Slices
Prepare
The Lord has prepared a banquet for you. What exactly is on the menu?
Bible passage
Praise to the Lord
25 Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
2 You have made the city a heap of rubble,
the fortified town a ruin,
the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will honour you;
cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
4 You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall
5 and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine –
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death for ever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
‘Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’
10 The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled in their land
as straw is trampled down in the manure.
11 They will stretch out their hands in it,
as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim.
God will bring down their pride
despite the cleverness of their hands.
12 He will bring down your high fortified walls
and lay them low;
he will bring them down to the ground,
to the very dust.
Explore
The central point of this chapter is the great feast which the Lord has prepared (v 6). Notice that the table is spread ‘for all peoples’. Remember that this is apocalyptic writing, akin to the final passages in Revelation. Verses 7 and 8 wonderfully describe an ultimate event through which God will destroy all that is dark, wicked and deathly. What, I wonder, is ‘the shroud that enfolds all peoples’? Perhaps it’s our spiritual blindness – or just that grey, sad feeling which so many people pass through life with. Now gone for ever, praise be to God.
There are two songs here. The first – verses 1 to 8 – is by an individual, presumably Isaiah. The second – from verse 9 – is a group of people celebrating their God. Both recount ‘wonderful things’ (v 1): God in action utterly destroying ‘the ruthless’ and saving and blessing his people. If you didn’t know the very special God who has made all this happen, you would probably be surprised by verse 4. Amid cataclysmic events, we find God taking gentle care to ensure that the poor and the needy are sheltered and protected. Let us not doubt that such people have special servings reserved at the feast (v 6)!
Respond
This is a word for all time. However, the people praising God here recount things he has achieved in their days. As you respond, praise God for what he has done specifically in our own age.
Deeper Bible study
‘Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name’.1 Spend a moment praising God for the things you love about him.
Wouldn’t verse 1 be the perfect inspirational message for a wall poster or screen saver? In fact, it sounds very similar to something David would write. Take a moment to read Psalm 139 and see if you can spot any similar themes. Here, Isaiah reflects on the very personal relationship he has with God – and it fills him with praise for God’s blessing and plan. Take a moment to praise God for the wonderful things he’s done in your life; perhaps list them in a notebook or note-taking app. It’s true that life isn’t always wonderful, but even then, especially then, it’s important to remember that God has a loving plan for your life. The God of the universe knows you personally. Wow!
We must be careful, though, to understand this verse in its original context, a principle we should follow whenever reading God’s Word. What was Isaiah saying to the people of Judah? The central image is that of a celebratory feast, with two distinct aspects: blessing for the poor and needy, and punishment for the strong and ruthless (vs 2–5). Together they produce a fusion of joy. What animates our praise is not just that God wants to do good things for us. It’s that some day he will completely eradicate sin and death: ‘The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces’ (v 8). Wow!
Did you notice the phrase Isaiah mentions three times in this chapter, ‘On this mountain’, a reference to Mount Zion (vs 6,7,10)? Geographically, Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, the location of the Temple and the special place where God intended to dwell.2 Spiritually, however, Mount Zion symbolises the amazing truth that God wants to meet with his people, including you. Wow and amen!
What things make you more aware of God’s presence? What things make you less interested in seeking God? How might this affect your day?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 40,41; 1 John 1
Pray for Scripture Union
Give thanks for all that God has provided for SU ministry so far and will continue to provide. Please pray for an increase in financial support, as we look to increasing our reach to more of the 95% of children and young people who haven’t yet started their journey of faith.
Pray with us
Our annual Day of Prayer allows us a day to dedicate time to thank God for what's been, and pray into what's to come.
On the 22nd of November, wherever you are, whether you can spare a whole day, an hour or just a few moments, we'd love for you to join us.
