The Everlasting Covenant (Isaiah 24:5)
“The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.”
The twenty-fourth chapter of Isaiah opens with a detailing of a future judgment. Verse two employs a set of contrasts (high social status versus low social status) to display that no one, regardless of their social or religious position, will be held exempt, based upon external standards.[1] The basis of this judgment is that “they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant” (Isa. 24:5).[2] Throughout the Old Testament, man has been witness to a variety of destructive judgments, the basis for them is often that man has violated at least one of the covenants that God has established between Himself and man.[3]
Within the Old Testament, there are five major covenants that are either established or prophesied (New Covenant; Jer. 31). Of these, there are only three that may be the topic of Isaiah 24—Noahic (Gen. 9), Abrahamic (Gen. 12), or the Mosaic (Ex. 19). While the Mosaic covenant was delivered with the language of interlocution of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience (which matches well with judgment language here in Isaiah)[4], this covenant is not likely to be in the author’s mind, here. The Mosaic covenant was primarily made between God and the people of the Exodus[5], however, Isaiah has the entire world in mind in Isaiah 24. While the Abrahamic covenant does find relation with all peoples, in that the people descended from Abraham would be a blessing to the nations, this covenant was not delivered with stipulations for Abraham, or his descents, that were to be followed. Furthermore, the Noahic covenant was also devoid of stipulations.[6] Abraham and Noah both received unconditional promises from the Lord that He would be with Abraham and that He would not, for a second time, destroy the earth by flood. Thus, Isaiah must be referring to something that is even more basic than this.
Perhaps, this “everlasting covenant” finds its origin from the very beginning of creation, when the Lord decided to create an image bearer for Himself (Gen. 1:26-27). In this act, God created a being that was separate, distinct, and more highly prized than all of His other creative acts. In other words, creation, itself, serves as a type of covenant between God and all of humanity that He is the source and sustainer of human life.[7] Since man serves as the image bearer of the Creator, this carries with it stipulations. One of these stipulations was laid out specifically in the Lord’s directions for Noah’s extended family that served as the biological origin of humanity, within the postdiluvian age. “And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man…(sic) Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Gen. 9:5a-6). In short, this was a command to recognize a certain level of morality. However, most do not need to read this verse to recognize the existence of this most basic covenant, as we know that murder and the abuse of our fellow man is wrong—we come prepackaged with this morality.
This was something that God, apparently, expected of humanity from the very beginning, as well. Genesis 6 clues us in that the basis for God’s judgment of the whole earth, via the Flood, was that “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Noah was spared because he was unlike them, he “walked with God” (Gen. 6:9); in other words, his heart was not filled with violence. Genesis 9:5-6 teaches us that this stipulation is expected of all men, at all times, even today. Furthermore, this apocalyptic judgment of Isaiah 24-27 is one that will take place sometime in the future, likely during the eschaton. Thus, the Lord will judge many because they violated this everlasting covenant, just like the antediluvian generations had and were judged for it. This seems to be what Isaiah is alluding to with, “For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain” (Isa. 26:21).
A Tale of Two Cities (Isaiah 25:2 & 26:1)
“For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners’ palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.”
“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: ‘We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.'”
Within these verses, Isaiah sets up a contrast between a fortified city (which will be viewed as representing the enemies of God, at all times) and a strong city (which will be viewed as pointing to the New Zion of the eschaton). The former city will be judged, “on that day,” while the latter city will be preserved and will take part in the eschatological renewal of God’s people.
The Fortified City
The twenty-fifth chapter continues the discussion of judgment, that was begun in Isaiah 24. It begins with a song of praise to the Lord, for He is about to act against “the fortified city”. Verse two reads, “For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners’ palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt” (Isa. 25:2). This city is also mentioned much later, “For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness… (sic) For this is a people without discernment; therefore, he who made them will not have compassion on them; he who formed them will show them no favor” (Isa. 27:10a, 11b).
The city in the previous scripture passage is likely to be representative of the part of the world that is living in opposition to God.[8] Evidence for this can be found in the concluding verses in the previous chapter. Verses 21c-22 relates how, “the kings of the earth,” will be gathered into one group and punished. This refers to the heads of the various governments and kingdoms that have been and will be opposed to the Lord. In the next verse, Isaiah speaks of how the Lord will shame the moon and sun. What Isaiah is most likely referring to is not the actual celestial bodies, but how man has used them as objects of worship and reverence. What Isaiah is describing is that the people that are being judged, will look to their false-objects of worship, but they will not be able to provide hope, help, or answers. They will be confounded and put to shame. This conferral of shame relates to a loss of honor, hence a loss of value within the group that reveres them.
