Read Isaiah 65:17–25
Questions from the Scripture text: To what does Isaiah 65:17a call our attention? What will this new heavens and new earth do to the effect that the former ones have upon us (verse 17b)? What idea is peppered throughout Isaiah 65:18-19b as the theme? Whom does God command to rejoice? In what/whom? Who does most of the rejoicing in these verses/this creation? What will no longer be heard where (Isaiah 65:19c–d)? What would someone in this new earth conclude about someone who “died young” at one hundred years old (Isaiah 65:20)? Who will enjoy a man’s work (Isaiah 65:21, Isaiah 65:22c–d)? Who won’t enjoy that person’s work (Isaiah 65:22a–b)? What metaphor does he use for their longevity (verse 22c)? What will they do all this time (verse 22d)? How much of the curse will be repealed (Isaiah 65:23)? What relational situation is the climax of this (Isaiah 65:24)? How will the creation itself reflect this (Isaiah 65:25)?
What will make the trouble of the creation be forgotten? Isaiah 65:17–25 looks forward to the first serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God will make a new creation that causes the former one to be forgotten.
God has just declared His intention to form a new Israel in Christ, so that the former state of the church was forgotten (Isaiah 65:16).
Now, He tells them that this culminates in an entirely new creation that makes the cursed creation to be forgotten (Isaiah 65:17)—a creation not of groaning (cf. Romans 8:19–23) but of rejoicing (Isaiah 65:18).
Not only will His people rejoice over the creation (Isaiah 65:18), but God Himself will be rejoicing over His people (Isaiah 65:19a–b), gladdening them in Himself (verse 19c–d).
There will be no more death, for death belongs to the accursed (Isaiah 65:20), and if someone were to die at the age of a hundred, he would be considered an accursed child cut down in the flower of life.
There will be no curses remaining from the Mosaic covenant (Isaiah 65:21-22, cf. Deuteronomy 28:15–51).
There will be no curses remaining from the Adamic covenant (Isaiah 65:23, cf. Genesis 3:16–19).
But greatest of all, there will be no estrangement from God, only perfect fellowship with Him (Isaiah 65:24).
And the creation itself will reflect the blessedness of this estate. With the devil (“that ancient serpent") having licked the dust of defeat (cf. Genesis 3:15, Psalm 72:9), there will be no death at all, and actual animal serpents will eat dust, just as lions eat straw (Isaiah 65:25).
Christ is not just the new Israel of the forever-church and the new Adam of the forever-humanity. He is the everlasting God of the new creation, the covenant God who not only gives us joy but makes us to delight in God, as He, our God delights in us!
This is what the Lord has purposed for those who fear Him. Leave off all empty and useless religious thoughts, and draw near to Him in the way that He has given you to do so: in Christ!
What aspects of the curse do you feel most keenly? What labor has been futile for you? How have you felt the soon-ness and certainty of your death? How have you experienced the loss of the deaths of others? How have you experienced being estranged from God? But how has He given you to enjoy your labor? How has He given you to enjoy the benefits of Christ and His resurrection already? How does He give you to enjoy the fat that while you are speaking, He hears?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for being so satisfied with this groaning, cursed creation, when You have intended for us a new creation. But forgive us, also, for not delighting in the work of Your hands. All that You have made is good, but we have brought sin and death into the world. Forgive us for failing to see that all fruitfulness and enjoyment of our labor is grace and mercy from You. And grant that we would enjoy You Yourself more than any of it, until You bring us to enjoy You more than anything even in the new creation. So, give us to serve You and enjoy You for the rest of this life, and forever in the next, we ask, in Christ’s Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP98 “O Sing a New Song” or TPH299 “Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come”
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