Page 56 - Isaiah Student Worktext

Chapter 26 - Main Idea: God speaks a promise of perfect peace in the
midst of great suffering for the people of God.

I have said many times that encouragement is one of the greatest gifts we can
receive…also one of the greatest gifts we can give. In this and the next
chapter, we will see great encouragement given from God to those who are undergoing oppression at
the hands of the pagan nations. Here are 2 main points: 1) God is actively ruling right now, measuring
out victories He will allow the wicked to win, and at the same time limiting the amount of damage they
can do to His beloved people. 2) God will someday crush the oppressors and set up an eternal kingdom.

It may seem small consolation to people in captivity or undergoing great persecution to know that
someday it will end. The Hebrew people being held as slaves in Egypt were held there for 400 years.

V. 1 ‘In that day’ has the contemporary fulfillment in the liberation of the Jews from their oppressors,
but it has the ultimate fulfillment in each of our lives as we await God’s victories in our own lives.

V. 2 The ‘strong city’ built for the righteous nations to enter is the New Jerusalem, described in so much
detail in Revelation.

V. 3 ‘Perfect peace’. Philippians 4: 6-7 It is a peace that is beyond the comprehension of the world. In
the midst of our greatest trials, we have peace in knowing our ultimate destination.

V. 4-6 Our trust isn’t in our circumstances, it must be in the Lord. He is our ‘rock of ages’, our everlasting
strength, and He is in control of even our greatest enemies.

V. 7-9 This is a prescription for our journey here on this earth. Wait on the Lord, desire His name, seek
Him early and in the night…all day. Through the judgments of God, the world will learn righteousness.

V. 10-11 God’s grace extends even to the wicked, which of course includes us before we came to know
Him. Yet even though He extends His grace, many will not learn righteousness, and they will continue to
live unjustly. The hand of the Lord that has so often been extended to the wicked will not be seen by
them. Not because it wasn’t there, but because they wouldn’t see the truth.

Even though many wicked have seen the results of unbelief, they won’t believe.

V. 12-15 This reaffirms the peace that comes only from the Lord. Although there may have been other
‘masters’ who had control of His people physically, God was still in charge.

Isaiah knows what the end result will be. Again, this is a small consolation to someone being held
captive, but for us in this world, it still applies. No matter the difficulties we face here, God’s promise to
us is that He will prevail.

V.16-17 The faithful nation has continued to pray and, like a woman in the pains of childbirth, we will be
delivered.

V. 19-21 This is a beautiful prophecy of the bodily resurrection of the dead in Christ. Although our
bodies will die and return to dust, God has the power to raise our lifeless bodies in the last days.

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