The Tale of Two Cities Text: Isaiah 26:1-6
Introduction: The Inevitable Anthem
The prophet Isaiah is a master of the grand canvas. He paints with strokes that cover millennia, from the sins of Jerusalem in his own day to the final consummation of all things. In these chapters, we are given a glimpse into the future, a future that is as certain as God's own character. We are invited to listen in on a song that will be sung "in that day." This is not a song of wishful thinking. It is not a hopeful ditty for a future that might be. It is the guaranteed anthem of the redeemed, the victory chant of the people of God. It is the song that will be sung in the land of Judah, which is to say, in the land of praise.
Every worldview has a city at its heart. Man is a city builder, from Cain's Enoch to the tower of Babel, all the way down to the gleaming, godless Babylons of our own time. Man builds cities to consolidate his strength, to declare his autonomy, and to make a name for himself. These are the exalted cities, built on the shifting sands of human pride. But God is also a city builder. He is building a city whose architect and builder is God Himself, the New Jerusalem. The central conflict of all human history is the conflict between these two cities: the city of man and the City of God.
This song in Isaiah 26 is the tale of these two cities. It is a song about their respective foundations, their respective defenses, and their respective destinies. One city is strong because its walls are salvation itself. The other is brought low, down to the very dust. This is not just ancient poetry; it is a description of the world we live in right now. We are all citizens of one city or the other. We are either trusting in the ramparts of salvation or we are living in the high towers of pride, which are destined for collapse. This song, therefore, is our song. We are to learn the lyrics now, so that we can sing it with gusto in that great day.
The Text
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
"We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for salvation.
Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that keeps faithfulness.
The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace Because he trusts in You.
Trust in Yahweh forever, For in Yah, Yahweh Himself, we have an everlasting Rock.
For He has laid low those who settle on high, the exalted city; He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the poor."
(Isaiah 26:1-6 LSB)
The City of God (v. 1-2)
The song begins with a declaration of confidence in God's provision and protection.
"In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 'We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for salvation.'" (Isaiah 26:1)
The song is located "in the land of Judah," which means praise. When God's salvation comes, the result is praise. And the content of that praise is this: "We have a strong city." This is the great confession of the church. We are not a scattered mob of individuals, each trying to make our own way to heaven. We are a corporate body, a city, a polis. And this city is strong. Why? Is it because of our brilliant strategies, our demographic strength, or our political savvy? Not at all. The city is strong because of what God has done. "He sets up walls and ramparts for salvation."
Notice that salvation is not the gate; salvation is the wall. It is our defense. God does not just rescue us from danger; He establishes us in a place of permanent safety. The walls are not made of our good works or our doctrinal precision. The wall is salvation itself, accomplished by Christ. To be a Christian is to be brought inside this fortress. Outside is the chaos of sin and judgment; inside is the divinely constructed safety of grace.
And who is allowed into this city? Verse 2 tells us.
"Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that keeps faithfulness." (Isaiah 26:2)
This is a missionary city. The gates are not sealed shut. They are thrown open. But they are not open to just anyone on their own terms. They are open for the "righteous nation." This is not a reference to ethnic Israel, but to the true Israel of God, the international church gathered from every tribe, tongue, and people. And what is the defining characteristic of this nation? It is the one that "keeps faithfulness." The Hebrew is shomer emunim, it keeps truths, it holds fast to fidelity. This is not a picture of sinless perfection, but of covenant loyalty. The citizens of this city are those who have abandoned all trust in themselves and have placed their trust, their allegiance, their faithfulness, in God. Their righteousness is a gifted righteousness, and the fruit of that gift is a life of faithfulness.
The Peace of the Rock (v. 3-4)
The song now moves from the corporate reality of the city to the internal reality of the citizen. What is it like to live within these walls?
"The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace Because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)
Here we have one of the great promises of Scripture. God keeps the steadfast of mind in "perfect peace." The Hebrew is shalom, shalom. It is peace upon peace, a peace that is complete, whole, and lacking nothing. This is not the fragile tranquility of a spa or the numbness of medication. This is the robust, objective peace that comes from being rightly related to the Creator of the universe. It is a peace that can garrison your heart and mind in the middle of a hurricane.
