O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
Isaiah 25:1-2
Explanation:
Isaiah 13-23 is a description of the oracles of God for the nations that surrounded Judea and Jerusalem. Much of it was telling the future judgement of these nations. When Isaiah writes 24 it describes the future judgement of the whole earth during the time known as the “day of the Lord.” It describes God’s future judgement of mankind in the end times. At the end of chapter 24 you find this description:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Isaiah 24:21-23
This corresponds with what God describes at the end of the tribulation entering into the millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth from Jerusalem. The end of this millennial reign will usher in a new heaven and new earth where God will reign forever.
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Revelation 11:15-17
This is what was foretold about Christ at his first coming.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luke 1:31-33
So when we get to chapter 25, we see a foretold song of praise to God for his victory over those who have rebelled him, and for the salvation of the remnant of those who have believed. This is a song that will be sung by those who have been saved at the end of “the day of the Lord.”
Notice in verse 1 that he says he will praise the Lord! Why?
He states one reason for his praise is “thou hast done wonderful things.” The word here translated “wonderful” could also be called “wonders.” It speaks of supernatural acts. God is not limited to only doing the normal or natural thing. He can do the supernatural. He is being praised here because He has done the supernatural.
Another reason for the praise is that God has planned out the salvation of his people. He says “thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” God has brought along all of human history to this point. He had this in his plan along.
The last reason stated in today’s text for the praise of God is found in verse 2. He is praised for his destruction of the city. What city is he talking about? Some commentators think that it is a generic term for all cities that have made a stand against God through their evil and prideful ways. Some consider this city to be Babylon in the context of the chapters around it. In the context of Revelation and what we know about the end times, both seem to fit. The Lord of hosts has defeated those who have done evil and oppressed. He has conquered in such a way that those who do evil will not be able to do it again. This kind of city will never be built again.
History is coming to an end point where God will bring judgement to the earth, and will rule and reign. He will be praised by the people He has saved because they put their trust in Him.
Application:
Our view of God is often far too small. History is not just arbitrarily moving forward with no rhyme or reason. God’s counsels are from old. He has a plan and a purpose. He will not let sin go. He will rule and reign! This should create a heart of praise for those of us who know Him as Savior. Our future is secure because the God of the universe will bring His plans to completion.
For those who do not know Christ as Savior, please know that you want to be on His side. Your life is a vapor that appears for just a little while. Life is an opportunity to repent and trust in Christ. Tomorrow may be too late.
Response:
Take some time today to praise God in prayer and maybe even in song for His wonderful works and His wonderful plan!
