Isaiah 55--A fat soul

I sometimes dread reading the prophets but have disciplined myself to study them. The genre of prophetic literature has its own code--its own expectations and jargon. A piece of understanding the prophets requires understanding the code. But, personally, I enjoy them best when I get lost in the poetic imagery. 

Isaiah 55 is a beautiful passage to wander and get lost in. I'm writing to "pick some flowers" along the way and take time to study them:

"...eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." -Isaiah 55:2

A fat soul? Give me that! A soul that feasts well on God and His promises becomes fat, sated.

More well-fed imagery:

"And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." Isaiah 25:6

I love these promises of fatness and fruition.

Sometimes my soul is heavy with the sad things of life---losses, people I miss who have gone on, selfish people who manipulate me in subtle ways, the longing for richer friendships, more time with my children, longer time....a release from the pressures of the daily grind.

This is the opposite--to have a soul fat with the promises and hope of Him would be a lovely burden.

There is much of Revelation and John's thoughts there in Isaiah:

That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.  Isaiah 65:16

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.  Isaiah 65:17

I used to feel a sense of panic about the former things being gone or forgotten, but to completely lose the sadness that is sometimes in my heart for the little tragedies of my lifetime and the enormous tragedies of this larger world---that these sadnesses would be completely forgotten and not remembered---what bliss!

Here's another:

And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. -Isaiah 25:7-8

I think Paul also alludes to the swallowing up death in victory in 1 Corinthians. John in Revelation speaks of the tears God will wipe from our faces.