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July 18th

Our Bible reading today is in Isaiah 23-27.

In the middle of that reading, in Chapter 25, we read about God’s people praising and believing God in and through great tribulation.

We have all experienced difficult times in our lives. Stressful times, painful times, times of great loss, times of deep sorrow, times of desperation and fear-filled anxieties. We have all known, to some extent, the dark nights of our soul. But rarely have we heard people singing their faith at midnight.

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭25:1‬ ‭ESV‬

These faithful Israelis, in the midst of unusually difficult days, when God was judging a world of evil, sang the good news of their God to themselves and to each other..." from of old”...from as far back as anyone could remember, the Savior God had faithfully cared for His people of faith in good times and bad. He had fulfilled His plans to love, to protect, and to supply every need. Therefore, as the trouble predicted became the new normal, God’s faithful ones praised His Name! That’s a wow!

That reminds me of Paul and Silas in the record of Acts chapter 16...“And when the Philippians had inflicted many blows upon Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About “midnight” What were they doing? Complaining? Wondering why Jesus was putting them through this suffering? No...not even close.

Paul and Silas were singing their faith out loud, whether the Lord delivered them or not. And what happened after God gave them a song at midnight? Eventually, the Philippian jailer, who heard their songs, began to believe in Jesus too...even his whole household. Now that’s a Wow!

“Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,” and the prisoners were listening to them,”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:23-25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now back to our text today...Isaiah reminded these suffering saints of what God will do one day...“...God 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....”

The prophet was saying to those Israelis enduring great tribulation: We may both die in this war, but death and a hole in the ground is not the winner. Reminds me of the gospel of Christ Isaiah preached the message that Paul preached to the church in Corinth...“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:51-54‬ ‭

Sunday’s coming, that great getting up morning...the resurrection day...Death is swallowed up in total victory.

And so is this referring to the rapture? The Marriage Supper of the Lamb? I believe so...but that’s the rest of the story.

Have a great day