Inspired by Isaiah 60, two friends in a coffee shop wrestle with and talk about a chapter about a city lit up by God’s own glory, not street lights. They talk through the strange comfort of enemies rebuilding the very walls they once destroyed, the hard truth that the same hand that strikes also heals, and a light that never sets.
Tom: Did you get through chapter 60 yet?
Ray: Yeah. Isaiah 60. The “arise, shine” one.
Tom: That’s the one. Kind of a mood shift, right? After it’s been heavy for a while.
Ray: Man, yeah. Feels like the sun comes out all of a sudden.
Tom: That’s kind of the whole thing though. It says everybody else is in the dark and she’s the one lit up.
Ray: Right. And it’s not her own light. It’s God’s. That part stuck with me.
Tom: How so?
Ray: I don’t know. I guess like, she’s got nothing to shine about on her own. It’s just Him showing up.
Tom: Huh. Yeah.
Ray: You catch all the gold and camels and stuff? Everybody hauling in their treasure.
Tom: I did. Half those names I can’t even say. Sheba, Kedar, whatever.
Ray: Same. But it’s like the whole world just turns around and heads for her.
Tom: The part that got me was the walls. The people who wrecked the place are the ones rebuilding it.
Ray: Oh yeah. That’s weird, right? Your enemies show up to fix your house.
Tom: Kind of. I mean it’s God turning it around, I guess. He hit her, now He’s healing her.
Ray: Both are from Him. That’s the thing I keep thinking about. Same hand. He does that with us too.
Tom: Yeah. That one’s hard.
Ray: It is. Cause it means the rough stuff wasn’t Him walking off or turning His back.
Tom: I want it to mean that sometimes, though.
Ray: Ha. Yeah, no kidding.
Tom: You believe all this literally? Like a real city, real gold?
Ray: I think so. I lean that way. The whole thousand-year reign thing, Jesus actually being here.
Tom: Not just, like, a nice vision of heaven, right?
Ray: Nah. I don’t think it’s a metaphor. Reads too specific. Gates, ships, names.
Tom: I think about that a lot, actually. And the sun part. Man.
Ray: The no more sun part.
Tom: Yeah. She doesn’t need it cause God’s the light, and it never goes down.
Ray: No more night. No more crying. That one I don’t fully wrap my head around.
Tom: Me either. But I want it.
Ray: Yeah.
Tom: It’s the never-sets thing. Everything I’ve got runs out. Light, energy, whatever.
Ray: And this one never will.
Tom: Exactly. It’s challenging to understand that, honestly.
Ray: I guess that’s the point though. It’s not us keeping it lit.
Tom: Yeah. Last line’s just Him saying He’ll do it. On time, whenever that may be.
Ray: In its time. Not ours.
Tom: Which is frustrating some days, ha.
Ray: Ha. Always is.
Tom: You want another coffee? I’m getting a refill.
Ray: Yeah, go ahead. Same.
Created by Steve
God’s Word…
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 60
The Lord’s Glory in Zion
60 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.[a]
2 For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your radiance.
4 Raise your eyes and look around:
they all gather and come to you;
your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters will be carried on the hip.
5 Then you will see and be radiant,
and your heart will tremble and rejoice,[b]
because the riches of the sea will become yours
and the wealth of the nations will come to you.
6 Caravans of camels will cover your land[c]—
young camels of Midian and Ephah—
all of them will come from Sheba.
They will carry gold and frankincense
and proclaim the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you
and go up on My altar as an acceptable sacrifice.
I will glorify My beautiful house.
8 Who are these who fly like a cloud,
like doves to their shelters?
9 Yes, the islands will wait for Me
with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,
to bring your children from far away,
their silver and gold with them,
for the honor of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
who has glorified you.
10 Foreigners will build up your walls,
and their kings will serve you.
Although I struck you in My wrath,
yet I will show mercy to you with My favor.
11 Your gates will always be open;
they will never be shut day or night
so that the wealth of the nations
may be brought into you,
with their kings being led in procession.
12 For the nation and the kingdom
that will not serve you will perish;
those nations will be annihilated.
13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you—
its pine, fir, and cypress together—
to beautify the place of My sanctuary,
and I will glorify My dwelling place.[d]
14 The sons of your oppressors
will come and bow down to you;
all who reviled you
will fall facedown at your feet.
They will call you the City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Instead of your being deserted and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you an object of eternal pride,
a joy from age to age.
16 You will nurse on the milk of nations,
and nurse at the breast of kings;
you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior
and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 I will bring gold instead of bronze;
I will bring silver instead of iron,
bronze instead of wood,
and iron instead of stones.
I will appoint peace as your guard
and righteousness as your ruler.
18 Violence will never again be heard of in your land;
devastation and destruction
will be gone from your borders.
But you will name your walls salvation
and your gates, praise.
19 The sun will no longer be your light by day,
and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your splendor.
20 Your sun will no longer set,
and your moon will not fade;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and the days of your sorrow will be over.
21 Then all your people will be righteous;
they will possess the land forever;
they are the branch I planted,
the work of My[e] hands,
so that I may be glorified.
22 The least will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am Yahweh;
I will accomplish it quickly in its time.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 60:1 = Jerusalem
- Isaiah 60:5 Lit expand
- Isaiah 60:6 Lit cover you
- Isaiah 60:13 Lit glorify the place of My feet
- Isaiah 60:21 LXX, DSS read His