Chapters 34 and 35 could not be more opposite.  This is one place in the Bible where there can be no doubt that they got the chapter division right.  Chapter 34 is an oracle of awful judgment against the nations; chapter 35 prophesies a glorious future for God’s people and land.

On the face of it, these chapters are not about the Messiah.  There are no signals that indicate that the one who brings judgment and blessing is the same messianic individual already mentioned repeatedly in the book.  In the light of the New Testament, we can clearly see how Jesus will play an important role in these events, but I don’t know if this was clear to Isaiah in this passage.

The imagery of these two chapters is powerful, both for the descriptions of judgment and for that of restoration.  For instance, Isaiah 34:6 says that the Lord’s sword is “sated with blood…gorged with fat.”  To describe the devastation of the land of the nations, Isaiah pictures desert creatures living in the thorn-infested ruins.  Picture New York City as Tell Lachish.

The same intensity is used for the Lord’s restoration of his people.  He doesn’t just say that the land will burst into bloom, but that “the wilderness will rejoice,” and “they will see the glory of the Lord” (Isa 35:1-2).  Blind eyes will see, deaf ears will hear, lame limbs will leap, and the mute will shout.  This means more if you can’t walk, or if your child can’t.

Whereas the nations ‘ glorious cities will become the haunts of jackals, in Israel wild animals will be replaced by a thriving people.  But it is not just any people, but “the redeemed” and “the ransomed.”  Who are these people? 

Does this just mean those who are “redeemed” from Babylon and brought back to live in Judah after the exile?  The answer is clearly negative, for these reasons (Isa 35:8):

1. The unclean will not be part of this restored land (Isa 35:8).
2. There will not be fools there (Isa 35:8, NIV/NASB).
3. Only the redeemed walk on this road (Isa 35:9).  If the redeemed were all of those who came back from exile, then this statement wouldn’t make any sense.

What does this mean to you?  Nothing, if you ‘re self-sufficient, in control of everything, and have no need of divine deliverance.  But if you ‘re hurting, weak, or oppressed, then this message is a ray of hope that God will come to your aid.  In Isaiah’s words:

Isaiah 35:3-4 (ESV) “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.””

In my studies that motivated this blog series, I focused on Isaiah chapters 6-12 and 40-55.  These are central sections for understanding Isaiah’s hope of the future messiah.  As readers will know, I have not limited my posts to those sections, and rather than skip to chapter 40, I’ve chosen to do some limited posts on interesting items along the way. 

Tonight I read through chapters 31 and 32.  I wanted to write about each.  I don’t know that I would have anything to say that wouldn’t be readily obvious to all, but it would still give me joy.  I have decided, however, to jump to chapter 33.

I’d most prefer to just print the chapter here and ask you to read it.  A few times.  But I know that you wouldn’t, probably because more often than not, I would be tempted to skip that sort of thing on someone else’s blog.

I mention this for a few reasons: 1) To suggest that you might want to read the whole chapter before bed tonight.  Think of it as dessert.  Really good dessert.  Like apple pie or peach cobbler or German chocolate cake or homemade ice cream.  Or all of them on a big platter.  2) So that those who do read the whole chapter are not upset with me for skipping so many wonderful verses.

I’m going to try the brief commentary approach, in hopes that you ‘ll read, and if you read, be delighted with our God.

Verse 2 is a good place to start.

Isaiah 33:2 (ESV) “O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.”

You might memorize this as a verse to start your day.  NIV replaces “arm” with “strength,” which is more natural and certainly conveys the intention.

In verse 5, we see the Lord back in Zion.  This is a favorite place of his.  These verses express a future hope, not something that has come and gone.

Isaiah 33:5-6 (ESV) “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, 6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.”

Here’s a modern paraphrase of verse 5b: he will fill the Ministry of Interior with justice and righteousness.  Oh, for that day!

Next up are three verses and you are going to be tempted to skip or skim.

Isaiah 33:14-16 (ESV) “The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, 16 he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.”

This is such a wise insight by these sinners.  They know that God is a consuming fire (Deut 4:24; Heb 10:27; 12:29), and they fear.  We all should. 

Now you can take the answer in verse 15 as being a pipe dream, such that since no one will ever walk righteously, that this is just a cruel tease.  But I’m preparing a sermon now that includes this verse:

1 John 2:29 (ESV) “If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

That means that all who are children of God practice righteousness.  And thus we can live in the presence of God and not be consumed.  Of course, other NT writers say the same thing, but I wonder if they got it from here.

Next up is verse 17:

Isaiah 33:17 (ESV) “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.”

Since I am thinking of 1 John, I would note that a few verses later, we read something similar.

1 John 3:2 (ESV) “2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he [Jesus] appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Back to Isaiah, I like the “beauty” part.  Jesus is beautiful, in the most profound meaning of the word.  One day we will see him in his beauty.  We will see him as he is.

And on that day, we shall be like Jesus.

Astonishing.

Is that possible?

Do you believe it?

On to verse 22, where Isaiah is very explicit.

Isaiah 33:22 (ESV) “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.”

Don’t forget that Isaiah has already taught us that 1) the house of David will be preserved by a “sign baby” named “God with us”; 2) the government will be on this child’s shoulders; 3) his government will know no end; 4) he will establish David’s throne with justice and righteousness “from this time forth and forevermore”; 5) he will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or hears with his ears.  Is this the Lord or the Messiah?  I think Isaiah would answer “yes.”

Now what’s this about “he will save us”?  It certainly could refer to deliverance from enemies.  But Isaiah is going to reveal stunning truth later in the book.  Hold on to this.

The chapter ends with verse 24.

Isaiah 33:24 (ESV) “And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.”

This sounds like the kingdom.  Healing and forgiveness.  It also sounds like Jesus’s ministry.  He healed the sick and forgave the sinners.  One time he did both to the same guy (Mark 2:1-12).  What was Jesus trying to say?  This: I am the king, and I am bringing the kingdom.

They rejected the king.  He did not establish his kingdom (my wife is sick, my neighbors are not forgiven).

But the king will return and he will establish the kingdom. 

Revelation 19:16 (ESV) “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Revelation 20:4b (ESV) “They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

We pray, as Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come.”  And as John prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Amen.