Isaiah 25 … Consider Him for Whom We Have Waited

Originally posted: 3/18/2021

And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation,” (25:9).

Today was a welcomed relief from the oracles of God’s judgment as Isaiah turns his heart to sing God’s praise, rejoicing with humility and gratitude for His salvation. But before the salvation there was the Waiting.

Waiting. It can test our faith like few other stressors can.

There is a song by Elevation Worship that fuels my prayers as I wait for God to answer my desperate pleas for loved ones. But I’ve seen Him do it before, and I am convinced He will do It again. The words of these lyrics are just too encouraging not to share.

“Do It Again” by Elevation Worship

Walking around these walls
I thought by now they’d fall
But You have never failed me yet

Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle’s won
For You have never failed me yet.

I know the night won’t last
Your word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again

Jesus You’re still enough
Keep me within Your love, oh
My heart will sing Your praise again

Chorus: Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet

Bridge: I’ve seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe I’ll see You do it again

He has moved the impossible to make a way possible; His promise still stands; His faithfulness is our confidence; and we will see Him do it again.

But still, there is Waiting. And if I had my druthers, He would do it right now. But His timing is perfect, as He is. And while we don’t know when, we know He’s never failed yet and, on that day, all will see the powerful deliverance of Him for Whom We Have Waited.

Consider Him for Whom We Have Waited

Wait: “6960. קָוָה qāwāh: A verb meaning to wait for, to look for, to hope for…The word is used to signify depending on and ordering activities around a future event…” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

Biblical Waiting signifies a hope, not an uncertain wishful hope, but a hope that looks ahead in faith with unwavering confidence, with full assurance that what God has promised will surely come to pass. Biblical Waiting means we order our lives around His promise for our future.

It is of this Waiting that Isaiah writes. And on that day, that Waiting will be perfectly realized in Jesus Christ, the perfect accomplishment of His perfect Will.

This is Him for Whom We Have Waited, Jesus…

• Jesus Who Is Faithful… as His plans formed long ago are miraculously and perfectly fulfilled.
  • O Lord, You are my God;
    I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;
    For You have worked wonders,
    Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness, (25:1).

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled,” (Luke 24:44).

• Jesus Who Is Worthy… as every enemy will bow in reverence before Him.
  • For You have made a city into a heap,
    A fortified city into a ruin;
    A palace of strangers is a city no more,
    It will never be rebuilt.
    ³ Therefore a strong people will glorify You;
    Cities of ruthless nations will revere You, (25:2-3).

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:).

• Jesus Who Is Compassionate… as He defends the helpless and needy against the ruthless.
  • For You have been a defense for the helpless,
    A defense for the needy in his distress,
    A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;
    For the breath of the ruthless
    Is like a rain storm against a wall, (25:4).

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly, (Romans 5:6).

• Jesus Who Is Bounteous… as He prepares the place of lavish fellowship for His people.
  • The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
    A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
    And refined, aged wine, (25:6).

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:2-3).

• Jesus Who Is Truth… as He removes the veil that blinds and hardens the minds and hearts of all peoples.
  • And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
    Even the veil which is stretched over all nations, (25:7).

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away, (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

• Jesus Who Is Gracious and Merciful… as He puts an end to all pain, sorrow and death.
  • He will swallow up death for all time,
    And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces,
    And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;
    For the Lord has spoken, (25:8).

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, ⁴ and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away,” (Revelation 21:2-4).

• Jesus Who Is All-Powerful… as He renders every enemy powerless.
  • For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain,
    And Moab will be trodden down in his place
    As straw is trodden down in the water of a manure pile.
    ¹¹ And he will spread out his hands in the middle of it
    As a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim,
    But the Lord will lay low his pride together with the trickery of his hands.
    ¹² The unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down,
    Lay low and cast to the ground, even to the dust, (25:10).

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives, (Hebrews 2:14-15).

How do we respond to Him for Whom We Have Waited?

Biblical Waiting views our present in the light of His past and His future, and orders our lives accordingly. We must adjust our perspective for our todays through the lens of faith, remembering His faithfulness in our past and looking forward to every promise He has spoken about our future, convinced that He will do it again.

The question we need to answer is, what does our Waiting look like? Are we raising our  hands in reverent awe to the One for Whom We Wait, or do we wring our hands in worried anguish, gripped by the world rather than His Word?

When Isaiah wrote this song of praise, the future was still just that… the future. And yet Isaiah sang truth believing the future would be just as God had spoken.

And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation,” (25:9).

This was a profound declaration of faith that erupted in praise for His promise yet to be fulfilled. Let’s take some time to let that sink in. We can praise Him for tomorrow, even when today hurts, even when today holds suffering, grief, mourning and pain, because we know that day is coming, that day when our Waiting will bring us face to face with Him for Whom We Have Waited.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is, (1 John 3:2).

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen, (Revelation 1:7).

And while His Timing may not reflect our wishes, we can be sure that His Work will be in perfect keeping with His Faithfulness, His Incomparable Worth, His Compassion, His Bounty, His Truth, His Grace and Mercy, and His Power.

Oh, that we would live every day in confidence, rejoicing as we look forward to that day when faith becomes sight, that day when we too will say, “This is Him for Whom We Have Waited!”

and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls, (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Let’s Grow Together!