December 7: TRADING SORROWS FOR JOY

This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. Isaiah 28:29

The Holy Spirit is speaking through Isaiah. Chapters 13-23 contain divine oracles against individual nations, beginning with Babylon. In the four chapters that follow (24-27), Isaiah goes on to describe the worldwide scale of the climactic defeat of God’s enemies and the deliverance of His people. The student of God’s word will find that aspects of literal Babylon apply to later, last-day powers on the earth. The “king of Babylon” represents the willing cooperation of human rulers with the mastermind behind them, that is Satan himself. This is why the message that Babylon is fallen, is fallen is emphasized so strongly in the last book of the Bible. While the destruction and abandonment of literal Babylon was a judgement day of the LORD (Isaiah 13:6,9) many centuries ago, it merely foreshadows another great and terrible [judgement] day of the LORD (Joel 2:31, Malachi 4:5; Zephaniah 1:7) that is yet to come.

In Isaiah 24, the Holy Spirit is showing the truth of what is to come through conditions with which Isaiah is familiar. It is possible that Isaiah himself may have applied the prophetic vision to the earthly Jerusalem that he knew. However, the book of Revelation explains that the fulfillment to come will be in the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 21:2).

Will God really destroy the wicked? Many are taught that they will live forever in a torturous inferno of constant pain and anguish. But the truth is that the unrepentant will not be allowed to live anywhere in God’s universe! It is foreign to God’s nature to kill, but even that is evidence for His mercy. For the safety and harmony of the Universe, any perpetuation of sin and misery must be extinguished. Isaiah wrote: For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon He will be roused; to do His deed—strange is His deed! And to work His work—alien is His work! (28:21 ESV – see also Ezekiel 18:4,20; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14-15) 

While it is true that sin carries the seeds of self-destruction (James 1:15), God is not passive. He will actively terminate the curse of sin at His appointed time. He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. (Nahum 1:9)  

But He who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance delights to lead each of us onto the safe path. He delights to tell us of His love and forgiveness. He is delighted when we hand over to Him the terrible thoughts and habits that enslave us. He takes them away and replaces them with wonderful things – gifts from His heart. What is more, His joy is increased when He places His joy within us. Beloved, can you hear Him singing over you?

The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (AMPC)