“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, . . . “ (Isaiah 25:7-8a)
As Isaiah praised God for His glory, he became filled with great emotion and awe as he enumerated His wonderful attributes and great works. His words were designed to bring much comfort to God’s people and still apply to us in the 21st century. We are enduring the terrors of COVID -19, the ensuing lockdown, and violent social unrest. We need God’s comfort now for it assures us that He is in control even though our world seems to be in chaos.
The world ought to rejoice at the promises of the Lord, for they are sure and certain, unlike the vague promises of politicians and the tenuous prescriptions of the medical experts. The words of Isaiah tell us of the coming Kingdom of God in which there will be no hunger or thirst, no shame or guilt, no tears or sadness. The Kingdom of God brings comfort, peace, and freedom from pain, strife, anxiety and worry. Jesus has even taken away the fear of death for by His resurrection He has conquered it.
So now we too can praise God for His glory just as Isaiah did. We too are filled with joy and awe as we consider His mercy, grace and power as well as all the great works He has performed and is performing even in our day. We need such joy and awe as a reminder that Jesus is ruling the earth from His heavenly throne for we live in the midst of a world that has turned upside down. The cultural trendsetters in the media, academia and politics have rejected Christ. They have seduced the world into celebrating Easter without Him, to living life without Him.
Many have rejected the Lord in favor of gorging themselves without limit in this life. They will miss out on the eternal feasting and rejoicing. With Isaiah we can rejoice in the glory of God and the wonders with which He blesses His chosen ones, but while here we will still mourn for the lost for many of them will be those we love and admire. And yet there is still time for them. We as the chosen people of God are called and equipped to present to all the gospel of salvation in Jesus to all.