But the Lord will be to you an Everlasting Light

This chapter describes a time when the Gentile nations will know the God of Israel. But more than that, they will come in multitude to Zion and bring great wealth, perhaps as offerings. Their rulers and kings will also come to Jerusalem, and they will serve Israel. Their multitude and abundance they bring will be glorifying to God.

The speaker in this also reveals that He is the Saviour, Redeemer and Mighty One of Jacob. Then Gentiles will supply them, even with milk. There shall be no more wars. These seem to be describing the time when the Lord will reign on Earth. It describes that the Sun will not be the one providing light during the day. In fact the Lord's eternal light will provide them with light all day.



Isaiah 60
The Gentiles Bless Zion

1 Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba shall come;
They shall bring gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar,
And I will glorify the house of My glory.
8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
To bring your sons from afar,
Their silver and their gold with them,
To the name of the Lord your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel,
Because He has glorified you.
10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
And their kings shall minister to you;
For in My wrath I struck you,
But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
Instead of iron I will bring silver,
Instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace,
And your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Lord, Remember David

The psalmist recalls the exemplary way which David approached God. David is famously described as "after God's own heart". Here it mentions that David would not sleep until he finds God. So the psalmist encourages all to seek out the LORD in His tabernacle and the priests to be prepared. It establishes the LORD as the God of Israel who has a special relation with them, enabling them to be accessible to Him.

In the last part, God answers that He is in His resting place. He will bless his people with provision, especially the poor, give salvation to His people. The final verses may be a reference to the Messiah with words like "horn of David", "the Anointed" and "His crown shall flourish".


Psalm 132
The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
A Song of Ascents.

1 Lord, remember David
And all his afflictions;

2 How he swore to the Lord,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3 “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;

4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,

5 Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the woods.[a]

7 Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.

8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.

9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.

10 For Your servant David’s sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.

11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
“I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.

12 If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:

14 “This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17 There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.

18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

David Seeks God's Face

David starts of this Psalm with the great encouragement that the LORD is my light and salvation - so whom shall I fear? In other words, when the Mighty One of Jacob is our God, there is nothing else to be afraid of.

So David describes that no enemy army, nor wicked foes, nor wars would cause him to fear. He has set his sight on high - thinking about living with God. In times of trouble God will hide us in his secret place.

It is no wonder God describes as David as after His heart. David calls upon the mercy of God first and determines to seek God's face, to know Him, to be close to Him. He has full trust in God that even as earthly parents may forsake him, the LORD God will not forsake him.

As David pleads with God to teach him His ways so that he can withstand his numerous enemies and tribulations, one interesting verse is this: "That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living." Clearly David believes the blessings and goodness of God is also for this earthly life as well as for eternity.

Finally David ends the Psalm with an encouragement for each of us to: "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; "



Psalm 27

A Psalm of David.

 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
         Whom shall I fear?
         The LORD is the strength of my life;
         Of whom shall I be afraid?
 2 When the wicked came against me
         To eat up my flesh,
         My enemies and foes,
         They stumbled and fell.
 3 Though an army may encamp against me,
         My heart shall not fear;
         Though war may rise against me,
         In this I will be confident.
       
 4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,
         That will I seek:
         That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
         All the days of my life,
         To behold the beauty of the LORD,
         And to inquire in His temple.
 5 For in the time of trouble
         He shall hide me in His pavilion;
         In the secret place of His tabernacle
         He shall hide me;
         He shall set me high upon a rock.
       
 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
         Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
         I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
       
 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
         Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
 8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
         My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
 9 Do not hide Your face from me;
         Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
         You have been my help;
         Do not leave me nor forsake me,
         O God of my salvation.
 10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
         Then the LORD will take care of me.
       
 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
         And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
         For false witnesses have risen against me,
         And such as breathe out violence.
 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
         That I would see the goodness of the LORD
         In the land of the living.
       
 14 Wait on the LORD;
         Be of good courage,
         And He shall strengthen your heart;
         Wait, I say, on the LORD!