In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword— his fierce, great and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
In that day— “Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me.”
In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. Has the Lord struck her as he struck down those who struck her? Has she been killed as those were killed who killed her? By warfare and exile you contend with her— with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows.
By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like limestone crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing. The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the wilderness; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
In that day the Lord will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, Israel, will be gathered up one by one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
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Isaiah 27 offers yet another oracle promising the restoration of Israel after the Assyrian invasion and exile. Some Israelites fled from the Assyrians and took asylum in Egypt, but some were captured and held captive by the Assyrians. They were drug off to Nineveh, Damascus and other cities in the Assyrian empire. But God has promised to conquer the chaos that is Assyria and gather the refugees and exiles and bring them back to worship with Judah at the temple in Jerusalem.
Isaiah mentions the destruction of the ancient sea monster Leviathan. Babylonian myth speaks of the earth and seas being made from a great sea monster, Tiamat, slain by their god Marduk. Isaiah refers to a similar mythic beast. Leviathan represents the powers of chaos which stand against the order off the creator. Chaos does not wish to be contained, shaped, directed or made into anything. By nature chaos leads to dissolution, disorder, disfigurement and disaster.
The chaos caused by the Assyrians is monstrous to say the least. And I suspect Isaiah is referring to the political entity and its war machine, rather than mythic spiritual realities. Still, considering the previous chapter where God speaks of conquering death, I am moved by the mythic power of the Creator who harnessed the beast and pushed the dark waters of chaos aside to make a safe place for the earth and the heavens to exist, is once again slaying the monster and restoring order.
God unleashed this beast to execute His righteous anger and now that the penalties for sin are paid, God takes the monster down. It reminds me of InGen creating dinosaurs in its genetics labs, setting them loose to play in their theme park island, then realizing their mistake they send out a kill team to protect their customers. Except God is not correcting a fatal mistake. God has holy purposes in releasing chaos upon the world. It is to bring His people back to holy living, to resume their calling to be a light to the gentle world, so that the world might be filled with the knowledge of God.
God's vineyard is Israel. God jealously protects God's vineyard from thorns and weeds that would choke out the fruit of His holy nation. God consoles Israel. "I am not angry." God is saying through His prophet, "I am doing exactly what I promised in our covenant. If you are unfaithful to me, I will leave you to be devoured by enemies, wild beasts, disease and famine. You will no longer enjoy my protection or blessing, for I will not dwell among sinners. But when you repent and turn to me in humility and obedience I will restore you."
As fierce as God's anger burns against Israel's unfaithfulness, His steadfast love for them burns even hotter. God remains faithful even when His people do not. God intends to bless the world through holy community, through Israel keeping His righteous ways. Then perhaps the thorns and briars might make peace with God, the pagan nations like Assyria might come to revere the God of Israel.
Isaiah explains God's dealing with Israel quite clearly.
Isaiah 27:8 NIV
By warfare and exile you contend with her— with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows.
But after the smoke clears, the people will rise from their exile and return to the rubble of Jerusalem and rebuild both temple and city. And God's holy project will resume its mission to bless the world with the knowledge of God.
As a part of the church of Jesus Christ, I am included in this holy mission to bless the world through word and deed. I am called to holiness just like the Jews. In Christ I am joined to the vine Israel in God's vineyard. I am called to bear fruit, fruit that will bring glory to God. Sometimes the monster of chaos gets unleashed on me and I am humbled. Will I learn obedience and keep to my calling? And will I hope in the Lord for restoration?
John 15:8 NIV
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Lord, grant us grace to bear fruit for you.
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