Now, Isaiah moves fully away from the oracles for particular nations and instead his vision is for the whole earth. Through this, we’ll see the brokenness of the world because of sin, the triumph of God and the refuge that He is to those who are faithful to Him, and then ultimately, as has been so common in Isaiah, we’ll see the goodness of God, his mercy and refuge, then apply to the nations around Israel.

Let’s get into it with chapter 24:1-20, and actually we’re going to read the whole thing here and parse it together, both it’s content and structure. REAL the whole thing!

Isaiah 24:1–20 ESV

1 Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. 2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. 3 The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.

Ok. Let’s take this one section at a time to see what’s going on here. And I want to show how these sections connect together, the structure of this chapter (really, v. 1-20) is interesting. Let’s start with v. 1-3, the earth will be devastated. It’s a vision of some future act of the Lord upon the earth. Such is the sin, such is the brokenness, such is the rampant disobedience, wickedness, and unrighteousness that there will come a day when the world will be made desolate and empty by the Lord. And what’s the context? This comes after a lengthy section of Oracles concerning the nations. God is now, essentially, fed up with the rampant disobedience—no longer will consequence be limited to an individual group or people, but to the whole earth.

The language here is fascinating because, if you’ve been paying attention to our Genesis study on Sunday mornings, you’ll recognize this imagery—desolate, empty—this is language of Genesis 1—the earth being formless and void. This is de-creation language. God unleashing the chaos of judgement onto the created world.

And see who faces the effects of this? It’s everyone and everything. It will effect the religious (the priest); the highest and lowest in society (slaves); it will effect the economy, industry, any person in this society will feel the emptiness and desolation of this day. And they will feel it utterly. It’s all people and all aspects of life.

And how will God bring this about? “for the LORD has spoken His word.” Again, this is Genesis 1 imagery—God said and it was so…Here, the Lord said, and it was so in desolation.

Now, we’re going to go a bit out of order, but the passage is structured (HANDOUT) in this reflective pattern. Those first few verses find their reflection in V. 18e-20:

Isaiah 24:1–20 ESV

For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. 19 The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. 20 The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.

The earth is utterly broken. This whole section begins and ends with the desolation of earth. Notice here the language used, “For the windows of heaven are opened,” this is a direct reference to…?

Genesis 7:11 “11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.”

It’s a reference to the flood, to the utter destruction of humanity—that is the seriousness of this vision, the seriousness of the coming judgement. We should hear these words and be shaken by the judgement the world’s sin (and our sin) deserves, for the vision is evoking one of the the great de-creation events in all of scripture. Now, let’s not be careful here— of course, the promise of Noah is that God would not flood the earth again. That’s not the threat, not quite. It is more a way of invoking one of the great judgement moments in all of scripture to talk of the seriousness of the sin of the world. But the passage also talks about more than floods, there will be earthquakes that shake the whole earth. This is a huge event of judgement on sin and we’ll see even how God’s promise of salvation will persist even in this day of judgement.

Now turn back to verses 4-6:

Isaiah 24:1–20 ESV

4 The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. 5 The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

Here it is the withering and wasting of the earth, the whole world languishes under this judgement. And just like we saw in those opening verses, this judgement overcomes all people—the highest people will be brought low! There is no material wealth, power, possession, position, or status that can keep a person safe from this world shattering judgement. And see here, Isaiah invokes the word covenant: because of disobedience, because of sin and transgression, Isaiah sees that the covenant between God and man has been broken.

Again, the language here should bring us straight back to the beginning, here it is Genesis 2-3. In Genesis 2-3 God promises life and safety and refuge and abundance to Adam and Eve in the Garden as long as they don’t eat of the tree in the center of the garden. Of course, we know that they fail, they sin, the fall. And what happens when God shows up in Genesis 3 after they have eaten from the forbidden tree?

There is a curse Genesis 3:17–19 “17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.””

God curses the ground because of sin, the earth is cursed and toil and hard work will be required for all who work the land. Adam and Eve are then exiled from the garden, you see the picture painted here in Genesis 3’s curse and in Isaiah 24 is of a desolate land. V. 6: therefore, a curse devours the earth!

As I said, there is reflection in this passage, V. 4-6, the wasting and withering of the earth, find their reflection in v. 16c-18d

Isaiah 24:1–20 ESV

But I say, “I waste away, I waste away. Woe is me! For the traitors have betrayed, with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.” 17 Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! 18 He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare.

