Isaiah’s Judgments and the Psalms
Our readings begin with the "burden of Damascus" and God's judgments upon that city. Then to the land of the rustling of wings, which many take to be the United States of America. Then the burden of Egypt, of Philistia, of the wilderness, of the valley of vision, of Tyre. Then from the destruction and judgments upon these various nations, sections, peoples, the prophet carries us forward to the judgments of God upon the earth, when the earth shall be "utterly emptied" and "utterly spoiled," when all the wicked upon the earth "shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit," and shall be shut up in the prison "many days," evidently the thousand years of Revelation 20. Following this is the prophet's expression of confidence in God, the refuge and strength of His children. The prophet looks forward even to the resurrection as set forth in Isa. 26:19, a clear, strong refutation of the doctrine that the resurrection is not taught in the Old Testament. Chapter 28 is a strong reproof against the ten-tribe kingdom of Samaria, and then looks forward to the time again when Christ shall reign. Psalms 54, 55, and 56 are a good conclusion to the week's reading. These, as well as those of the previous week, are largely personal experience psalms, and those that ought to take strong grip of the hearts of devout readers.