Isaiah 26:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.

NIV: Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

NASB: Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, Lord, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, and remembering You, is the desire of our souls.

CSB: Yes, Lord, we wait for you in the path of your judgments. Our desire is for your name and renown.

NLT: Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.

KJV: Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

NKJV: Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.

The prophet Isaiah's song (Isaiah 26:1) continues by declaring that there is greater security and safety when we follow the Lord's will (Isaiah 26:7). Another way of stating this truth is that those who demonstrate their trust in the Lord by obeying Him will receive from Him the benefit of walking fewer crooked or difficult paths of life (Isaiah 26:7). This does not mean a believer's life will be easy; but it does mean avoiding unnecessary harm.

In this part of his song, Isaiah makes it clear that walking level paths is not the point of trusting the Lord. The ultimate desire of our soul is the Lord Himself. We want His "name and remembrance," which is a way to describe who a person has proven themselves to be. In other words, we want the Lord God in all that He is. We walk the path of His judgments, meaning that we walk according to the revelation of His will for us in His Word.

What is being described here is a life of active waiting. We are walking the paths God has called us to, but we are filled with anticipation as we walk. We are anticipating our destination. Being with the Lord is the point of walking the path, not the journey along the way. This ties into the New Testament, where we are called to "run the race with endurance." Our time here on earth is a gift; we should constantly keep our eyes on the Lord as we go along through our lives (Hebrews 12:1–3).

Isaiah 26:1–15 celebrates the Lord's future victory over wickedness on the earth and looks forward to the coming of God's judgment. Isaiah longs for that judgment to come. But the prophet knows the Lord gives perfect peace to all who stay focused on trusting Him. Only the Lord God remains of all those who attempted to rule over Israel.

Chapter 26 is a song to be sung in the land of Judah during the time of the Lord's reign as king over the earth. The towering city of wickedness has been replaced by the strong city of salvation. Isaiah waits, longing for the Lord to come and judge the sinfulness of the world. The Lord will bring peace to Israel for good. Their other rulers are dead and not worthy of remembering. The Lord's discipline has caused His people to turn back to Him. The dead among them will be resurrected after the fury of His judgment.

Chapter 26 is part of a larger section that includes chapters 24–27. The section of the book follows the descriptions of the Lord's judgment on the earth and the beginning of His kingdom through a song to be sung in Judah during that time. The wicked city of the world has been replaced with the city of salvation. Isaiah longs for the Lord to come and judge the earth. The prophet wants all to see the Lord's zeal for His own people by destroying His enemies. Isaiah remembers God's discipline and looks forward to the resurrection of the dead among His people.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).