“And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, …” (Isaiah 25:6)
Reading through the 25th chapter of Isaiah highlights two principal themes: first, the LORD’s ability to humble the high and mighty; and second, His power to save the oppressed, placing a permanent song of deliverance on their lips. God accomplishes these actions to validate His words and the promises He made long ago. One unchanging aspect of the LORD is the unfailing nature of His word, which is said to be as pure as silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times (Psalm 12:6). His promises are trustworthy, for He is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should change His mind (Numbers 23:19). What has always amazed me about God is His unwavering commitment to His word, even to the point of appearing vulnerable. He keeps His promises so faithfully that it can almost make Him seem weak before mere mortals. A verse that has long intrigued me, yet I have never fully grasped its depth, is Romans 11:29: “The gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.” The Contemporary English Version clarifies that God does not revoke the gifts He gives or disown the people He chooses. We are told He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9). This does not mean that God abandons His promises after a thousand generations; rather, it implies that God is infinitely faithful and will continue to watch over the generations of the righteous for as long as time exists. Thus, the righteous can rest assured that the LORD will continue to watch over their descendants long after they are gone. Examples abound in scripture of men like Isaac, Jacob, and their progeny, who continued to enjoy the favor of the LORD due to the excellent relationship and covenant Abraham had with God. God is a promise keeper, and anyone who has walked closely with the LORD knows this to be true. Even promises made during challenging times are kept to the letter. God is limitless in power, yet He binds Himself to His word with unflinching commitment. We are told that the LORD has exalted His word above all His name (Psalm 138:2). The New Living Translation expresses it this way: “… I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.” This immutability of God’s word is described by the writer of Hebrews as an anchor for our souls and the reason for our hope (Hebrews 6:16-18).
Providing this background is essential to fully understand the context of Isaiah chapter twenty-five. The chapter opens with, “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” (NIV). “Perfect faithfulness” emphasizes that God keeps His promises down to the smallest detail. “Things planned long ago” highlights that God operates on His own timetable and is never in a hurry. He has set His calendar for all events, and not even human anxieties or worries can alter it. It is often our lack of confidence in the immutability and infallibility of God’s word that breeds anxiety within us. As mortals, we may perceive God’s promises as slow to come, but God never forgets His promises or lays aside His word. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that His word will not return to Him empty.
The scene in Isaiah twenty-five suggests that the wicked had become so powerful and entrenched that the oppressed seemed without hope. Suddenly, the LORD arises, as the time is ripe, and the wicked are overthrown with ease. Hope is restored for the godly as wickedness is vanquished, and the strongholds of the arrogant are utterly destroyed. The LORD silences the ruthless, brings peace, and joy returns to the land. The wicked, who thought they were unmovable, find their cities destroyed, never to be rebuilt. Those who devastated nations and lands are left wondering what happened. Their downfall defies logic, as they had grown mighty, but nothing grows beyond God. He sets a time for the vindication of the righteous and a season for restoring the fortunes of the just. The ungodly may seem in control for a time, but when the appointed time comes, God subdues them and restores justice. The righteous and the ungodly alike are awed, and those who once thought themselves mighty bow in reverence to the God of heaven. God silences the song of the ruthless so that those who thought themselves strong will honor and revere the LORD (Isaiah 25:3, 5). Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar remind us how God can humble the arrogant until they acknowledge that the LORD rules in the kingdom of men, giving it to whomever He wills (Daniel 4:17, 37).
No one owns the earth; the earth is the LORD’s and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). Therefore, let not the arrogant boast, nor those who prosper in their iniquity reproach the LORD or His anointed, lest the LORD be displeased and His fury be kindled against the ungodly. On the same mountain where the ungodly had reigned with violence, the LORD will prepare a feast of fat things for His people. This is both remarkable and reassuring. There is no life so broken that the LORD cannot restore, nor a city so ruined that He cannot rebuild. I see change on the horizon. The LORD engages the wicked in battle, making them fall into their own traps. The godly and the ungodly alike shall see and fear the name of the LORD; His name will be great among the nations from the rising to the setting of the sun (Malachi 1:11). Let the godly rejoice and the righteous sing His praise, for the LORD has subdued those who devastated nations. The hour for the vindication of His saints is here. He leads the wicked to a desolate place, a land uninhabited. He has appointed gladness and rejoicing for the upright, and those who wait for Him shall never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3). He will remove death and destruction from His people. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away tears from all faces and remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken, and none can annul it (Isaiah 25:8, Isaiah 14:27).
It is our beautiful consolation that through all times and seasons, God’s good purpose for us remains steadfast. It is time, therefore, to awaken; arise from the dust, and put on our beautiful garments, for the unclean and godless will never enter our gates again (Isaiah 52:1-6). Weeping may have endured for a night, but now that the morning light has dawned, let us set aside our sorrows and pains, for the LORD has wiped away all tears. Let us not live in our mornings as if still in the night. Let us remove our sackcloth, for the time of mourning is over. God is aware of all the pain we have endured and the oppression we have faced. He has never forgotten the heavy burdens we have borne. But now, as He prepares a feast of fat things for us, let us not let yesterday’s pains overshadow today’s blessings, nor let the sorrows of the night tarnish the joy of the morning. God wants us to approach the new thing He is doing with faith, confidence, and gratitude, knowing that He has heard us at just the right time and has helped us on the day of our salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2, NLT). Let us set aside the old garments of captivity, pain, and anxiety and find the courage to walk in the new (Isaiah 43:18-19), for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). May the LORD continue to prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5). Amen! Happy New Month!
