As we have already noted chapters 24 – 27 of the Book of Isaiah are known as “The Little Apocalypse of Judgment and Restoration”. Chapter 26 is a song of thanksgiving for salvation sung by the redeemed remnant of Israel.
Outline of chapter 26.
Verses 1 – 4. The redeemed remnant, back in the land, celebrates the life of faith and dependency. They sing over the impregnable city of Adonai (Jerusalem). The theme is the trust in the Lord which brings perfect peace. The righteous of the nation will enter in, and finally the people will realize that in the Lord is everlasting strength (The Rock of Ages).
Verses 5 and 6. The arrogant inhabited the lofty city during its overthrow. Thereafter the humble inhabit the strong city.
Verses 7 – 15. Here is a song of trust in Adonai from the remnant who have passed through the Tribulation. The Lord has smoothed the path for them, and they have waited earnestly for Him to reveal Himself. Adonai’s hand has been raised in readiness. When it descends in fury, the wicked will be ashamed. Then there will be peace in Israel. They have been ruled by many masters, but Adonai is their true and only master. The nations that troubled Israel “will not rise” to oppress Adonai’s people again. The Gentile powers will never be restored.
Verses 16 – 19. But before achieving this happy state of restoration, Israel goes through travail like that of childbirth. Initially, nothing seems to be achieved, but then the nation will enjoy a resurrection. Adonai answers HIs people’s prayers with a definite promise of national restoration when the refreshing “dew of herbs” (the Holy Spirit) is poured out on the land.
Verses 20 and 21. In the meantime, the Lord counsels the remnant of His people to hide in secret until He pours our His wrath on an apostate world.
Chapter 26 verse 1.
“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.”
This verse commences the pilgrim’s song celebrating in the strong city of Adonai. The salvation provided by Adonai is compared to “walls and bulwarks” giving the city its strength. This is the millennial kingdom where salvation and praise will be the city’s defence.
Isaiah 60:18.
“Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.”
This strong Jerusalem contrasts with the “city of confusion” of Isaiah 24:10 –12.
“The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the street, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction.”
The strong city is also noted in Zechariah 14:11.
“The people shall dwell in it; and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”
Chapter 26 verse 2.
“Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.”
Isaiah envisions the future Jerusalem where only the righteous will enter in.
Psalm 118: 19,20.
“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter.”
The redeemed remnant from other nations will come periodically to worship.
Zechariah 14:16 – 19.
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of Tabernacles.”
Chapter 26 verse 3.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed with You. Because he trusts in You.”
This “him” is the surviving individual whose inclination and character kept him faithful, dependent and hopeful in Adonai through the Great Tribulation. He will enjoy “perfect peace”; a new and completely superior kind of peace inaugurated by the Lord.
Isaiah 57:19.
“I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near”, says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”
Philippians 4:7.
“… and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
A fixed disposition of trust in the Lord brings a peace that the wicked will never know.
Isaiah 48:22.
“There is no peace”, says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
Complete reliance on the Lord precludes doublemindedness and serving two masters.
James 1:6.
“… he who doubts is like a wave in the sea driven and tossed in the wind.”
Matthew 6:24.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.”
Chapter 26 verse 4.
“Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”
Here is true wisdom! If we commit to the Lord, lean on Him and hope confidently in Him, He is our permanent strength. It is believed that the hymn-writer Augustus Toplady was inspired by this verse, whilst sheltering in a rocky cleft to write the hymn “Rock of Ages”.
Isaiah 12:2.
“Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song: He has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 45:17.
“But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever.”
Chapter 26 verses 5 and 6.
“For He brings down those who dwell on high, the lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust. The foot shall tread it down – the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.”
Here we see the arrogant who inhabit the “lofty city” during its overthrow. We see the destruction of the city. Man’s proud civilization has been brought low; even the “feet of the poor” and “needy” trample it down.
Isaiah 25:11,12.
“And He will spread out His hands in their midst as a swimmer reaches out to swim, and He will bring down their pride together with the trickery of their hands. The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, down to the dust.”
The humble will inhabit a “strong city” protected by Adonai.
Chapter 26 verse 7.
Having dealt with the arrogant and haughty in verses 5 and 6, verses 7 to 15 return to the song of trust in Adonai.
“The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, you weigh the path of the just.”
The “upright” are those who are consistently righteous; those who have moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relationship of their lives. This of course is relative and cannot be compared to the absolute righteousness of Adonai.
To “weigh the path” is to make it level and straight. The Lord had smoothed the path for the remnant passing through the Tribulation. This analogy is particularly relevant in a land full of hilly, twisting roads; a straight, level path would be of great assistance.
Psalm 37:23.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”
Chapter 26 verse 8.
“Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; the desire of our soul is for Your name and for the remembrance of You.”
The future, faithful remnant reveals the key to its redemption; its dependence on the Lord not humanly conceived schemes.
Psalm 40:1.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.”
Isaiah 40:31.
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 25:9.
“And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Chapter 26 verse 9.
