Isaiah 25
Big idea: The answer to the emptied earth is a dinner. On the same mountain, a banquet of rich food and aged wine for all peoples, a shroud pulled off every face, death swallowed up, and tears wiped away by hand.
Verse 8 is quoted at 1 Corinthians 15:54 and echoed at Revelation 7:17 and 21:4 — it is the Old Testament's furthest statement about death.
25:1–12 — He will swallow up death forever
The praise opens with a reason that would be odd anywhere else: you have done wonderful things, plans formed long ago, in complete faithfulness — for you have made a city into a heap and a fortified town into a ruin. The thanksgiving is for a demolition. And the reason it counts as faithfulness is given immediately and is entirely social: you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm and a shade from the heat, when the blast of the ruthless was like a storm against a wall. The city that came down was the one doing the crushing.
1 Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth. 2 For you have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city. It will never be built. 3 Therefore a strong people will glorify you. A city of awesome nations will fear you. 4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the dreaded ones is like a storm against the wall. 5 As the heat in a dry place you will bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the dreaded ones will be brought low. 6 In this mountain, Yahweh of Armies will make all peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast of choice wines, of choice meat full of marrow, of well refined choice wines. 7 He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken it. 9 It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is Yahweh! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!” 10 For Yahweh’s hand will rest in this mountain. Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill. 11 He will spread out his hands in the middle of it, like one who swims spreads out hands to swim, but his pride will be humbled together with the craft of his hands. 12 He has brought the high fortress of your walls down, laid low, and brought to the ground, even to the dust.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).