July 16 – Reading 197

july 16 – Reading 197

by Marcia Rainey | July 16

“WHEN ENEMIES BECOME WORSHIPPERS”
(Isaiah 18:1-19:25; 21:1-17)

In that day… the Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and the Assyrians will worship together. – Isaiah 19:24-25

During World War I, on Christmas Eve in 1914, an extraordinary moment of peace broke out along parts of the Western Front. British and German soldiers, entrenched in brutal conflict, paused their fighting. As darkness fell, German troops began singing “Stille Nacht“—“Silent Night”—and the melody drifted across no man’s land. British soldiers responded by singing in English. By Christmas morning, both sides cautiously emerged from the trenches, exchanged small gifts like chocolate and cigarettes, and even played soccer. 

Isaiah 18–21 describes the downfall of mighty nations and a future where enemy nations, both Jewish and Gentile, worship God together. Cush, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Edom, and Arabia—all powerful nations/empires in their day—will be brought low by the sovereign hand of God in response to their pride and idolatry. Thus, they fall not by accident, but by divine decree. 

God’s sovereignty and justice shook Isaiah’s world, and it will do so again. The immediate threat to Isaiah and his nation Judah was the Assyrian army. Their defeat came from the Babylonian campaign in 612 BC. In Isaiah 21, the fall of Babylon is declared with urgency: “Babylon has fallen, has fallen!” Characteristics of the Babylonian Empire included highly religious people worshipping many gods, child sacrifice, rampant sexual immorality, military superiority, materialism and luxurious living, high regard for “wisdom” and knowledge, and pride. Do these characteristics seem familiar to you? I think it describes American culture remarkably accurately. The downfall of the Babylonian Empire came about in 539 BC. However, this prophetic cry of Babylon’s destruction is echoed in Revelation 14:8 and 18:2, where Babylon symbolizes all the corrupt, prideful world systems in rebellion against God. 

Yet, even God’s final judgment of sin, idolatry, and pride is not the end of the story. In the wake of God’s final judgment, peace unfolds—not a fragile, temporary truce as occurred during WWI on Christmas Eve 1914, but an eternal peace. Isaiah glimpsed a future where people from many nations worship God together. Revelation 21 and 22 describe the coming New Jerusalem, commonly called heaven, that is established after God’s final judgment. In the New Jerusalem, there is no warfare, conflict, striving, curse, sickness, or pain. Rather, a kingdom of eternal peace and healing where people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, including former enemies, dwell joyfully in His presence forever. May Your kingdom come!

Simple Truth:
God humbles nations in His justice and raises up worshipers in His mercy.

Reflections:

1. Am I trusting in earthly power or political strength more than in the sovereignty of God over the nations?

    

2. How does the story of peace on the battlefield challenge my own response to conflict and division?

    

3. Am I willing to believe that God can transform conflict into worship? What situations from my life give testimony to this transformation? Where do I need this in my life now? 

Application:

1. Declare your allegiance to God’s kingdom above all others.

    

2. Pray intentionally for unreached people groups and persecuted believers around the world, asking God to fulfill His promise to gather worshippers from every nation. Click here to see a world map of unreached people groups with country information and prayer requests for each unreached people group. Click here to see Open Door’s ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.

    

3. Consider seeking reconciliation if there’s someone you’ve held at a distance—asking for God’s redemptive power to work through your humility as you extend grace and forgiveness with His help and guidance.  

Closing Prayer…
Heavenly Father, there is none like You! You bring down the proud and lift up the humble. I stand in awe of your justice and mercy that transforms enemies into worshippers and strangers into family in Your kingdom. Forgive me when I trust in worldly power more than Your sovereign hand. Empower me to be an agent of reconciliation, hope, and worship. May your glory and Your name be made known in every nation, tribe, and tongue. May Your kingdom come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.