Day 86: December 18, 2025 – Isaiah 16-20 and Psalm 144

We know from Abraham to this day that the people of God have always been defined as the Israelites, those whom God chose to carry out his purposes and that the Messiah would come from the family of David. Now, with Jesus we know that this covenant with God’s people has been expanded to all people regardless of nationality or ethnicity. But this is a concept that comes from the New Testament. Here in Isaiah it is surprising to me to hear of the prophet speaking of Egypt and Assyria as blessed by God and as worshipping God in a similar fashion as to how Israel worship God, with sacrifices.

The day that all nations shall stream to the Lord is seen as a culmination of the fulfilment of prophecy that only the Messiah is able to bring about. We see that this prophecy is fulfilled today because all nations have remnants who worship the Lord through Jesus Christ the Messiah. But it is still strange to hear of other nations in the Old Testament carrying on as if they were the people of God. But this is a sign that even back then, all of creation was made to worship God.