Trust in the LORD Forever

Isaiah’s thoughts continue from the destruction of Jerusalem and the nations, to the praise of God for His planned judgments from long ago, to this passage about who Israel should really trust in. The Word of the LORD had something to say about the wall building of king Hezekiah and the other magnificent building projects. As great as they were for their feats of engineering, they showed a total lack of trust in the LORD and a refusal to believe what God stated He had planned as part of the calamities that most certainly would fall on Israel and Judah for their breaking of the covenant with God. 

There are two parts to this section. One deals directly with a rebuke of the actions of Judah in Isaiah’s own time. They had built up an unassailable city. Even the Sennacherib Prism found in Assyria admits that Hezekiah was shut up in the city like a bird in a cage, but by omission confesses that they could not capture the city of Jerusalem. Judah and Hezekiah were trusting in their own walls they had built up and their water tunnel to direct the Gihon Springs to the Pool of Siloam so those inside the walls would not run out of water. They trusted themselves over God who delivered them from 185000 Assyria warriors in one night by destroying them personally. But those walls would fall one day.

In that day, those in the land of Judah would sing a different song. This is the second aspect of the passage. God would allow the unassailable city to be assailed. It would fall. The walls would be broken down. Feet would trample it like dust. God Himself would bring the city low and cast it to the ground. But He would also deliver His people. Babylon would come. Rome would come. Other nations would come and lay the city low. God would use them to remove the strength of His people so they had nothing and no one other than Him to trust in from deliverance. He would deliver them time and again, but it would only be when He destroys the wicked nations and reigns in Jerusalem Himself that His people would sing this song, a song admitting that they trusted in their own strength and that God removed that, so they only had Him to save them. And when He saves them, then they will sing of God being their Rock, and wall, and Salvation. 

The way of the righteous is smooth. The Upright One makes the path of the righteous level. Those who wait for Him eagerly will seek Him diligently when He brings down His judgments on the earth. When the earth experiences His judgments then the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousness. Even though the wicked are shown grace and favor right now in order that they might repent, they will not learn righteousness but die in their sins. Even though they see the judgment of God, and these nations would be used to bring it, they will not perceive the majesty of the LORD even as He works through them. The hand of the LORD is lifted up, but they cannot see it. They will see the zeal of the LORD for His people when Jesus rides the white horse to crush His enemies. They will be put to shame as fire devours them. 

Only God can establish peace for Israel. The attempts of the nations to force peace in Israel will fail and will bring down the nations who try it. Only God can deliver them. Even though they followed idols and false gods and even other nations, the LORD alone is their ruler and king. The sooner the nations learn this the better things will go for them. But they will all die. God will destroy them all. He will wipe them out. 

When the LORD delivers His people, then He will increase that nation so that He alone will be glorified. Judah and Israel will seek the LORD in their distress. They will only be able to whisper a prayer for help while the chastening of God is on them. They will be like pregnant women writhing in pain of childbirth, but they will only give birth to wind. They will be unable to accomplish deliverance for themselves. But their God will come and raise their dead. Those who lie in the dust will rise and shout for joy. The earth will give up the dead and they will praise God. 

There was coming a time in the days of Isaiah for the people of Judah to enter their rooms and close their doors and hide from the indignation of God’s judgment. It would run its course. The LORD was about to come from His Place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth would reveal her bloodshed and would no longer cover the slain. For would accomplish this then.  

And there is a future day this applies to as well. After the Abomination of Desolation happens, when the Man of Sin is revealed as he stands in the Most Holy Place and declares himself to be god, a short time of Great Tribulation will begin. That will be the time to hide as God brings forth His judgments on this world and the inhabitants thereof. Many will die as the LORD brings down calamities on the nations. He alone brings salvation. He alone is the righteous Judge. He alone will deliver His rebellious people Israel and they will call on His Name as He delivers them. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.