But this peace is conditional. It is for the "steadfast of mind." This refers to the one whose mind, whose imagination and purpose, is stayed, fixed, and propped up. Propped up on what? The next phrase tells us: "Because he trusts in You." Peace is not the goal of the Christian life; it is the byproduct. The goal is trust. When your mind is no longer flitting about from one anxiety to another, from one idol to the next, but is instead anchored in the living God, the result is shalom, shalom. Our modern therapeutic culture wants the peace without the trust, but that is like wanting warmth without a fire. It cannot be done.
And so, the command logically follows:
"Trust in Yahweh forever, For in Yah, Yahweh Himself, we have an everlasting Rock." (Isaiah 26:4)
The call is to trust, and to do so forever. This is not a one-time decision but a perpetual posture of the soul. And the reason we can do this is because of the object of our trust. "For in Yah, Yahweh Himself, we have an everlasting Rock." The name of God is repeated for emphasis. This is the covenant God, the God who is who He is. He is a Rock. He is stable, unchanging, and eternal. Everything else in the world is shifting sand: political movements, economic trends, cultural fads, your own feelings. To build your life on any of that is to build on the beach before a tsunami. To trust in Yahweh is to anchor your soul to the only fixed point in the universe.
The City of Man (v. 5-6)
Now the song turns, and the camera pans from the strong city of God to the exalted city of man. The contrast is stark and total.
"For He has laid low those who settle on high, the exalted city; He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust." (Isaiah 26:5)
This is the destiny of Babylon, and of every city built on the foundation of human pride. It is the "exalted city," the city that seeks to make a name for itself, to reach the heavens on its own terms. It looks impressive. Its towers scrape the sky. Its inhabitants "settle on high," confident in their own strength and ingenuity. But God's response to this arrogance is to bring it low. The repetition is emphatic: "He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust." This is not a partial defeat; it is a complete and utter humiliation. The city that sought to ascend to the heavens is returned to the dust from which its builders were made. This is the inevitable end of all rebellion against God.
And who participates in the downfall of this proud city? The answer is the great reversal of the gospel.
"The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the poor." (Isaiah 26:6)
The very people whom the exalted city oppressed and despised will be the ones who walk over its ruins. The "afflicted" and the "poor," those who are poor in spirit, the meek, the humble followers of Christ, will be the ones to inherit the earth. God vindicates His people. This is not a promise of violent, carnal revolution. It is a promise that in the economy of God, faithfulness in obscurity is more powerful than pride in the spotlight. The steady, plodding steps of the saints, walking in faith and obedience, will ultimately trample the rubble of empires. The kingdom of God advances not like a blitzkrieg, but like a mustard seed growing into a great tree.
Conclusion: Sing the Right Song
We are living in the midst of this tale of two cities. All around us, the exalted city of man is building its towers of secularism, rebellion, and self-worship. It looks powerful. It looks permanent. And it despises the afflicted and the poor who belong to that other city.
But we have been given the lyrics to the final song. We know how the story ends. The exalted city will be brought down to the dust. The strong city, with salvation as its walls, will stand forever. Therefore, our task is simple. We must believe the song. We must sing the song. And we must live the song.
This means we must cultivate a steadfast mind. We must consciously and deliberately prop up our thoughts, our hopes, and our fears on the everlasting Rock. We must refuse the anxiety and the panic that the failing city of man tries to peddle. When we do this, when we trust in Yahweh forever, the result will be peace, shalom, shalom, a peace that the world cannot give and cannot take away.
And as we walk, our steps may seem small. We are the afflicted, the poor. But our feet are marching on the ruins of the future. Every act of faith, every prayer, every step of obedience is another footfall on the rubble of the exalted city. So do not lose heart. We have a strong city. Trust in the everlasting Rock. And get ready to sing.