2 Mar 2006

Isa 26

My God, my salvation

I recalled long long time ago, when I was just in my teens, I wonder what is life after death. No good answer until Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. Death is not the end because there is eternal life.

Salvation is God saves humanity from death.

v1 We have a strong city;he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks
Salvation here takes the metaphor of a great wall of a city. Indeed, to a someone running away from his foes, the wall, a city with strong wall offers a great protection from death.

v2 Open the gates,that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
Faith is kept within gates. The gates kept a city safe, a nation secure. Here gates is the opening for righteousness.

v3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,because he trusts in you.
Peace is not about no wars all around. Real peace is more than calmness in the midst of chaos. Peace comes from God to him who trust Him

v1-3 has three main points - Salvation, righteousness and peace.
God gives salvation. He is righteous and to those who trust Him, will have peace.
v4 Trust in the Lord forever,for the Lord God is an everlasting rock

Salvation
v5-6 further showed that even if your city is built on high ground, it will offer you no protection or salvation.
Salvation is not about walls, about gates or about strong city. It is about our righteous God.

Righteousness
v7-11 show the righteousness of God. His nature.

Peace
v12-15 Peace is achieved not by bringing more land to your dominion. It is about bring the glory of God and extend them.

Finally, God shows how death and salvation can be related. A glimpse of His salvation plan. You need to die to your unrighteousness, so die to your sin. It is through God that rises the dead (v19 - your dead will live, their bodies will rise.

In all the midst of war and wrath, destruction and desolation, it was not the strong city that can brought about salvation, but salvation is through a righteous God demand your righteousness to die, so that you can have peace with our God.

Isa 26 give a glimpse of His salvation plan- death and resurrection. His plan for humanity, His love for us.