REJOICING FOR THOSE WHO WALK IN THE LIGHT-"A Stronghold to the Lowly One"

"A Stronghold to the Lowly One"

Turning now to Jehovah's kindly dealings with those who walk in the light, Isaiah says to Jehovah: "You have become a stronghold to the lowly one in the distress that he has, a refuge from the rainstorm, a shade from the heat, when he blast of the tyrannical ones is like a rainstorm against a wall.  Like the heat in a waterless country, the noise of strangers you subdue, the heat with the shadow of a cloud.  The melody itself of the tyrannical ones becomes suppressed." -Isaiah 25:4, 5.

Since 1919, tyrants have tried everything to break the integrity of true worshiper, but they have failed. Why? Because Jehovah is the stronghold and the refuge of his people.  He provides cool shade from the burning heat of persecution and stands like a sturdy wall against the rainstorm of opposition.  We who walk in God's light confidently look forward to the time when 'the melody of the tyrannical ones will be suppressed.'  Yes, we eagerly await the day when Jehovah's enemies will be gone.

Jehovah does more than protect his servants.  He provides for them as their loving Father. After liberating his people from Babylon the Great in 1919, he set before them a victory banquet, and abundant supply of spiritual food.  this was foretold at Isaiah 25:6, where we read: "Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples, in this mountain, a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of wine kept on the dregs,  of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of wine kept on the dregs,filtered."  how blessed we are to share in that feast!  (Matthew 4:4) "The table of Jehovah" is truly laden down with good things to eat.  (1 Corinthians 10:21)  Through "the faithful and discreet slave," we are given everything we could ever need in a spiritual sense.

And there is more to this divinely provided banquet.  The spiritual feast that we now enjoy reminds us of the abundance of physical food that will be available in God's promised new world.  Then, the "banquet of well-oiled dishes" will include physical food in abundance.  No one will need to be hungry in a physical or spiritual sense.  What a relief that will be for those dear faithful ones who now suffer because of the foretold "food shortages" that are part of "the sign" of Jesus' presence!  (Matthew 24:3, 7) For them, the words of the psalmist are comforting indeed.  He said:  "There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth, on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow." -Psalm 72:16.

Next time:  Conclusion of  REJOICING IN THOSE WHO WALK IN THE LIGHT -"A Stronghold to the Lowly One"

The Watchtower, 2001