As it was in Isaiah’s time, the people of God have a message for the nations—a message of hope in the kingdom of heaven. In the midst of turmoil, Judah was warned not to trust in the pagan nations that surrounded them.
God’s Power
12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but He will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
14 At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us (ESV).
The terrifying events of God’s judgment on the nations is like an overwhelming thunder, like the roaring of high waves on the beach. When we face difficult and trying situations, our fears can get loud. We tend to panic and grab for whatever security we can find. But God is more powerful than anything we may fear, and He is our security. At God’s rebuke the nations flee. They are no more powerful or influential than chaff or dust. When we are in turmoil, Jesus’ reminder to us is:
“Do not be anxious about your life… But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:25, 33).
What problem do you have today? Remember, God is all powerful, and He is for you.
God’s Presence
1 Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush,
2 which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters!
Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide.
3 All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear!
4 For thus the LORD said to me: “I will quietly look from My dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
Cush was another of the nations near Judah that was facing judgment and would be seeking allies. Judah was not to put their trust in Cush or any other nation.
Like the nations, we tend to trust in what we can see. We don’t physically see God, so we look to other things for tangible security: people, money, job, information, plans, etc. It is common for people to want to see God, but remember that even Jesus’ disciples did more after is ascension than they did when He was physically present with them. They received the indwelling Holy Spirit, so He was more present with them every minute from then on.
God is with believers in a way that no one and nothing else can be. Like the heat from the sun that envelopes us, He is closer than the person sitting right beside us. We can turn to Him for all our needs. How do we actually turn to God? By consistently reading His Word and praying. The author of Hebrews wrote,
“The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
Abiding in Scripture shapes your thoughts and tunes your soul to God’s will. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).
God’s Plan
5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches He lops off and clears away.
6 They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.
7 At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.
God’s plan supersedes the plans of the nations. He will accomplish His purposes—bringing down those who rebel against Him, and giving eternal hope and security to those who trust in Him. Rest assured that you know where it’s all heading—God’s final rule and reign when “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
Take courage and comfort in all that God has already done in bringing salvation and sanctification to those who follow Him, and all that He will do to bring us into eternal life.
“According to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13).
Discussion Questions
1) Where do you tend to look for security when troubles come? How hard is it for you to remember that God is present with you at all times?
2) How might these Scriptures bring you encouragement in difficult times: Joshua 1:9; Psalm 40:4-5; Psalm 139:1-7; Matthew 28:18-20?
3) Do you struggle to understand God’s power and purposes when sin and brokenness seem overwhelming in this world? Do these Scriptures help clarify your thinking: Genesis 3:14-19; Exodus 9:16; Job 42:2-6; Proverbs 16:4; John 3:16-21; Romans 8:28-30?
