Read Isaiah 33:15–22
Questions from the Scripture text: How does the person in Isaiah 33:15 walk? How does he speak? What does he despise? What does he refuse? What does he stop his ears from hearing? What does he shut his eyes from seeing? Where will he dwell (Isaiah 33:16)? What place of defense will he have? What two things will he always be sure to have? Whom will his eyes see (Isaiah 33:17)? In what condition? What else will his eyes see? What will have happened to all terror and reports of terror (Isaiah 33:18-19)? What will he look upon instead (Isaiah 33:20)? How is the city of Zion described here? How is Jerusalem described here? What will not be taken down? How does verse 20 emphasize this? What will the main feature of this tabernacle be (Isaiah 33:21a)? What poetic imagery does verse 21 use to describe the blessedness of having the majestic Yahweh for us? What three positions will Yahweh have in this kingdom of glory (Isaiah 33:22)? What will He do?
Next week’s Call to Worship, Prayer for Help, Song of Adoration, and Prayer of Confession all come from Isaiah 33:15–22, so that we will see that we are singing God’s thoughts after Him with The Sands of Time Are Sinking.
When God forgives us in Christ, it is because He intends to bring us into everlasting and perfect blessedness. So, for all who are believers, working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) means God working in us (Philippians 2:13) to develop our appetites for the beauty and glory of King Jesus (Philippians 2:9–11).
As they grow in grace, the righteous will utterly refuse to participate in wickedness, even rejecting observation of it: extortion, bribery, violence, all wickedness (Isaiah 33:15). They are righteous by forgiveness (end of Isaiah 33:24), but this righteous standing produces righteous character in keeping with their end.
So a large part of sanctification is shutting our eyes to wickedness (Isaiah 33:15) and turning our eyes unto the King in His beauty (Isaiah 33:17), Whom we will see when we come into final and full safety and provision (Isaiah 33:16). Jesus is the heavenliness of heaven, but we already begin to have Him now!
Suddenly, Sennacherib and his delegation (Isaiah 33:18) are small potatoes. In Isaiah 36:18–20, Sennacherib’s delegation would mock the idea that Yahweh can save saying, “has any of the gods of the nations delivered them? Where are their gods?” But our passage reminds us that when we are beholding Christ in all His beauty and glory, we will be able to mock that delegation with similar words (Isaiah 33:18); Assyrians won’t be able to invade heavenly Zion or Jerusalem (Isaiah 33:18-19)!
The feasts looked forward to Christ (Isaiah 33:20a), and the tabernacle looked forward to His dwelling with us (verse 20c), and Zion/Jerusalem as a location looked forward to that perfect and glorious presence of Him with us in glory (verse 20). There is no enemy with ships that can invade there (Isaiah 33:21)!
What awaits believers is to look upon the beauty and glory of Yahweh, our Judge (Isaiah 33:22a); Yahweh, our Lawgiver (verse 22b); Yahweh, our King (verse 22c). For Yahweh Himself, Jesus, has not only given Himself for us once for all, but He has given Himself to us, to be ours forever and ever! He will save us (verse 22d) indeed.
How are you enjoying already the heavenliness of heaven. When do you do this enjoying? What are you refusing to enjoy in order to enjoy Him? How does enjoying Him more help you do this refusing?
Suggested songs: ARP27B “I Ask the LORD and Seek” or TPH470 “When This Passing World Is Done”
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