Isaiah 27:1

I can't help but wonder if the mythical creature Leviathan is in actuality Satan. In Job 41, God spends a whole chapter talking about the Leviathan. But it is the last two verses that makes me wonder about the relation between Leviathan and Satan. "On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride"(vv33-34, ESV).

The Psalms also speak of Leviathan. Psalm 74:14 says, "You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness" (ESV). A verse which seems to parallel this one is Genesis 3:15 which says, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (NIV).

Revelation 12 talks about dragon coming from the sea.

Now I am not saying the Leviathan is another name for Satan. Maybe Leviathan just used symbolically to describe him. I don't know. But I found it rather interesting.

It ultimately doesn't really matter which it is. What is important to note here is this: Satan is NOT a mythical creature. He is VERY really and must not be forgotten or taken lightly.

However, despite all the power that he may have, that simple fact remains that the living God will, in the end completely destroy him, and along with him, all evil. The LORD God will triumph. Evil will one day be destroyed. And for that I am thrilled.

In the meantime, I will wait expectantly for God, remembering the that "[Our] adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8. ESV).

Isaiah 26:20-21

At first glance this passage appeared to be about God's fury. And when I first read it, I asked myself the question, "Can anything positive and happy be found here?" After reading it several more times, I was able to answer "yes."

Verse 21 briefly describes how great the LORD'S fury will be at the end of this age. But verse 2o shows how much love he has for his people. Through Isaiah, he warns them of his coming wrath, but also gives them time to hide safely from it.

God is capable great fury and wrath, but his love and compassion always come first. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

Isaiah 26:16-19

Verse 19, quite honestly, left me a little bewildered. Yet for some reason, it grabs my attention. perhaps it's the beauty, the poetry. Though I don't fully understand it, I can't help but wonder if this verse is referring to the resurrection of the saints talked about in 1 Thessalonians and Revelation.

In any case, it is verse 18 that I wish to point to today. "We were pregnant, we writhed, but we gave birth to wind" (v. 18a, ESV). This picture seems to illustrate the futility of man when he attempts to do things on his own apart from God. Even though this passage is referring to God's chosen people, all mankind, and especially Christians, can learn from this. For God cannot be limited.

The second half of verse 18 reinforces the illustration. Only God can deliver people. Only God can bring down the enemy. Without God, man is nothing. "Apart from [God] man can do nothing" (John 15:5, ESV).