Isaiah 26:3

‘“You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast
in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.”’
(Isaiah 26:3)

The prophet Isaiah lived in troubling times for the people of ‘Judah’(Isaiah 1:1). The mighty ‘“Assyria”’(Isaiah 8:7) was an imminent threat. In fact, the Assyrians decimated the northern kingdom of ‘Israel’(2 Kings 17:6) during Isaiah’s time, and made significant incursions into ‘Judah’(2 Kings 18:13) too, although the king of Assyria ‘departed’(2 Kings 19:36) after God prevented him from taking Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Isaiah prophesied about more troubling times ahead, i.e. the Jews later exile ‘“‘to Babylon’”’(Isaiah 39:6, cf. 2 Kings 25).

However, Isaiah’s prophesies saw well beyond those near-term events, most famously to when the world would see a ‘“virgin… conceive, and bear a son… Immanuel”’(Isaiah 7:14), meaning ‘“God with us”’(Matthew 1:23, cf. John 1:14), a ‘“Holy Spirit”’(Luke 1:35) conceived ‘son… called… Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’(Isaiah 9:6), who amazingly would be ‘pierced for our transgressions’(Isaiah 53:5). He even saw beyond our present age that followed, into eternity itself. That’s where this study verse is rooted, in more ways than one, in what’s been called the Isaiah apocalypse, which describes things later recounted in John’s book of ‘Revelation’(Revelation 1:1). So, alongside the earth being completely laid ‘waste… and… burned’(Isaiah 24:1-6ff., cf. 2 Peter 3:10ff.), like a city ‘left in desolation’(Isaiah 24:12, cf. Revelation 18), Isaiah foresees God reigning in glory ‘on Mount Zion… in Jerusalem’(Isaiah 24:23, cf. Revelation 21:1ff.), providing a ‘feast’(Isaiah 25:6) for a ‘great multitude’(Revelation 19:6ff.), when misery and death have been abolished ‘forever! The Lord… will wipe away tears from… all faces’(Isaiah 25:8, cf. Revelation 21:4).

That’s where the focus of this study verse lies, which forms part of a ‘song’(Isaiah 26:1) for God’s people to sing when eventually there. However, reflecting on it can give us encouragement and ‘“peace”’ of mind even now, as we wait.

The next verse describes God Himself as our ‘“everlasting Rock”’(Isaiah 26:4), who we’re to trust forever, His rock-like presence being the key thing about ‘Mount Zion’(Hebrews 12:22) in this heavenly ‘New Jerusalem’(Revelation 21:2), described in the verses preceding as ‘“a strong city… salvation for walls”’(Isaiah 26:1), through whose gates only ‘“the righteous… the one which keeps faith”’(Isaiah 26:2, cf. Habakkuk 2:4 & Romans 1:17) may enter, i.e. those righteous ‘through faith’(Romans 3:22). As Zechariah prophesied later, God will be ‘“‘a wall of fire around it, and… the glory in the middle’”’(Zechariah 2:5ff.) – the ‘city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb’(Revelation 21:23, cf. Revelation 14:1), i.e. ‘Jesus’(John 1:29), it’s inhabitants being those washed ‘“in the Lamb’s blood”’(Revelation 7:14ff.), through ‘faith’(Romans 3:25).

We’re to fix our minds there, even now, looking to these ‘things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God’(Colossians 3:1ff.), in a city ‘whose builder… is God’(Hebrews 11:10), imagining ourselves as inhabitants of this ‘better country, that is, a heavenly one’(Hebrews 11:16), because even now ‘our citizenship’(Philippians 3:20) is there – subjects of this otherworldly ‘Kingdom that can’t be shaken’(Hebrews 12:28).

So, we’re to dwell in this reality. Here ‘we don’t have… an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come’(Hebrews 13:14), looking not to the ‘things which are seen, but… the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal’(2 Corinthians 4:18), things ‘“which an eye didn’t see”… But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit’(1 Corinthians 2:9-10). It’s the Spirit who gives us this vision, draws us in, and fills us with the rock solid deep ‘assurance’(1 Thessalonians 1:5, cf. Romans 8:16ff.) that it’s all certain and true, and that Jesus really has gone to ‘“prepare a place”’(John 14:2, cf. Ephesians 1:13-14) for us there. So let’s pray for such spiritual ‘eyes… that… know… the hope of His calling’(Ephesians 1:18ff.), dwell there, and find ‘“peace”’.

It’s from such a perspective that we’ll find the ‘“perfect peace”’ at the core of this study verse (and sequence of four verses it’s from), an untroubled ‘“heart”’(John 14:1) even in the midst of the inevitable ‘“trouble”’(John 16:33) we’ll face in this world. It’s a peace encircled by this steadfast trust in God and His promises, sealed by the Spirit of ‘peace’(Galatians 5:22), and accompanied by this unshakable confidence that we needn’t be ‘“fearful”’(John 14:27), because our Lord is directing our ‘paths’(Proverbs 3:6, cf. Isaiah 26:7-9) into His ‘heavenly Kingdom’(2 Timothy 4:18, cf. Psalm 84:5-7). Meanwhile, consciously tethered to the heavenly presence of God like this, as citizen ‘ambassadors’(2 Corinthians 5:20), we might even convey the ‘aroma’(2 Corinthians 2:15) of this peace abroad.

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