Land that is Very Far Off Isaiah 33

Isaiah 33:17 "Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off."

For those scattered and in captivity, this verse must have been a promise they kept in their hearts. At least some of them, those who came back to rebuild the wall for sure.

Those who have taken advantage of the weak will have their judgment day.

v2 "Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee."

Israel was rare (and is so now), they worshipped the one true God and there was a time when they exalted Him. For a time, this was not the case and trouble has come to the nation.

v5 "The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness."

He is high and lifted up but people need to acknowledge it. Our belief or non belief does not change his position but it certainly changes ours.

v9 "The earth mourneth and lanquisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits."

But there is hope in the Lord. Once the hearts of the people are changed. After judgment has turned the people from idols, then the good times come.

v10 "Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself."

Imagine being taken from your homeland by people who do not understand your pleas for mercy. You tell them of your child who is lost in the crowd but they ignore you. They have no mercy or feelings and even if they did they did not understand your words.

v19 "Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand."

After judgment, then a new day.

v21 "But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. v21 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us."

Trouble now but joy is to follow.

Zephaniah 3:8 "Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy."