Isaiah With Training Wheels: Ch. 26

This part discusses a Strong City, as opposed fallen Babylon. This strong city is Zion.

Of course, this isn’t a particular geographical city, but the victory of the Kingdom of God, over the Church of the Devil, or the ways of the World.

This chapter is organized as a chiasmus. The point of the chiasmus, is that all that the Righteous have, was given by the grace of God. But the Wicked will refuse that grace, no matter what God does.

Zion Safe in Peace (v. 1-4)

Proud trodden down to the dust (5-6)

Grace to the Righteous: Smoothed pathway (7-9)

The wicked will not repent (10-11)

Grace to the Righteous: Ordained peace (12-15)

Righteous raised up from the dust (16-19)

Zion Safe from Wrath (20-21)

26:1 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 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is [an eternal Rock]:

5 ¶ 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 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the [oppressed], and the steps of the needy.

7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, [Upright One], dost weigh the path of the just.

8 Yea, [O Lord, we have waited for thee, walking in the path of thy law.]; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

9 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 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, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed by [your zeal for your people] ; yea, the fire [preserved for] thine enemies shall devour them.

12 ¶ Lord, [you establish] peace for us: [all that we have accomplished you have done for us.]

13 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 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, [their spirits] shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

15 Thou hast [enlarged] the nation, O Lord, [and by enlarging it, you have glorified yourself: you have expanded all the borders of the land] unto all the ends of the earth.

16 Lord, in trouble [they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer] when thy chastening was upon them.

17 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 have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any [salvation] in the earth; [nor brought any life into the world.]

19 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, 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 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.

Notes:

v 1  The Strong City here is not merely Jerusalem, but it is Zion, in all its splendor, as a counterpart to the ruined Babylon / Church of the Devil. The Hebrew conveys a city whose essence is Strength.

v 4. This could also be translated ‘Rock of Ages’.

v. 8  We could express this as the covenant path, that when we are in the covenant path, we are showing the true desire of our souls. The ‘desire of our souls’ could be rendered ‘deepest desire’. Judgements could also be translated as laws or commandments, though both meanings may be applicable. See also v. 9.

v. 10,11 Three circumstances are shown, to show that the Wicked will not repent, regardless if they are given Grace/favor, good circumstances, punishments.

v. 20 The verb here translated as overpast was also used in Exodus to explain the first Passover.