A Song of Trust in God
Study note
In the future, the people of Judah will sing this song of victory. Their city is strong because God himself is their protection, like walls and defenses around them. The gates are opened for the faithful. The famous verse about 'perfect peace' promises that those who keep their thoughts fixed on God will experience deep inner calm. God is called the 'everlasting Rock,' meaning he is a foundation that will never fail.
1 When that day comes, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 'We have a strong city! God has built salvation into its walls and defenses.' 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 Throw open the gates so the nation that stays faithful and does right can come in. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust in the Lord always and forever, because the Lord God is a Rock that lasts for all eternity. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
5 He brings down those who live high up in their pride. He flattens the lofty city and levels it to the ground, all the way to the dust. For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.
6 Then the feet of poor and humble people will walk right over its ruins. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
Longing for God's Justice
Study note
The righteous express their deep desire for God. Even at night, they long for him. When God judges the earth, people learn to do what is right. But the wicked refuse to learn, even when shown kindness. They refuse to see God's power. Isaiah prays that God's enemies will finally see and be put to shame.
7 The road for people who do right is smooth and straight. O God who does right, you level the path for those who follow you. The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
8 Yes, Lord, we follow the path of your justice and wait for you. What we want most is to know you and bring honor to your name. 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 All through the night, my soul yearns for you. When morning comes, my spirit searches for you. When you bring justice to the earth, people all over the world learn to do what is right. 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 Even when someone shows kindness to wicked people, they still do not learn to do right. They keep doing evil even in a land where things are fair, and they refuse to see how great the Lord is. Let favour be shewed 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, your hand is raised high, but they refuse to see it. Let them see how much you care about your people, and let them be put to shame. Let the fire you reserved for your enemies burn them up. 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.
Confession and Hope
Study note
The people confess that other powers have ruled over them, but they will honor God's name alone. Those former rulers are dead and gone. The people admit that despite their struggles, which felt like a woman in labor, they could not save themselves. Their efforts brought nothing of lasting value.
12 Lord, you will give us peace. Every good thing we have accomplished has truly been your work all along. LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
13 O Lord our God, other masters besides you have bossed us around. But it is your name alone that we honor. 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 Those other masters are dead and gone. They will never come back. You punished them, wiped them out, and erased every trace of them. 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 You have made the nation bigger, O Lord. You expanded it and showed your glory. You pushed out its borders in every direction. 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, when your people were in trouble, they turned to you. When you corrected them, they could barely breathe a whispered prayer. LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
17 Like a pregnant woman about to have her baby who cries out in pain — that is what we were like before you, O Lord. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.
18 We were expecting something great. We strained in pain. But when the time came, all we produced was wind. We did not bring real help to the earth, and no new life appeared in the world. 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.
Resurrection and Final Judgment
Study note
Verse 19 is one of the clearest statements in the Old Testament about the resurrection of the dead. God's people who have died will live again and rise from the dust. God tells his people to hide for a little while until his anger against the wicked has passed. Then the Lord will come to punish the earth for its sins, and the blood of the innocent will finally be revealed.
19 But your dead will come alive again, Lord. Their bodies will rise. Wake up and sing for joy, you who lie in the dust! Your refreshing dew is like the morning dew, and the earth will release its dead. 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, go inside your rooms and shut the doors behind you. Stay hidden for just a little while until the Lord's anger blows over. 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 overpast.
21 Look! The Lord is stepping out from his dwelling place to punish the people of the earth for what they have done wrong. The earth will uncover the blood that was poured out on it. It will no longer hide those who were murdered. For, behold, the LORD cometh 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.