NOTES for Isa 25:1-9

The middle of Great Lent is approaching, and today we therefore read the prophet Isaiah's words about God's victory. The prophet sings a hymn to the Almighty and speaks of a victory spreading ever more widely. At the beginning of the passage he praises God for the destruction of a kingdom opposed to Him; then the prophet's gaze turns to the salvation of the poor and oppressed. He says that, thanks to the Almighty's intervention, the breath of tyrants was like a storm against a wall, and He subdued the raging of the enemies. But then the prophet says that, just like earthly oppressors, oppressors of an entirely different kind will also be defeated and subdued. The Lord will destroy the covering that lies over all peoples, that is, the barrier between all people and Himself. Finally, the prophet praises the victory over death and suffering themselves: death will be swallowed up forever, and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face. Faith that this is how it will be can be a source of strength for us at all times.