Bible Studies
God’s Glory Is Revealed in the Great Banquet (Isa. 25:6-9)
Series: Glory of God from IsaiahIntroduction:
1. This lesson concludes our series entitled “We Have Seen His Glory.” 2. Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord. He responded in three ways: first, he confessed his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of his people; second, he received the forgiveness of God; and third, he committed his life to communicating the message of God to the lost with His famous words, “Here am I send me.” 3. In the book that bears his name Isaiah works to reveal the glory of God to others. I am convinced that when we see God’s glory we will be driven to an intense awareness of our sinfulness. We will be moved to humility in acceptance of the forgiveness God makes available to us. And we will willingly commit our lives to His work of seeking and saving the lost by proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. 4. We have seen His glory in His judgment against sin; in His great power to bring comfort; in the Kingdom that He promised us; in the manifestation of His grace in the coming of the Messiah. We have experienced His glory as He has made us His people . . . and now in this last lesson we will focus attention on the great banquet celebration that He has prepared for us, a celebration that surpasses all wedding celebrations in lavishness. 5. Read with me Isa. 25:6-9. Four things I would call to your attention from this text.Discussion:
I. The lavish banquet is for all peoples (25:6a).A. While the book of Isaiah is written primarily to the nation of Judah its message transcends this limitation.
1. God is not the God of Jews only (Rom.3:29).
2. Everywhere in Scripture we learn that God is concerned with others too.
a. “He gives to all people life and breath and all things. He made from one every nation of mankind.” Even Greek poets said, “In Him we live and move and exist.” (Acts 17:26-28).
b. God was concerned about the people of Ninevah and sent that Israelitish preacher Jonah to them.
c. Elijah was sent to a Sidonian widow in Zarephath (Lk. 4:26). And Elisha cleansed Naaman the Syrian of His leprosy (Lk. 4:26).
3. God brought judgment on all nations in Isaiah AND God has prepared a banquet for people from all nations. Isn’t this the message of Peter’s vision in Acts 10 of a banquet where God’s cleansing makes everyone holy? See vs. 34, 11:34.
4. Jesus, observing the faith of a Roman, envisioned men coming from the east and west and reclining at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 8:11).
B. Now listen as Jesus describes in parabolic form the kingdom of heaven as a wedding feast (Matt. 22:1-10).
1. The first invitation was sent. It was a glorious invitation (Isa. 55:1).
a. People were unwilling to come (Jews).
b. The invitation was repeated some paid no attention, others seized the messengers and mistreated and killed them.
2. The second invitation was sent to into the streets, to the evil and the good and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. What a glorious thing that I should be invited!
II. Second, the covering will be swallowed up, that is the veil stretched over all nations (25:7).A. Upon first reading what this veil is may be veiled to you.
B. Isa. 60:1-2 says that the glory of the Lord has risen upon Israel, but darkness covers the earth and deep darkness the peoples. Verse 3 states, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
1. These images of darkness, light, a veil covering the nations represent the ignorance that characterizes the nations.
2. They do not know the plan of God for themselves. But it is revealed through Israel. We have seen it in the coming Kingdom and the Messianic promises. Indeed it is the message of the glorious graciousness of God manifest to all mankind.
3. With the preaching of the kingdom of Christ darkness becomes light, the veil covering the plan of God is removed.
C. Paul describes it as the revelation of the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:1-10). In Eph. 4:18 he referred to the Gentiles as “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.”
D. In 2 Cor. 3:7ff he compared the ministry of Moses and the ministry of the Spirit. He said the ministry of the Spirit came with a glory that would not fade away. In chapter 4:3ff he said, “If our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord . . . For God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
E. In 2 Tim. 1:9-10 he added, “God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
F. It is the message of the gospel that lifts the veil of ignorance and reveals the great plan of God for our redemption. It enlightens us of the grace of God and invites us to the lavish banquet that He has prepared for us, His people. Oh that all would believe it that they might be transferred from the kingdom of darkness and into His marvelous light.
III. But back in Isa. 25:8 there is a third truth. God will swallow up death for all time and wipe tears away from all faces.A. Death is our enemy. Paul says it is the last enemy that will be abolished (1 Cor. 15:26).
B. In 1 Cor. 15 he connects our victory over death with the great theme of resurrection through Jesus Christ.
1. Christ’s resurrection is a matter of first importance (3-4).
2. Why is it important? It is the surety of our resurrection and victory over death (12-19).
3. When Christ returns death will be abolished (20-27). Do you see the glory of God in that? By His great power He has graciously granted life to all those who trust Him as did Abraham who willing sacrificed Isaac considering that “God is able to raise people even from the dead” (Heb. 11:19).
4. We have trusted Him to raise us to spiritual life in baptism (Col. 2:12). We trust Him to raise us to life when Christ returns. There is a great day coming, ladies and gentlemen, when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth. Listen as Paul describes it: “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (2 Thess. 13:16-18).
5. He continues in 1 Cor. 15:50-57.
C. John saw a new heaven and a new earth. He brings the wedding images to bear again on our thinking. Listen as he describes it (Rev. 21:1-4).
1. Recall the invitation that has gone out.
2. Today is the day of the great wedding feast.
3. Mourning has turned into rejoicing. The bridegroom has returned.
IV. Isa. 25:9 says, “It will be said in that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”A. In Rev. 19:7 John heard a voice from the throne saying, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Then the voice said to John, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (Rev. 19:9).
B. Do these words not thrill your soul? Thus the glory of God is revealed: His great power; His kindness and compassion; His great love for His people and that is who you are! If we are not moved to serve Him by these great expectations . . . If we are not moved to invite others to the feast we have not yet seen His glory! But if we have we cannot but serve Him. Like Isaiah we must say, “Here am I, send Me.”
C. And so in humble service we wait. As Paul said in Phil. 3:20-21: “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
Conclusion:
1. You are invited to the greatest wedding of all time. 2. How are you responding to the invitation? 3. All things are ready. Will you come to the feast?
