Isaiah 33:17-24: a reflection

17Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land. 18Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers? 19You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can’t comprehend, with a strange language that you can’t understand. 20Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken. 21But there the LORD will be with us in majesty, a place of wide rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there. 22For the LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD is our king. He will save us. 23Your rigging is untied. They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn’t spread the sail. Then the prey of a great plunder was divided. The lame took the prey. 24The inhabitant won’t say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.

In the midst of a troubled time, the prophet holds out to God's people a hope that lifts their eyes: Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. Beyond the fear and the ruin around them, a day is coming when they will behold the King in his beauty, dwell in a secure and quiet Zion, and be forgiven their iniquity. For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. The hope set before them is not merely relief from trouble, but the sight of the King himself in his beauty, the God who is their judge, lawgiver, and king, and who will save them. To see the King in his beauty is the hope that lifts their eyes above the present distress; the longing is not only for rescue but for the sight of God himself.

Notice the hope held out: to see the King in his beauty. It is not only rescue from trouble that is promised, though that is there; it is the sight of the King himself, beheld in his beauty. Beyond the terror and ruin of the present, the people are promised that their eyes will see the King, will behold God himself, their judge and lawgiver and king who saves them. This is the deepest hope: not merely better circumstances, but the sight of God, the King in his beauty. To behold him is the longing that lifts the eyes above the present distress. The hope set before God's people is the King himself, seen at last in his beauty, and a secure dwelling in his presence. The sight of God is the hope that outshines every present trouble.

That is worth resting in, for the hope set before us is to see the King in his beauty, to behold God himself. In troubled times, we can long only for relief, for our circumstances to improve; but the deepest hope held out to God's people is greater than better circumstances: it is to see the King in his beauty, to behold God himself, our judge and lawgiver and king who saves us. This hope lifts our eyes above the present distress to the sight of God. When present troubles press, lift your eyes to the hope of seeing the King in his beauty, of beholding God himself. Rest your hope on seeing the King in his beauty, on beholding God himself who is your judge and lawgiver and king and will save you, as the prophet promised that your eyes will see the king in his beauty; for the deepest hope set before us is not merely relief from our troubles but the sight of God himself, the King beheld at last in his beauty, and this hope lifts our eyes above every present distress to the God who saves us.

Lord, in the midst of a troubled time, the prophet holds out to your people a hope that lifts their eyes: your eyes will see the king in his beauty. Beyond the fear and the ruin around them, a day is coming when they will behold the King in his beauty, dwell in a secure and quiet Zion, and be forgiven their iniquity. For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. The hope set before them is not merely relief from trouble, but the sight of the King himself in his beauty, the God who is their judge, lawgiver, and king, and who will save them. Show me the hope held out: to see the King in his beauty. It is not only rescue from trouble that is promised, though that is there; it is the sight of the King himself, beheld in his beauty. Beyond the terror and ruin of the present, your people are promised that their eyes will see the King, will behold you yourself, their judge and lawgiver and king who saves them. This is the deepest hope: not merely better circumstances, but the sight of you, the King in his beauty. Let me rest in that, for the hope set before me is to see the King in his beauty, to behold you yourself. In troubled times, I can long only for relief, for my circumstances to improve; but the deepest hope held out to your people is greater: it is to see the King in his beauty, to behold you, my judge and lawgiver and king who saves me. When present troubles press, help me lift my eyes to the hope of seeing the King in his beauty, Lord, of beholding you yourself, who will save us.