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Day 23 Isaiah 26 26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: 5 For he brings down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he lays it low; he lays it low, even to the ground; he brings it even to the dust. 6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. 7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. 8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. 11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. 12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. 15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. 16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 17 Like as a woman with child, that draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cries out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over past. 21 For, behold, the LORD comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. One thing everyone has in common is music. People love to sing, on every occasion, for any situation, in victory and in sadness. People love to sing. God loves to sing too, and told Isaiah to tell Judah to sing a song of jubilation because salvation had come to his people. At the time God told Isaiah to sing, they were in great disobedience to God, and God would soon send them into exile for their disobedience. So, why would God tell Isaiah to tell Judah to sing? God told Isaiah to tell Judah to sing so it would give them hope in the midst of their trials. Hope that one day God would renew the land and everything would be peaceful. That day is still to come. Yes, God did send Judah into exile, and God brought them back home to Israel, and there was shouting and jubilation when they did so. However, the day is still coming, as God says, ‘In that day’, speaking about the day of Tribulation and judgment when God will pour out his wrath on all those who do not believe or accept Jesus, his Son, as Savior and Lord. It will be a day when God will bring his people to full knowledge of what he did for them, and all Israel will be saved. As Christians, we look forward to the day when God’s chosen people, Israel, will acknowledge Jesus, their Messiah, and know the love and fulfillment of God’s promises to them. Many of God’s chosen people have already accepted Jesus as their Messiah, and are known as Messianic Jews. There is much to look forward to when Jesus will sit on the throne of David in New Jerusalem, and then it will be impossible not to sing and be joyful as scripture is fulfilled. God keeps his promises. That is a good reason to sing. Let’s pray: Father, give me a song in my heart to praise you for all you have done, are doing, and will do in the earth. Thank you that in the middle of trouble I can still praise you. Help me to see your hand in everything around me, and give you praise. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 12 September 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay