This prophecy, spoken before the Assyrian invasion, shows that this seemingly unstoppable army will in fact be stopped. Those who did the plundering will be plundered and will be dealt with treacherously by others.
Isaiah 33:2 Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter.
In light of the Assyrian threat and the longed-for deliverance of a righteous king, God’s people no longer look to the Egyptians, they no longer look to themselves. Now, they look to the LORD, and cry out, “O LORD, be gracious to us.”
God’s people have a confident expectation in the LORD. Their prayer is filled with wonderful expectancy.
God Dwells On High (Isaiah 33:5-12)
Isaiah 33:5-6 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with His justice and righteousness. He will be teh sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
In these verses, Isaiah describes the exalted God and the defeated enemy. The destroyed nations will be scattered like bugs; their political power, peace treaties and alliances will be worthless.
The Lord replaces the people's fear and dread with justice and stability.
Isaiah is prophesying about the temporary victory God gave Jerusalem over the Assyrians and the final, eternal victory that is still to come.
In Isaiah 33:6, we read that "…the fear of the LORD is Zion's treasure." Hezekiah, the king of Judah, sent treasure to Assyria to try to prevent attack. He even stripped the gold from the doors of the temple to buy security. (2 Kings 18:15-16) But God wants His people to know that His presence with them is the greatest treasure of all. Hezekiah's treasure failed to stop the Assyrian threat, but the treasure of God's presence will never fail.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have a rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
God Dwells with the Righteous (Isaiah 33:13-16)
Isaiah 33:13 - 16 "You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power!....Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" Those who walk righteously and speak what is right......
There i a final and eternal victory to come. God is a consuming fire. Who can dwell in Hiis presence? Those who have been made righteous through Jesus!
We are not the righteous man described in Isaiah 33:15-16, but Jesus was righteous on our behalf. Because we've been washed clean by His blood shed for us, we're qualified in Christ to dwell with God forever. (Colossians 1:12; Revelation 7:13-17)
Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
The writer to the Hebrews reiterates, warning the Hebrews to worship God with reverence and awe “for our God is a consuming fire.” There is nothing mysterious about the Hebrew and Greek words translated “consuming fire.” They mean exactly that—a fire that utterly consumes or destroys. How, then, can a loving and merciful God also be a consuming fire that utterly destroys? READ MORE
God's People Dwell Forever Secure (Isaiah 33:17-24)
As the people of Jerusalem heard Isaiah's words, a merciless army was before their eyes. But one day, their "eyes will behold the king in his beauty" (Isaiah 33:17). They will no longer see enemies before them. They will see a Jerusalem that is safe and secure because the merciful King of kings lives there. (Isaiah 33:19-22)
The beauty of this promise is that it lasts forever. When God gives small, temporary victories, let's be reminded of His ultimate victory and the eternity we will spend in His presence. This is our hope as we face our fiercest enemies: The Lord who dwells on high also dwells with His people.