At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us. (Isaiah 17:14 ESV)
Victory
I coached a soccer team that did not have a winning record. Our players were more academic than athletic. Our strategies were more accidental than planned. Our team had more of a herd mentality than a purposeful focus. In fact, we never won.
Until Willy joined the team. Willy was a young German lad who could have been professional, it seemed to me. When Willy played, we scored. When Willy played, we won. When Willy played the other teams went home sad, instead of us.
Mostly, it did not make a difference to us. We were not terribly competitive.
But that one player changed our attitude.
Isaiah knows that the world is a hard place. God’s enemies daily press against us. God’s enemies bring tears, worry, antagonism, and apparently loss.
But not when we are on God’s side!
Isaiah prophecies, not in some crystal ball way, but purely logically. He is saying here, much like Paul, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
No other soccer team had Willy. And no other people have the One True Living God.
We are peculiar, get ready for victory.