Isaiah 25:1-9 (ESV)

1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. 2 For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners’ palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. 4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, 5 like heat in a dry place. You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down. 6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. 9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Intro: For most of us, tyranny is not part of our daily life …

WHAT IS THE TENSION?
What is the threat of tyranny vs. the beauty of freedom?

WHO IS THE VICTOR?
How has the LORD worked to overthrow all oppression?

WHAT HAPPENS TO HIS PEOPLE?
What happens when the LORD takes away death?

YOU CAN PRAY WITH US …
1 - Praise the LORD for His almighty goodness and final victory over all evil. Praise Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that He is kind to deliver us from sin’s oppression and faithful to overthrow all pride and evil.

2 - How have you been blind to your slavery to sin and self? Confess your pride to Jesus, asking Him to cleanse you by His death, and to free you by His resurrection power.

3 - Give thanks to Jesus for His delivering work. Thank Him for bearing the load of your guilt to take away your reproach (by His death) and swallowing up death forever (by His resurrection).

4 - Pray for someone that you know is needy. Ask the Lord to be to them a shelter or a shade from oppression. Ask Him also to provide for them and also to move you to help them however you can.

5 - Ask the Spirit to bear in you His fruit of love and joy. Pray for His work to secure you in Jesus so firmly that you can confidently share the reason for your hope in Him.