17) Unity (2)
Tuesday 14 December
Isaiah 25:6-12
‘Let’s rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’ Isaiah 25:9
Not only the children of Israel but also the nations will be gathered to welcome the Messiah. Isaiah had previously prophesied about the worldwide peace that would come. The nations would turn their swords into plowshares and stream towards Jerusalem (Isaiah 2). Chapter 25 speaks of the great feast at the beginning of the Kingdom of God. During the feast in honour of the King, God will put a definitive end to death and all remaining enmity against Israel will be eradicated.
And there is more. God will wipe away the tears from all faces. What a tender gesture of love: to wipe away another person’s tears. Yet God will do it, first and foremost for His people. Finally, Israel will be comforted forever.
Once and for all, the slander, the ineradicable antisemitism, will be removed from the whole world. And then the Jewish people will lead the world in praise: ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.’ (Isaiah 25:9 NASB)
Let us rejoice!
Prayer:
As a foretaste of what is to come, we pray Psalm 98. In the Jewish explanation of this psalm, it is pointed out that there is nothing written above it, which is the case of many other psalms. It does not say ‘from David’ or ‘from Korah’. That is a sign say the wise men of Israel that one day this song will be sung by all nations.
