Isaiah 24:13-15 – The Singing Remnant
Christ is king over societies and nations. Now, here is something to think about: Why do we have a wretched economy? Why do we have floods and droughts? Why do we have wars? Why do we have new diseases? It’s judgment from Jehovah. Many of these things that are happening to us are because of our sin as a nation. And unless God gives us, as a culture, as a nation, as a people, repentance, there’s further trouble ahead. And so it is with the Church of Jesus Christ, with many denominations becoming unfaithful that once were gospel lights and are now falling off into terrible error. And there are other churches that are full of dead orthodoxy. May God deliver the Church of Jesus Christ from all this.
It can be tempting to be despondent, but we must not be. For in verses 13-15 we have comfort for the godly. The picture we have here in verse 13 is that there is a remnant left, a remnant preserved. The true people of God will be like a few olives left, a few grapes left. But by God’s grace, and by that alone, the remnant perseveres. God will keep them. God will hold them, God will use them. And they shall not fail (John 6:37-39; Romans 8:31). We who are in Jesus because of God’s grace, because Jesus saved us to the uttermost by his life, death, and resurrection, are safe. Though difficulty may hit us, God will not use it to cast us away. He does not use it to bring us to devastation, but to make us stronger and more godly. The remnant shall lift up their voice, we read in verse 14. They shall sing of the majesty of the Lord, just like Paul and Silas did in the Philippian jail (Acts 16). The people of God are blessed in the midst of all this devastation to see God’s glory, to be thrilled with God’s glory, and to tell others of God’s glory, which leads to verse 15. We read here earlier in this chapter how people are just scattered away. That’s literally what happened under the Babylonians. And it is later what happened with the Christians (Acts 8:1-4). But God uses it for His glory and their good. As they go to the east, and they go to the west, and they go to the faraway countries, they witness to the glory, the splendour, the beauty of the living and true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.
Questions
- How is God judging the nations?
- How does God use the scattering of the people for good?
Prayer Points
- Pray that you would witness to Christ wherever you are.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.