Isaiah 12 Surely this is our God …v9 In

Isaiah 12
Surely this is our God …v9

In a somewhat identical meal from the days of the covenant meal on Mount Sinai marking the people’s move from death under Pharaoh to life under God, Isaiah sees on Mount Zion a last-days meal to commemorate God completely defeating death itself.
‘Death where is your sting’ would be the words of Apostle Paul who would know this passage of Isaiah very well.
Death is our ultimate enemy. It either comes without warning or it announces its arrival and slowly creeps towards us in an almost torturous way. Either way we have not managed to defeat it. The truth is for many of us death does leave a sting. It hurts those who are left behind. But this is why this chapter is so comforting. Isaiah is focusing not so much on death but on the end of mourning. The hurt that death brings for those still alive, the sting, the pain of numbed children, broken men, burdened and tired women, these are who God focuses on in this last days meal.
God in this last days battle which chapters 24-27 reveal pauses and with compassion stoops down to wipe away each tear of grief and brokenness. With joy, relief and expressions of worship the people say, “This is our God.”
Death can be a fierce enemy. It can destroy not just the body but relationships. It can be feared, it wants to be feared. Pretence will not stop the pain that it always brings.
But it does not have the last word.
Death is defeated, it is no longer an enemy, for life and hope comes. This is what Isaiah saw.
This is what Christ our Saviour brings.
He is our resurrection and life.
What Isaiah saw we now experience.
Isaiah’s last days are our present days.
Surely this is our God.