But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise! Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust! For your dew is a dew of light, and you cause the land of shades to give birth. Isaiah 26:19 NABRE
Isaiah begins a prayer, a conversation between God and himself, it is text that doesn’t describe the greatness of the Lord to a third party but the prophet is addressing God directly, telling Him he trusts Him, expressing his inner most feelings, and asking Him to reveal His righteousness and to intervene, bringing peace and declaring enduring fidelity to the Lord. Previous verses spoke about a banquet, as if a final celebration before the end of things, but Isaiah is prayerfully speaking to God to let Him know the people will repent and there is hope in their adoration and faithfulness to God. This section ends with a hope that the people will be restored. Due to deportations and slaughters the nation of Hebrew people has been greatly reduced and Isaiah prays for its restoration, he is expressing a concern for the future of the people and the rebirth of the national life. All that Isaiah witnessed makes him hopeful and more dependent on God, this prayer is steeped in the message that God is the only place the people can turn in times of disaster, and times of good fortune. It is God alone who has the best interests of the people and desires their restoration.
We read often in the Hebrew scriptures about a wrathful God, one who desires suffering and punishment for infidelity and turning to idols. But Isaiah who is personally communicating with God witnesses to a God who is merciful and compassionate. God is trusted and not known by His friends as destructive, but loving. Sometimes wrathful passages express more the point of view of the people not God. Today we know God is mercy, and has always been so.
Do you think God desires destruction of life? Do you trust God?
Isaiah who is personally communicating with God witnesses to a God who is merciful and compassionate. God is trusted and not known by His friends as destructive, but loving. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #mercy #restoration #Isaiah #everybodyalways#god#jesuschrist#jesussaves#godisgood#dailydevotion#biblestudy#scripture#bibleverse#verseoftheday#cross#last#gospels#loveeachother#godisgreat#thisVineyard#youversion#everythingalways