Isaiah 26

CHAPTER 26

A Song of Praise (26:1–21)

1 As with the previous two chapters, Isaiah writes this chapter, a song of praise, with the end of the world in mind. In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah (verse 1)—that is, in the future Judah, the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2). It will be sung by God’s people, the people who have been gathered into God’s strong city and have experienced His salvation.

2–4 Into this city the righteous nation (verse 2)—those who trust in God—will enter (see Revelation 21:25–27); there they will dwell in perfect peace (verse 3).

5–6 Evenas the Lord brings His people in to His “strong city,” He lays the lofty (proud and wicked) city low.¹¹⁶ And those who were formerly oppressed by the “lofty city” now trample it down (verse 6). For this great deliverance and salvation, the people of God will sing this song of praise to Him.

7–11 In these verses, Isaiah reflects on the different paths of the righteous (verse 7) and the wicked (verse 10): the path of the righteous is level and smooth, while the path of the wicked leads to shame and judgment (verse 11).

In verse 9, Isaiah expresses his yearning for God: My soul yearns for you in the night (see Psalm 42:1 and comment). He says that God’s judgments (trials) come so that people might learn RIGHTEOUSNESS (see Hebrews 5:8).

The wicked, however, do not learn from God’s judgments. Even though grace¹¹⁷ is shown to them (verse 10), they keep on doing evil. They do not see God’s hand of judgment lifted high (verse 11).

12–15 LORD . . . all that we have accomplished you have done for us (verse 12). Here we see the relationship between our human accomplishments and God’s enabling power: ultimately, everything we do is made possible by Him.¹¹⁸

God’s people have been ruled by other lords (foreign kings), but those lords are now dead and will not rise again to trouble God’s people (verses 13–14). Instead, God has enlarged the nation (the restored Israel) and extended all [its] borders¹¹⁹ (verse 15).

16–18 Isaiah continues looking backward from the prophetic future into his own day; here he describes the travails of God’s people. He is speaking particularly about Israel, which had suffered so much throughout its history, but to no avail. Israel had gone through the pains of childbirth but had produced no child! We (Israel) have not brought salvation to the earth, Isaiah says (verse 18). God’s whole purpose in establishing Israel was that it be a blessing to the world (Genesis 12:3), but in Isaiah’s day that had not yet happened; Israel had not given (spiritual) birth to the people of the world (verse 18). Only through Christ, the true seed of Abraham, would God’s original promise to Abraham be fulfilled (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16,29).

19 In verses 16–18, Isaiah has lamented Israel’s failure. But here he says that something new is to happen: your dead will live; their bodies will rise. There will be a resurrection of the body; there will be eternal salvation of the SOUL. Even though the Israel of Isaiah’s day had failed, out of Israel would come One who would bring salvation to the earth (verse 18)—Jesus Christ.

20–21 Meanwhile, let the people of Israel await the coming of their Messiah. Let them hide . . . for a little while until God’s judgment has passed¹²⁰ (verse 20). The LORD is coming to judge the earth, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her (verse 21), even as the blood of Abel (the first murder victim) cries out . . . from the ground (Genesis 4:10).