Isaiah 27 GOD IS THE DEFENDER Concluding with chapter twenty-seven, fifteen chapters have been prophecies relating to the world around in a general way, and to some nations specifically. Judgments locally, and the tribulation at the end of the age give descriptions as to what was coming. The last two verses of this chapter give us the end of the story when Israel as a recovered nation worships the Lord at Jerusalem where He reigns as the Sovereign seated on David’s throne. Leviathan, the seven-headed monster of Canaanite mythology, represents the seven successive world empires. The illustration of evil, and the chaos and confusion of sin under the influence of the devil, will be dealt with by the power of God Himself. The enemies of God’s people will be destroyed. Israel will be defended but scattered during the “time of Jacob’s trouble.” Then at the end of the tribulation that serpent will be bound, and the Lord will rejoice over His own delivered people.
The Lord does rejoice, when in repentance and self-judgment, His people return to Him. He rejoices over the fruitfulness of His people like a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. God desires to protect His people and to bless them even though they are ungrateful, unthankful and are self-centered, self-serving people who think they are independent of God. Like Israel, God’s people cannot escape the punishment of sin, but that is to bring about change in behavior that is needed in order to be who God intends us to be.
God protects His people but allows enemies opportunity to bring about the judgment need to recover them to the place where they call upon Him. He will protect them from being overwhelmed, and He even gives Israel’s enemies opportunity to respond to His grace and offered forgiveness. Those who reject, deny and defy God will be forever lost. Israel will survive through the trials that will come on those “who received Him not.” The Gospel began with the message of personal salvation taking “root” in Jacob, “To the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” It has spread world- wide as branches of the wild olive have been “grafted in” to the good olive tree. Now no longer are we divided but have been made “one in Christ.”
God will gather His earthly people from wherever they are and have been scattered. He permits opposition against Jews for as long as He chooses, but they will be chastened with the view of them becoming a fruitful people. The deliberate ignorance and faithlessness that accompanies rebellion and disobedience toward God by any person or nation, will bring appropriate consequences. The objective behind such chastening and “pruning” is to bring back fruitfulness. When Israel will abandon all forms of idolatry in the same way we must “seek first the kingdom of God,” then they will bring forth “fruit that will remain.”
Fruitless branches are only fit to be burned. Whether deadness comes from external winds of pressure from without, or from the deadness of internal corruption, a dead branch is cut off. It has no value. Neither is any person who is fruitless for God. Many seek to defeat the work of God and replace faith with existentialism in one form or another. We can be comforted though with the confidence that what God begins, He completes. “He that began a good work in you, will perform it…” A chastened person or nation can again be useful to God.
Israel will return from their long exile which was foreshadowed by the return of some of the Jews from Babylon to the promised land. Nothing like what will happen has even been done before, but in the case of Israel it will be because of God’s covenant promises with them as a nation. Israel will become fruitful to God again, and the whole world will come to know God through the blessings that come to the Jews. Israel will yet have to fact the fact that by ignoring the law of God and seeking to be independent of Him, they will only fail. God has and will permit chastisement of them by other nations and powers, but when repentance is real and restoration to God, not just to be an independent nation, is accomplished, then God will deal with those who hated Jews. When people defy divine authority, just vengeance will come in God’s appointed time.
Sin in every way is opposition to the character of God and cannot be allowed to escape justice and judgment. Israel’s temporary regathering after the prophecy of Isaiah was given, and during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah did not bring in the fulfillment of his prophecy. God will chasten Israel, His chosen people. He will destroy forever those who came against Israel. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, and all the way tot the empire of the antichrist will be defeated and destroyed.
The peace man “makes with Me” mentioned in verse five, is not salvation but submission to government. Peace with God comes from God to us through Him who “made peace through the blood of His cross.” He gives us His peace and our peace with Him is totally His doing, not ours. When that time of peace comes, the purpose of a vineyard will become a reality in the case of Israel. A vineyard is to produce joy and satisfaction from the fruit it brings forth. It will be between individuals in the coming day in the same way repentance and faith is needed by individuals today.