In stark contrast to what the Lord will do to the false systems of worship, “the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders” (Isa. 24:23b). What Isaiah is telling his audience is that, while false-idols are being shamed, the Lord, the true object of all worship, will see to it that His honor is magnified. The Lord will not be put to shame. The opening verse of the twenty-fifth chapter begins a song of praise to God for what he is doing to false-systems of worship. This praise serves as a bridge between his judgment of opposing kings (24:21-22), the shaming of false worship (24:23), and the ruining of “the fortified city” (25:2). It is quite likely that this first city is linked to Moab, “…and Moab shall be trampled down in a dunghill” (Isa. 25:10b). It could be that Moab and the first city are synonymous in that they are both representative of the enemies of God and His people.[9] Evidence for this linking is found within verse 12, “And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down” (Isa. 25:12a). In essence, these people were depending upon their own might, will, and abilities to protect them. They are a self-honoring people, who constantly attempt to put the Lord to shame (deliberately, or otherwise). However, in His judgment, the Lord displays His power and might over them. The Lord’s honor is preserved and His judgments are justified.
The Strong City
This city is inhabited by those who have patiently waited upon the Lord to vindicate Himself and His people (Isa. 26:8). We know that these people belong to God because of its walls, “he sets up salvation” (Isa. 26:1), those who are allowed to enter it have kept “faith” (Isa. 26:2), and they have placed their trust in the Lord “forever” (Isa. 26:3-4). In other words, all within this city shall be saved “on that day” of God’s eschatological judgment. This city, then, is representative of the New Zion, the New Jerusalem, that God will reveal on the last day.[10] Throughout the bulk of the twenty-sixth chapter, we encounter verse after verse, in which the inhabitants of the strong city are praising the Lord for his judgments, or extolling how they patiently waited in trust for His apocalypse and their deliverance, therein.
Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1)
“In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.”
The modern interpreter of the Old Testament must not make the mistake of assuming that God’s chosen people fully understood the world and the cosmos. In general, they knew only what was revealed to them. Therefore, it should not be surprising that God would have spoken to His people using language, pictures, and terminology that was within their scope of understanding. His primary concern was in communicating who He was and how they were to live in relationship to Him. It will be pointed out that God’s people shared the language and understanding of many mythic tales of the Ancient Near East (ANE) peoples. It must be remembered that God put together a nation for Himself from a group of former slaves to the Egyptians. After spending over four-hundred-and-fifty years in captivity in Egypt, it is not a great leap to assume that the various theologies and stories, therein, would have influenced them.[11]
Ancient Near East (ANE) Myth
In the ANE, mythic language served a very important function. For these people, it was the tool in which their worldviews were communicated and transferred to each generation. It was the way that they attempted to explain who they were, where they came from, and the beginnings of things. For these people, the mechanisms of the natural world were easily explained by the actions of specific gods who inhabited and acted in a specific area—hills, mountain, caves, rivers, oceans, etc.[12] Thus, when sailors were transporting cargo across the Mediterranean, any adverse meteorological condition was easily explained by attributing it to an angry and malevolent god.
While it is not likely that the ancient Israelites recognized and accepted these explanations, it is possible-to-likely that they influenced their thinking. Longman contends that the Lord took advantage of this aspect of their thinking by defending His honor and position in the cosmos by presenting himself in stark contrast to Egyptian and Mesopotamian ideas of creation in the first three chapters of Genesis.[13] When one compares the creation account in Genesis to that of creation myths of the ANE, a number of conceptual comparisons become apparent—i.e. chaotic beginnings, primal conditions, the sea, and sea creatures.[14]
Chaos and Day Five of Creation (Genesis 1:20-23)
Within the fifth day of Creation, a sentence of note is, “So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm” (Gen. 1:21a). In the world of the twenty-first century, “great sea creatures,” seems to obviously point to organisms, such as great white sharks, whale sharks, blue whales, etc. However, the Hebrew word that was used here (tanninim) did not communicate this meaning within the world of the ancient Israelite. Instead, its usage was often employed to discuss the sea monsters that were associated with chaos.[15]
In the mythos of Canaanite and Ugaritic literature, tannin was also used to describe a chaos monster.[16] Furthermore, there were several specific designations for classes of chaos monsters within these traditions. Tannin could refer to Yamm, a monster of the chaotic sea; Lotan was also another of these monsters of the sea. In Ugaritic literature, the chaotic sea and the rivers have secondary names, one of them is, “Dragon.”[17] Alike the ANE mythic accounts, chaos is associated with the sea in Creation, “without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep” (Gen. 1:2). Furthermore, secondary names for chaos monsters can also be found in Old Testament scriptures.
