Isaiah 26:9, commentary and pictures

It is part of the song to be sung in the land of Judah by the righteous nation that keeps the truth, expressing a longing for God with the soul through the night and an inward resolve to seek Him early with the spirit. Its plain promise is that when His judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Favor shown to the wicked does not by itself teach them righteousness or lead them to regard His majesty, and the Flood shows the limit, for when its judgments were removed men rebelled again and refused His authority. Those judgments are now already in the earth and in the land and have begun to fall, sent to awaken men and calling for spiritual discernment of His hand in events that have become almost daily. This makes the present an urgent opportunity to give the entrusted warning quickly and plainly under the Holy Spirit, explaining the meaning of calamities, pointing sinners to salvation and preparation for the life to come, and pressing all to decide intelligently for the right while probation remains.

Setting and Seeking God

Isaiah 26:9 belongs to the song to be sung in the land of Judah in that day by the righteous nation which keeps the truth. It voices desire for God with the soul in the night and seeking Him early with the spirit within. That desire is a longing of the soul and an inward resolve to seek Him, continuing through the night and early in the day. In that same song it is declared that when God's judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

This seeking is connected with the preparation God provides by grace. That preparation is pardon and the removal of sins. Being thus pardoned and cleansed enables people to receive His Word and to practice it.

Judgments Teach Righteousness

When God's judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. That learning comes when His judgments are active upon the earth, not merely threatened, and it belongs to the song to be sung in the land of Judah in that day by the righteous nation which keeps the truth. The judgments are sent to awaken people, and God has a purpose in what He permits, so that the time when they are already in the earth becomes the time to give His warning message under the Holy Spirit's influence. People must then hear and understand the truth so they can make an informed choice while probation remains, exercising spiritual discernment to recognize His work in unusual events that have become almost daily occurrences.

By contrast, favor shown to the wicked does not necessarily teach them righteousness. Even when favor is shown, they still do not learn righteousness nor recognize God's majesty, as the contrast in verses 9-10 makes plain. The Flood illustrates the limit of what judgment by itself effects. After its judgments were removed, people rebelled again and rejected God's authority, showing that experiencing judgment did not ensure lasting obedience.

Warning While Judgments Fall

The verse announces a time now fulfilled in which God's judgments are already in the earth and in the land and have begun to fall. In that setting the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness when the entrusted warning is given quickly, line upon line and precept upon precept. Men will soon be forced to great decisions and must be given opportunity to understand the truth so they can take their stand intelligently on the right side.

God sends these judgments to awaken people and has a purpose in what He permits. People need spiritual discernment to recognize His work in unusual events that have become almost daily occurrences. The judgments create an urgent opportunity to give the entrusted warning message quickly under the Holy Spirit's influence, so people hear and understand the truth and can make an informed choice while probation remains. That work is to be done before probation closes.

Calamities that bring people to fear and seriousness create an opportunity to explain their meaning, warn of coming judgment, and point people to salvation and preparation for the future life, making it urgent to warn people now. Because those judgments are present, every soul must remember this. Preparation for the service of God is therefore to be done speedily in strictly Bible lines, with little said about degrees and long courses of study.

The presence of the judgments makes the present time urgent and calls people to recognize that the day of God is near. The fact that God's judgments are in the land now calls for work with whole-hearted fidelity, putting the whole being into helping others move forward and upward and pressing the battle to the gates. It calls for being ever ready to speak words of encouragement to the halting and the weary, walking with Christ as the only safe walk, letting nothing dampen courage, and helping everyone met to work with fidelity.