Dwell in the Word: Isaiah 27:1-13

Consider these questions as you dwell in Isaiah 27:1-13:

1. What is the significance of God's role in driving out evil and restoring His people in Isaiah 27, and how does this relate to the concept of judgment?

2. How does the imagery of God as the keeper of a pleasant vineyard in Isaiah 27 illustrate His care for His people?

3. In Isaiah 27, what message is conveyed through the symbolism of idolatrous altars being crushed like chalkstones, and how does it reflect God's purification of His people?

Transcript:

As we come to Isaiah 27, we see a lot more good news than words of judgment. But this all is happening, this God driving out the evil and restoring his people is in view of the idea of judgment, is of him bringing his people back to himself of doing this discipline for the purpose of restoring his people. But we start out here with the idea that God is going to overthrow evil. Notice in verse 1, in that day, the Lord, with his hard and great and strong sword, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent. Leviathan, the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. In other words, God is over the powers of evil. God is pushing them out. He is going to take all this bad that has happened, all these outside forces, all this evil that has overcome the people of God, and he is going to be the one who's going to push them out. It's not going to be them. He is the one that is in control, and he is going to keep his people for himself. And we get this idea that they are a pleasant people, that they are good people.

They are people that he loves and a people that he cares for. He uses the imagery of a vineyard, a pleasant vineyard, and he says, Sing of it. It's beautiful. It's wonderful. Sing about it. It's great. And the Lord is the keeper. He is caring for his vineyard, caring for his people. He waters it, lest anyone come up against it there. He keeps watch on it day and night. He takes care of it. He has no wrath. He keeps out the thorns and the briars. There are none because he is taking such good care of his people, of his vineyard. And so he says, Let them lay hold of my protection. Let them make peace with me. He's saying, Instead of seeking after these other things, seek after me. Find your protection in me. I am your God. I am the one who cares for you. I am the one who will keep you. And then we have this imagery here that the idolatry will be taken care of, that these different altars are going to be made like chalkstones, crushed to pieces. And you can picture that in your mind, can't you? We've all stepped on a piece of chalk and it just shatters.

It's not like stepping on a rock where you can feel it through your shoe. You win the battle with the piece of chalk. And if it's a little wet, even more so. Chalk is easily crushed. And so these idol that were made out of stone, they're not stone to the Lord God. He crushes them like chalk. And so none of these altars will remain standing. God is purifying His people. And we see this idea that God is bringing His people back to Himself in verse 12. In that day, from the river Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, the Lord will thrash out the grain and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. In other words, there's going to be a harvest, and it's a good harvest. Remember the imagery of weeds that is often used in the Bible. Those are taken out, they're of no good. The imagery of chaff. But what do we have here? Your grain that is gleaned. You are the good harvest. You are the one that the Lord has taken care of. You're the one that the Lord keeps, and you are going to be harvested in a good way.

You are the Lord. He cares for you. You are His harvest. And then we also say, In that day, a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. The idea here is that these people have been driven away. The judgment of God caused them to go into exile, but God is going to call them back. He's not abandoning them in exile. He is calling them back to himself. God has caused these things to happen. He has allowed these things to happen, but it was a judgment for a purpose. He's not just leaving his people, he is caring for them. Again, that vineyard imagery is so powerful because God is nurturing his people. He is watering them, and he calls them back to himself. As we have seen throughout the book of Isaiah so far, it is so important that we remember that the discipline of God is a good thing. Of course, it's hard. Of course, it's troubling and difficult for us. But God doesn't discipline just to discipline.

He is not arbitrary like you disciplined your children for running towards the street. God disciplines His people to keep them from evil, to keep them from harm. God's love is far greater than our love for our children. He loves His people so much that He sent His son to die for us. And so may we remember this good discipline of God, and may we be open to it that we may hear the word and be convicted of our sin and turn away from our sin. May we get the gift of repentance from God and from His Spirit, and may we trust in that good news that we are forgiven in Christ.