“In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”
Isaiah 26:1-4 NLT
That phrase again, “In that day”. Isaiah could see a day coming when all his wishes would be realised. A day when he would be freed from the anxieties caused by the sins of his people. A day when God’s perfect order would be restored, along with His kingdom. A day when everyone would be singing from the same hymn sheet, and what a song that will be! And Isaiah lets his anointed imagination loose on what that day will look like. The strong city was a reference to Jerusalem, the City of God, and with Him dwelling there, salvation would be assured. Only righteous and faithful people would be allowed to enter, with, presumably, anyone else shut out.
We read about this City in Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem “coming down from God out of Heaven, like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. Further down the page we read, “So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:10-11). And at the end of the chapter we read, “Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life”. In the next chapter, we read, “Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life”, and the unrighteous will be excluded, “Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie”. But there won’t be many of them, because we read in Revelation 21:8, “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death”.
In Isaiah 26:3, one of our verses this morning, we read the well-known and much-quoted verse, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Peace is a scarce commodity these days. Wars blight our world, with death and destruction following. But peace, or a lack of it, also impacts our societies and our relationships. In recent years, the UK seems to have become very angry, with different factions stridently declaring their beliefs and ideologies and denigrating those who believe otherwise. Many people fail to be at peace with their neighbours, with occasional court cases emerging that expose disputes over the silliest of things, like a boundary wall erected a few inches the wrong way. The UK fails to be at peace with itself, and the problem seems to be getting worse, with politicians of different colours stoking up dissent and failing to lead the country into the peace its citizens require. But, as we pilgrims know, it is only God who has the eternal solution. Perfect peace can only be found in Him.
Jesus said to His disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). He knew that the world would never live in peace. He knew that even the people themselves were suffering from a lack of it. And He knew that there was no political or national leader who could ever deliver the peace that people yearned for. That peace can only be found in God. The Psalmist David knew all about that peace and where it originated. Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe”. His is an incredible story of highs and lows, hounded for many years by King Saul, betrayed by his own son, harassed by his enemies, and yet he could feel safe and at peace in God.
We often say of a recently departed person that they are now at peace, implying that their life, or their last days, were spent in conflict. But even that is not assured, because there will be no peace for those wandering souls, excluded from God’s presence in heaven because they failed to trust in Him. God’s peace extends beyond the grave into Heaven itself, where the redeemed will enjoy God’s presence for ever. That is why we pilgrims must be proactive in spreading God’s message of hope to all those we meet. So many people are living lives conflicted by their worries and anxieties, hopeless and without peace. But we pilgrims know the “peace that surpasses all understanding”, and we cannot keep it to ourselves. Who can we truly say “Shalom” to today? Let’s be ready, in case God is leading us to just the right person.
Dear Heavenly Father. It is only in You that we can experience perfect peace. Please help us to look at world events through Your eyes, and be at peace because we know and trust that You are still on Your throne. We praise You today. Amen.
