Isaiah 25

Song of Praise for God's Favor

1 O LORD, You are ¹my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have ²worked wonders, ³Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

2 For You have made a city into a ⁴heap, A ⁵fortified city into a ruin; A ⁶palace of strangers is a city no more, It will never * be rebuilt.

3 Therefore * a strong people will ⁷glorify You; ⁸Cities of ruthless nations will revere You.

4 For You have been a ⁹defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A ¹⁰refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ¹¹ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall.

5 Like heat in drought, You subdue the ¹²uproar of aliens; Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced.

6 ¹³The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for ¹⁴all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.

7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the ¹⁵covering * which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.

8 He will ¹⁶swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will ¹⁷wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the ¹⁸reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.

9 And it will be said in that day, "Behold, ¹⁹this is our God for whom we have ²⁰waited that ²¹He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; ²²Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

10 For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain, And ²³Moab will be trodden down in his place As straw is trodden down in the water of a manure pile.

11 And he will ²⁴spread out his hands in the middle of it As a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim, But the Lord will ²⁵lay low his pride together with the trickery of his hands.

12 The ²⁶unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down, Lay low and cast to the ground, even to the dust.

Isaiah 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

A song of praise. (1-5) A declaration of the gospel blessings. (6-8) The destruction of the enemies of Christ's church. (9-12)

Verses 1-5 However this might show the deliverance of the Jews out of captivity, it looked further, to the praises that should be offered up to God for Christ's victories over our spiritual enemies, and the comforts he has provided for all believers. True faith simply credits the Lord's testimony, and relies on his truth to perform his promises. As God weakens the strong who are proud and secure, so he strengthens the weak that are humble, and stay themselves upon him. God protects his people in all weathers. The Lord shelters those who trust in him from the insolence of oppressors. Their insolence is but the noise of strangers; it is like the heat of the sun scorching in the middle of the day; but where is it when the sun is set? The Lord ever was, and ever will be, the Refuge of distressed believers. Having provided them a shelter, he teaches them to flee unto it.

Verses 6-8 The kind reception of repentant sinners, is often in the New Testament likened to a feast. The guests invited are all people, Gentiles as well as Jews. There is that in the gospel which strengthens and makes glad the heart, and is fit for those who are under convictions of sin, and mourning for it. There is a veil spread over all nations, for all sat in darkness. But this veil the Lord will destroy, by the light of his gospel shining in the world, and the power of his Spirit opening men's eyes to receive it. He will raise those to spiritual life who were long dead in trespasses and sins. Christ will himself, in his resurrection, triumph over death. Grief shall be banished; there shall be perfect and endless joy. Those that mourn for sin shall be comforted. Those who suffer for Christ shall have consolations. But in the joys of heaven, and not short of them, will fully be brought to pass this saying, God shall wipe away all tears. The hope of this should now do away over-sorrow, all weeping that hinders sowing. Sometimes, in this world God takes away the reproach of his people from among men; however, it will be done fully at the great day. Let us patiently bear sorrow and shame now; both will be done away shortly.

Verses 9-12 With joy and praise will those entertain the glad tidings of the Redeemer, who looked for him; and with a triumphant song will glorified saints enter into the joy of their Lord. And it is not in vain to wait for him; for the mercy comes at last, with abundant recompence for the delay. The hands once stretched out upon the cross, to make way for our salvation, will at length be stretched forth to destroy all impenitent sinners. Moab is here put for all adversaries of God's people; they shall all be trodden down or threshed. God shall bring down the pride of the enemies by one humbling judgment after another. This destruction of Moab is typical of Christ's victory, and the pulling down of Satan's strong holds. Therefore, beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 15:2; Psalms 118:28; Isaiah 7:13; Isaiah 49:4, 5; Isaiah 61:10
• 2. Psalms 40:5; Psalms 98:1
• 3. Ephesians 1:11
• 4. Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 26:5; Isaiah 27:10; Isaiah 32:19
• 5. Isaiah 17:3; Isaiah 25:12
• 6. Isaiah 13:22; Isaiah 32:14; Isaiah 34:13
• 7. Isaiah 24:15
• 8. Isaiah 13:11
• 9. Isaiah 14:32; Isaiah 17:10; Isaiah 27:5; Isaiah 33:16
• 10. Isaiah 4:6; Isaiah 32:2
• 11. Isaiah 29:5, 20; Isaiah 49:25
• 12. Jeremiah 51:54-56
• 13. Isaiah 1:19
• 14. Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 56:7
• 15. 2 Corinthians 3:15, 16; Ephesians 4:18
• 16. Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54
• 17. Isaiah 30:19; Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 65:19; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4
• 18. Psalms 69:9; Psalms 89:50, 51; Isaiah 51:7; Isaiah 54:4; Matthew 5:11; 1 Peter 4:14
• 19. Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 52:10
• 20. Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 33:2
• 21. Isaiah 33:22; Isaiah 35:4; Isaiah 49:25, 26; Isaiah 60:16
• 22. Psalms 20:5; Is 35:1, 2, 10; Isaiah 65:18; Isaiah 66:10
• 23. Isaiah 16:14; Jeremiah 48:1-47; Ezekiel 25:8-11; Amos 2:1-3; Zephaniah 2:9
• 24. Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 14:26
• 25. Job 40:11; Is 2:10-12, 15-17; Isaiah 16:6, 14
• 26. Isaiah 15:1; Isaiah 25:2; Isaiah 26:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "humbled"
• [b]. Lit "feast of fat things;" i.e. abundance
• [c]. Lit "wine on the lees"
• [d]. Lit "fat pieces"
• [e]. Lit "wine refined on the lees"
• [f]. Lit "face of the covering"
• [g]. Lit "woven"
• [h]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 25

This chapter contains a thanksgiving, or a triumphant song, upon the destruction of antichrist, and the antichristian states, for benefits and blessings bestowed upon the church, and for the setting up of the glorious kingdom of Christ in the Jerusalem state. It begins with a form of praise, and the reason of it in general, Isa 25:1 the particular instances of wonderful things are, the ruin of a certain city described, Isa 25:2 which will issue in the fear and glory of God, Isa 25:3 the great appearance of the Lord for his poor people, in being strength, refuge, and a shadow to them, Isa 25:4,5 a rich feast made for them, Isa 25:6 the removal of the veil from all people, Isa 25:7 the abolition of death, and every affliction, Isa 25:8 the personal appearance of Christ unto salvation, Isa 25:9 the protection of the church, and the certain and utter destruction of her enemies, under the name of Moab, Isa 25:10-12