Chaos and the Chaos Monsters of Job
In Job, there are a few references to chaos and associated chaos monsters. In chapter 3, in his distress, Job cries out, “Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan” (Job 3:8). In chapter 26:7-14, there are several references to chaos elements: “the void” (v. 7), “the waters” (v. 8, 10), “the sea” and “Rahab” (v. 12), and “the fleeing serpent” (v. 13). In Job 40, the Lord states, “Behold, Behemoth, which I made” (Job 40:15). In these passages, the Lord and Job are describing acts of creation performed by God. In doing so, we have revealed to us chaos monsters (Behemoth, Leviathan, Serpent, and Rahab) and elements of chaos (sea, the waters, void) that were present during Creation. “Rahab” is often synonymous with “Ancient Serpent.”[18] Furthermore these names, as well as the chaos elements are mentioned in Job for the sake of amplifying the power of God in either subduing them or defeating them. Also, within the tradition of ancient Israel, chaos and chaos elements weren’t used as metaphors to represent evil; they were recognized as real evil, actual things that were old enemies of the Creator as well as his image bearers.[19]
Isaiah 27: Putting it all Together
The opening verse of this chapter seems to come straight out of Day Five of Creation, the Book of Job, and John’s Apocalypse, “In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea” (Isa. 27:1). In Job, “Rahab” is synonymous with the “Ancient Serpent,” while in Isaiah, “Rahab” is synonymous with the “Dragon” (Isa. 51). In Isaiah 27, “Leviathan” is equated to the “Ancient Serpent”. Furthermore, Isaiah (30:7 and 51:9) points out that “Rahab” is an old enemy of God; one that has been attached to Egypt, Pharaoh, and Babylon.[20]
What does all this point to? Perhaps the New Testament will provide more clarity.
In Revelation 12:9 and 20:9, the Dragon and the Ancient Serpent both personify that great and ancient enemy of God and his people—Satan.[21] If this is the case, this raises an interesting question about when Satan rebelled and was cast out of heaven.
Traditional stories within Christianity often make it seem that Satan rebelled after Creation had occurred and merely showed up in the Garden as the serpent to tempt Adam into sin. Genesis pictures Creation as God creating order in the midst of chaos; essentially, subduing or defeating chaos. However, if chaos, elements of chaos, and chaos monsters are all known as ancient enemies of God, and if these personifications can be linked to Satan, this could mean that Creation was part of God’s battle with Satan.
Isaiah 27 speaks of God finally defeating Leviathan, who is also identified with the Ancient Serpent, in the eschaton. Getting to the point, all of the enemies of God will be finally and completely dealt with all at once in the events portrayed by Isaiah.
Bibliography
Day, John N. “God and Leviathan in Isaiah 27:1,” Bibliotheca Sacra 155 (Oct-Dec 1996): 423-36.
Frame, John M. The Doctrine of God: A Theology of Lordship. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002.
LaSor, William Sanford, Hubbard, David Allan, and Bush, Frederic William. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996.
Longman III, Tremper. How to Read Genesis. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005.
Matthews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary: Genesis 1-11:26. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1996.
Sandy, D. Brent. Plowshares & Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2002.
Walton, John H. The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.
Webb, Barry G. The Message of Isaiah. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1997.
Endnotes
[1] Barry G. Webb, The Message of Isaiah (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1997), Kindle electronic edition, location 1987.
[2] Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible: English Standard Version (ESV), Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2007.
[3] D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares & Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2002), 89-91.
[5] William Sanford LaSor, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996), 72-5.
[6] Kenneth A. Matthews, The New American Commentary: Genesis 1-11:26 (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1996), 62.
[7] John M. Frame, The Doctrine of God: A Theology of Lordship (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002), 102.
[11] John N. Day, “God and Leviathan in Isaiah 27:1,” Bibliotheca Sacra 155 (Oct-Dec 1996): 426.
[12] John H. Walton, The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 27.
[13] Tremper Longman III, How to Read Genesis (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 72-80.
From One Christian to Another 
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog?
My blog is in the very same niche as yours and my users would genuinely benefit from a
lot of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this okay with you.
Appreciate it!
Sure. Thank you.
Good Product and they loved the preparations.
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.