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Death Defeated ISAIAH 25:1-10a DEATH DEFEATED THIS WEEK’S focus Two of the central themes of Isaiah are judgement and hope. We all have hopes. Perhaps you hope to get good grades, make the basketball team, or start dating someone you like. Our hopes, however, are often tied to our anxieties. The things we hope for are often also the things we worry about the most—what if things don’t work out like we hope? What then? Today, through our study of Isaiah 25:1-10a, we will see how God promises us a hopeful future in the face of the most anxiety-inducing reality of life—death. God promises to one day destroy death, but not without judging those forces in the world that spread its dominion. By doing so, God promises us a hopeful future where suffering and death are no more and justice is restored. CENTRAL truth God promises us a hopeful future where death is defeated and His justice is restored. session five | 37 EXPLORE scripture ISAIAH 25:1-10a ISAIAH 25:1-5 1 Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you. fear you. 4 For you have been a stronghold I will praise your name, for you have for the poor person, a stronghold for the accomplished wonders, plans formed long needy in his distress, a refuge from storms ago, with perfect faithfulness. 2 For you and a shade from heat. When the breath of have turned the city into a pile of rocks, the violent is like a storm against a wall, a fortified city, into ruins; the fortress of 5 like heat in a dry land, you will subdue barbarians is no longer a city; it will never the uproar of barbarians. As the shade of be rebuilt. 3 Therefore, a strong people will a cloud cools the heat of the day, so he will honor you. The cities of violent nations will silence the song of the violent. ISAIAH 25:6-8 6 On this mountain, the Lord of Armies peoples, the sheet covering all the nations; will prepare for all the peoples a feast 8 he will destroy death forever. The Lord of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, God will wipe away the tears from every prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage face and remove his people’s disgrace from wine. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken. the burial shroud, the shroud over all the ISAIAH 25:9-10a 9 On that day it will be said, “Look, this is waited for him. Let us rejoice and be glad in our God; we have waited for him, and he his salvation.” 10 For the Lord’s power will has saved us. This is the Lord; we have rest on this mountain. daily discipleship guide | 38 ISAIAH 25:1-10a CONVERSATION questions READ ISAIAH 25:1-5 CONTEXT Verse 4 highlights how radically .01 What does Isaiah praise God for? different God’s values are from most people’s. Most of us want to be rich, and we do everything in our power to avoid needing the help of others. We live in a culture that constantly .02 How will the enemies of God mentioned in encourages us to get rich so that we verses 2-4 respond to His acts of judgement? can have more for ourselves and Why is this good news for us? live more comfortably. However, in the renewed world God promises to create, it is not the rich but the poor and needy who are guarded and given a home. This is similar Isaiah praises God for being a stronghold for .03 to the vision Jesus paints in the someone. Who? Does this surprise you? Sermon on the Mount of life in God’s kingdom, where those who are blessed are those who mourn, are spiritually poor, and are hungry for righteousness (Matt. 5:1-10). session five | 39 READ ISAIAH 25:6-8 GIVE AN ANSWER The literal, physical resurrection .04 What does God promise to do in these verses of Jesus Christ from the dead is and who does He promise to do these things for? essential to the Christian faith— without it, our faith and hope are in vain (1 Cor. 15:14). For Paul, the future defeat of death and suffering were part of the future .05 What do these promises tell us about God, resurrection that Christ secured for and about the future prepared for those who us through His own resurrection embrace Jesus as their Lord? (1 Cor. 15:20-28). Some claim that the idea of resurrection is only taught in the New Testament. While Isaiah 25:6-8 does not explicitly mention resurrection, In addition to defeating death, what does verse 8 .06 Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2 say that God will do? Why is this good news? do. It is also important to note that in Jesus’ day, many Jews believed the Old Testament clearly looked forward to a day of bodily resurrection from the dead; in fact READ ISAIAH 25:9-10A it was a key point of contention in Jesus’ day (Matt. 22:23-33). .07 How will people respond when Christ returns In other words, the promise of and defeats death? How should knowing that bodily resurrection is not a new this day is coming impact how we live now? invention—those who claim it is have not investigated the Bible carefully. .08 Look ahead to Isaiah 25:10b-12. Why are God’s promises of future restoration and the defeat of death followed up with promises of His judgement? Why is this good news? daily discipleship guide | 40 ISAIAH 25:1-10a NOW what? CENTRAL truth God promises us a hopeful future where death is defeated and His justice is restored. .09 Review: What future is promised .10 Since God cares for the poor and to those who trust Christ as their needy, what does that tell us about Lord and Savior? How does God how we should live? make this possible? .11 How should our future hope .12 What keeps us from trusting shape how we relate to the people that there is a bright, eternal around us? Who could you serve future for us in Christ? How this week? might we help one another believe this? session five | 41 day 1 DAILY ISAIAH devotions 24:1-6 MEMORIZE ISAIAH 25:8 DWELL What picture of the future is Isaiah painting in these verses? Does he have ARROWS FOR any doubt about whether it will happen? 7 BIBLE READING Why is God prepared to enact this judgement on the world? What does this What does this passage say? passage tell us about God? In chapter 24, Isaiah looks forward to a future time when God will judge earth for its sin—ours included. The picture he paints is pretty grim, and Isaiah makes it clear that God is absolutely going to bring this judgement on the world. But why? The answer comes What did this How does this in verses 5-6: God’s justice demands that people be held passage mean to its passage change the original audience? way I relate to people? accountable for their actions. However, this judgement is not without hope, as Isaiah will later explain how God also plans to redeem and renew our sinful, broken world in chapter 25. What does this How does this MEMORIZE passage tell us passage prompt Ask a friend or family member to memorize Isaiah about man? me to pray? 25:8 with you this week. Quiz each other several times this week. PRAY Ask God to show you the ways that you have failed What does this passage to follow His will this week and thank Him for the demand of me? forgiveness He offers through His Son. daily discipleship guide | 42 day 2 day 3 ISAIAH ISAIAH 24:7-13,20 24:21-23 DWELL DWELL What is God’s response to the rebellion of These verses expand the range of God’s devastation to His people in these verses? all of creation: the armies in the heavens, the kings on earth, and even the natural world. All of this seems like more bad news, but the final verse shows a glimmer of what is to come in chapter 25—God is bringing low all Why doesn't sin provide the joy that we other powers in order that He can reign supreme. There sometimes think it will? is no power greater than Him, and all other authorities claiming to hold power simply fall short compared to His glory. How do these verses show God's power In the time of future judgement that Isaiah’s prophecy and authority? illustrates, human celebration and joy will be put to an end. Singing and drinking will cease; the drinks the people previously enjoyed will turn bitter. The city will lie shuttered and dark. God does not put an end Why is God's power and ultimate reign to the celebrations out of cruelty—the problem was over everything actually good news for that His rebellious people were celebrating themselves people? For you? and their own sinful works—actions which ultimately lead to harm and destruction. Rather than honoring and worshiping their Creator, they were honoring themselves, rejecting the close relationship God had MEMORIZE offered them. Use a dry erase marker to write Isaiah 25:8 on a mirror you use every day, or write it on a notecard and tape it MEMORIZE to the mirror.
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