June 29, 2021
What does it say?
The Lord will repay Israel for her sins but will not destroy them all. Those who serve Him will live in the new Heaven and Earth, where pain and sorrow do not exist.
What does it mean?
God’s hands are referenced three times in chapter 65. First, He graciously reached out to His people in love. Then His hand enabled Assyria and Babylon to carry out His judgment. The third time tells that God’s hands will one day create a new Heaven and a new Earth. While Isaiah doesn’t provide a physical description (Rev. 21), he does describe what life will be like in a world without sin and evil. People will enjoy meaningful work, just as before mankind disobeyed God. Even the nature of the animal world will be transformed. Anything that previously caused pain or sorrow will no longer exist, nor will it be remembered. God and His people will have perfect communion together.
How should I respond?
It’s hard to imagine a world with no sorrow. Our experiences on Earth have been tainted completely by the effects of sin on people, animals, and nature itself. But that’s not how God created the world to be. What has caused you pain and grief? One day it will be gone and forgotten if you are a follower of Christ. How does this passage change how you see the world and the people you come across today? Which friends or family members do you need to tell about Jesus so they, too, will be part of this glorious future?