No longer is it about the whole earth, it is the wasting of the individual, here it Isaiah speaking. As we’ve seen in the last few chapters, it is Isaiah interjecting his own lament and grief over the vision he sees. He is without hope. Look at what he says, “even He who flees at the sound of terror shall fall into the pit...” There is no rescuing oneself, there is not help. Just like the earth lying desolate, there is only desolation for the people of the earth. Ok, I promise there will be some light at the end of this tunnel in a few minutes. But this paints a pretty dark picture of the world.

That darkness continues with v. 7-12:

Isaiah 24:1–20 ESV

7 The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. 8 The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled. 9 No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. 10 The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter. 11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished. 12 Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins.

There is now silence. The instruments stop their playing, the joyous noise has ceased...the vine languishes. Isaiah’s is back to using that vineyard imagery; Israel was a vineyard planted by the Lord, and now that vineyard and all the merriment it could bring, it’s silent. Ah...but silence is not all we here, for something it heard: it is the outcry in the streets. I suppose we could say it is not a total silence, but rather a silence of joy and thanksgiving, a silence of praise. A silence of delight and happiness. The gladness of the earth is banished.

Now again, there is a reflection—this is reflected by what immediately proceeds it in v. 12-16. And this might be the whole point of chapter 24:1-20 right here.

Isaiah 24:1–20 ESV

13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done. 14 They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. 15 Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.

Oh. How wonderful! We’ve heard endlessly of the desolation that awaits the whole earth. It seems so total and all-encompassing. It is a devastating judgement. AND YET! Among the nations and in the east, and from the west, and from the ends of the earth: there will be praising and glory given to God!

What an image. Isaiah is saying this: Judgement is coming! It will be brutal beyond all belief, the earth will be desolate. But from every corner of the earth there will be people who were spared and saved and can stand together and say, Praise our Redeemer!

Folded in among all this sadness and judgement is the remnant that have been saved and redeemed! A faithful group who will be spared. From all the nations! That’s the image we have, Israelites and Gentiles alike from every corner of the earth.

This is the hope of that day.

Now let’s finish off the chapter and move into chapter 25. But keep in mind that this was the central image and idea of chapter 24: the remnant that remain and lived to praise the Lord.

Isaiah 24:21–23 “21 On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. 22 They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.”

He ends with a postscript about that day: there will be judgement and the enemies of God will be shut up in prison and punished (more on those enemies in a moment!), And there will be no need for moon or sun (we see this in Revelation) for the Lord God will reign from his holy mountain and the light of His glory will shine on His people.

Now let’s read chapter 25 together, I almost read these as two testimonies or songs that could have been sung by those described in the middle section of chapter 24. Let’s start with

Isaiah 25:1–5 ESV

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.

This is a testimony! A song of praise for what God had done. He destroyed the cities of earth, even the fortified—the mightiest cities! But then God himself is our fortified stronghold. The Lord is with his people in their trouble and struggle and God’s deliverance is so easy and simple for him. It’s compared here to how a punishing heat is immediately relieved by the passing shade of a cloud.

Isaiah 25:6–8 ESV

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.

This then becomes a description of hoped for future events. The great messianic banquet in which death itself, that GREAT enemy, will be swallowed up forever and, the image that will be used again in Revelation 21, tears will be no more!

It’s an image of abundance, abundance of foot and feast and wine—just as we’ve heard the constrasting image in chapter 24 of withering and desolation. But it all points to that great truth: Death will be no more! that evil that has cast a pall over all people, over all nations, over all positions and authorities, that will be swallowed up like it is nothing.

Isaiah 25:9–12 ESV

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.”

V. 9 gives another song of praise for this is what will be said in response to salvation on that day.

Notice the language “on that day” a phrase that typically refers to THAT day, THE day of the Lord. Here though it is cast in the goodness of redemption. Yes it will be a day of judgement, but for the people of the Lord, there will be rejoicing for on that day we will fully enjoy the hope of our salvation.

Isaiah 25:9–12 ESV

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. 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 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.

Structure: testimony (v. 1-5) description (v. 6-8

Testimony (v. 9-10a) desciption (v. 10b-12)

flood narrative, windows of heavens, curses and covenant.