“With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek you early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
The prophet describes the restless search of the remnant for Adonai.
Psalm 63:6.
“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.”
Isaiah 50:10.
“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.”
We should always long for the Lord.
But only when Adonai acts in judgment will the wicked learn righteousness i.e., uprightness and a right standing with God. When they see the power of Adonai, they will restrain their wickedness. Adonai’s punishing hand can benefit sinners by bringing them to repentance.
Chapter 26 verse 10.
“Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.”
Adonai shows His love, favour and mercy toward the wicked. But they turn their backs on it. They show contempt for the grace and majesty of Adonai.
Romans 2:4.
“… do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Chapter 26 verse 11,12.
“Lord, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see. But they will see and be ashamed for their envy of people; yes, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them. Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.”
The “them” mentioned here are the wicked in Israel before the Tribulation. They are blind to the authority of Adonai and the judgment that is about to come upon them. Only when Adonai acts in judgment will the wicked learn righteousness. When they become conscious of Adonai’s compassion on His people, they will be ashamed.
Prior to this, the works of Adonai are ignored by these people.
Isaiah 5:12.
“The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute, and wine are in their feasts; but they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands.”
Job 34:26,27.
“He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others, because they turned back from Him, and would not consider any of His ways …”
Psalm 28:5.
“Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them and not build them up.”
Adonai will use their enemies to bring judgment and shame upon them.
Verse 12 finds that Isaiah, despite Israel’s immediate future looking bleak, can express strong confidence that the nation will ultimately prosper. He can do so because of what Adonai has shown him.
Chapter 26 verse 13.
“O Lord our God, masters besides You have had dominion over us; but by You only we make mention of Your name.”
Israel’s history was replete with periods of foreign domination from nations like Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia. But for the faithful remnant only Adonai is their true and proper ruler.
To “make mention of Your name” refers to the character of Adonai as learned through experience in the past. Joy is being the servant of Adonai.
Chapter 26 verse 14.
“They are dead, they will not live; therefore You have punished and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.”
The prophet sees the future demise of the enemies of His people; in contrast to the faithful remnant of Israel. These enemies, who so troubled Israel, will not rise to do so again. The memory of them will be forgotten.
Chapter 26 verse 15.
“You have increased the nation, O Lord, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land.”
Here we see repetition (“You have increased the nation”) to emphasise the certainty and magnitude of the prediction. Here we have the certainty of Israel’s future restoration and the final establishment of its intended borders accomplished.
Isaiah 9:3
“You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.”
Verses 16 – 19, harp back to the time before the restoration of Israel.
Chapter 26 verse 16.
“Lord, in trouble they have visited You, they poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.”
The hard experience of Israel (the “they” referred to in this verse), over the years drove her to call on Adonai.
Hosea 5:15.
“I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offence. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
Chapter 26 verse 17.
“As a woman with child is in pain and cries out in her pangs. When she draws near to the time of her delivery, so have we been in Your sight, O Lord.”
Israel’s tumultuous history is compared to a pregnant woman. As a woman giving birth endures the pain for the joy that follows, the faithful remnant of Israel of Isaiah ‘s time endure oppression awaiting deliverance.
Isaiah 13:8.
“And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be like flames.”
Chapter 26 verse 18.
“We have been with child, we have been in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth wind; we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, nor have the inhabitants of the earth fallen.”
Israel has been through a period of travail like giving birth; they have endured but have achieved nothing (“brought forth wind” – a metaphor for meaningless labour). They have won no victories and their enemies remain.
All the nation’s efforts have come to nothing because they did not depend on the Lord.
Chapter 26 verse 19.
“Your dead shall live; together with my body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”
Isaiah addresses his faithful peers and assures them that their dead will rise in resurrection. Despite their feelings that they have achieved nothing, the nation will enjoy a resurrection (“Your dead shall live”). There will be a corporate resurrection to particate in the millennial kingdom. Adonai answers the people’s prayers with a definite promise of restoration in the refreshing “dew of herbs” (i.e., with the Holy Spirit poured out on the land).
Ezekiel 37:11,12.
“Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!” Therefore prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
Psalm 133: verse 3.
“It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore.”
The final section of Chapter 26 is headed “Take Refuge from the Coming Judgment”.
Chapter 26 verse 20.
“Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is passed.”
Isaiah is still addressing his faithful contemporaries and the righteous remnant. Their present suffering under the Assyrian tyrant was just for “a little moment”. Their worries are nothing compared with the eternal joy which the faithful remnant will experience.
Israel’s final restoration was not immediately at hand. Hence, they had to continue to pray in solitude until the time of Adonai’s indignation on the apostate world had come and gone. There would be a complete restoration of Israel.
Isaiah 54:7.
“For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you.”
Psalm 30:5.
“For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Chapter 26 verse 21.
“For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”
The Lord will come down from heaven and punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will disclose the blood of the poor and needy oppressed by tyrants. The Lord will avenge the innocent murdered by their oppressors.
Micah 1 verse 3.
“For behold the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.”
Jude 14.
“Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”