We Will Feast In The House of Zion

This week, we will open our worship set with a new song, “We Will Feast In The House of Zion” by Sandra McCracken. It’s a song of the incomparable joy, hope, safety and peace we receive in the presence of the Lord our God.
As we begin with the chorus, we’re immediately swept up in the grace and mercy of Almighty God.

We will feast in the house of ZionWe will sing with our hearts restoredHe has done great things, we will say togetherWe will feast and weep no more

The Biblical basis for these truths is rich. In Isaiah 25:6, he writes “On this mountain (Zion) the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine…” He goes further in verse 8, “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.  In Isaiah 30:19 we read, “For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.”

Verse 1
We will not be burned by the fireHe is the Lord, our GodWe are not consumed by the floodUpheld, protected, gathered up

Psalm 3:3, “But you, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”  Our enemy, evil, seeks to devour us. And while it may consume our earthly possessions, our earthly body, or both, it will never harm our soul. As Christ lives in us, He has already conquered all of sin and death. In Him, we are safe and shall live forever.

Verse 2
In the dark of night, before the dawnMy soul, be not afraidFor the promised morning, oh how longOh God of Jacob, be my strength

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” On this earth and in this life, we have and will face many trials. God himself speaks through the words of Isaiah, “Fear not, for I am with you.” It is not in our human nature not to fear. Trusting God and finding our strength in Him is a daily exercise for me, especially in what I face as I write this. Sometimes, it’s a minute-to-minute thing for me. But, in these words of lyric and the words of Scripture, I am reminded where to set my gaze.

Verse 3
Every vow we’ve broken and betrayedYou are the faithful OneAnd from the garden to the graveBind us together, bring shalom

Psalm 126:1-2, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them’.” Israel often faced trials as a result of sin. We still must face the consequences of our sinful actions, even tho those sins are forgiven. But God is faithful to restore. Throughout the Bible, from cover to cover, we see again and again God’s restoring power. He always restores. And in restoration, all things are made new. In that renewal, He binds us together as believers. He also gathers new believers to Him as a result of what they’ve witnessed. In the end, He brings shalom which we often associate with peace. While that is true, shalom also means completeness, wholeness, and prosperity. We may not realize shalom on earth, but we most certainly will in heaven.
Chorus:
We will feast in the house of ZionWe will sing with our hearts restoredHe has done great things, we will say togetherWe will feast and weep no more
In the end, as foretold by Isaiah 25:8 and later by John the Apostle in Revelation 21:4, there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more crying, and no more death. The paradise that awaits us as children of the King is true, and is coming. And while those things are still very real to us here on earth, we can celebrate and sing, for we have hope. With this hope, we can face whatever awaits us in the coming days. Psalm 126:3, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”

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