27:1
There is debate over who “Leviathan” is referring to, it being variously associated with Assyria, Tyre or Babylon. Whatever the case, it is clear that Israel’s enemies are in for a hard time. When the enemies attack Israel they consider the strength and status of Israel, but it is the Lord that they really need to consider, for it is His “fierce, great and powerful sword” that will cause them harm. Likewise, when we feel intimidated by the enemy, we should turn out thoughts to the Lord, and tell the enemy to do likewise. Our security is not based in ourselves, but in the Lord. Leviathan was a mythological sea monster, common in near-east mythology.
27:2,3
Chapter 5 had a lament for the vineyard, for the sorry state it had become. Now Isaiah talks about singing about a fruitful vineyard. God's salvation is not just a matter of rescuing His people, but of transforming His people. The vineyard will be fruitful because the Lord watches over it, protects it, and waters it. In our Christian lives it is not just us doing stuff (though we do need to take care of our own lives), but the Lord is actively taking care of us as well, and the word “active” is important. It is not a passive care.
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