Don't you just love the turn-around?
... how that when all seems lost and hopeless and desolate and impossible and desperate and futile and out-of-control ...
God says "I will proceed ..."
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Isa 29:14
There is a fine message of Grace here, over-emphasized by our loving Father to the max. You see this immediately just by the way it appears in scripture.
But let's get to the background first
The prophet Isaiah is prophecying here against those who draw near to God for the show only.
He is saying in this world they live in the way they have exposed themselves. Verse 13 - Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
The precepts of men are more important to them than really drawing near to God with faith, with the heart.
The even try hard to ignore God, denying that any kind of relationship is possible at all. Verse 15 - Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
They profusely rejected and renounced their origin and destiny with God Verse 16 - Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Isa 29:13-16
But there is marvelous Hope
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous (H6381) work among this people, even a marvellous (H6381) work and a wonder (H6382): for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Marvelous is a marvelous word
It appears in the above sentence uttered by God Himself, no less than three times by use of the Hebrew root word pâlâ or פּלא (H6381) - talk about over-emphasizing, Wow!
Pâlâ is wonderful, extraordinary breathtaking.
Pâlâ or פּלא has the word-picture depicting the word control power.
Pâlâ is the perfect picture of Jesus
He is the Word from the beginning.
He is the Word of God who created.
He is the Word of his Power.
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb 1:3
He is the Word of His Power
The Word Who became flesh, Who spoke His Word of Truth and called those things that were not (us in sin and entangled in the law) as though they were (totally free and utterly righteous).
Intense
In the Hebrew the intensive form is derived by the doubling of a word. In the instance above (Isa 29:14) the word pâlâ or פּלא appears three times in one sentence - Man, it's an over-exaggeration of Grace Himself!
It is a direct emphasis on Jesus saying I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Mat 11:25
It the echoing of the words of the Apostle Peter saying to us but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1Pe 2:9
It is the amazement of bystanders admitting the astonishment at His doctrine: for His word is with power. Luk 4:32
Embrace
It is the embrace of the Holy Spirit reminding us about ourselves as the vessels carrying Christ, no matter what our circumstances are, that by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left (2 Co 6:7) we are straitened in our own being (2Co 6:12)!
It is being called out of darkness into His marvellous light for who we are, our original design as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. That we should shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1Pe 2:9
Marvelous!
To the max!