Isaiah 21:1-10, A Message about Babylon

Jamieson-Fausset-Browns tell us this passage is a repetition of the assurance given in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters to the Jews about to be captives in Babylon, that their enemy should be destroyed and they be delivered.

I’m telling you the good news I’ve heard. It comes from the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of Israel.

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Isaiah said “here is a message the Lord gave me about Babylonia. It is known as the Desert by the Two Rivers”. An attack is coming through the desert. It’s sweeping along like a windstorm. People are turning against Babylon. Robbers are taking its goods. Elamites, attack the city! Medes, surround it! “The Lord will put an end to all of the suffering Babylon has caused”.

Remember, Israel and Judah were separate kingdoms at this time…Israel, in the north and Judah in the south. Isaiah was a prophet in the Southern Kingdom. Just a few years after this chapter was written teh Kingdom of Israel fell (722 BC). As a result the Northern Kingdom no longer was a separate political entity and became an internal province of the Assyrian empire.

Twelve years later...in another political upheaval, Babylon fell...

In verse 9 of this passage Isaiah says "Babylon is fallen, is fallen." Babylon had revolted from under the Assyrian domination and for twelve years the efforts of Assyria to re-subdue the city were successfully resisted. Sargon was victorious and Babylon fell into Sargon's hands. This was an event, which the cuneiform texts record as occurring in Sargon's twelfth year, is thereby dated as 710 B.C.

Then, in 689, the city was destroyed…and lay in ruins for nearly 80 years. The city was rebuilt in time to prepare for the captivity of the southern Kingdom. In 606 BC Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem and carried off the intelligentsia…Daniel among them.

Here is a timeline of current events…

725 BC            Isaiah Prophesies against the Nations                          Isaiah 13 - 35
725 BC            Hoshea the Last King of Israel                                    2 Kings 17
722 BC            Israel Led into Captivity                                           2 Kings 17:6
711 BC            Isaiah Prophesies Captivity and Restoration               Isaiah 40 - 66        
710 BC            Babylon falls to Sargon                                             Isaiah 21:9
701 BC            Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem                                2 Kings 18,
701 BC            Hezekiah's Prayer                                                        Isaiah 37
697 BC            The Vision of Nahum                                                  Nahum 1 - 3
689 BC            Sennecherib destroys Babylon                                 2 Kings 21
687 BC            Manasseh's Wicked Reign                                           2 Chronicles 33
638 BC            The Word of the LORD to Zephaniah                        Zephaniah 1 - 3
627 BC            The Call of Jeremiah                                                 Jeremiah 1
622 BC            Jeremiah Proclaims God's Covenant                           Jeremiah 11, 12
609 BC            Jeremiah Proclaims Covenant Is Broken                     Jeremiah 13 - 20
604-562 BC     Nebuchadnezzar rules in Babylon                               Daniel 2
593 BC            Ezekiel's Calling and Instruction                             Ezekiel 2
588 BC            Siege of Jerusalem Begins                                           2 Kings 25
588 BC            Jeremiah Prophesies Judgment on Judah                    Jeremiah 34 - 45
586 BC            The Fall of Jerusalem                                                2 Kings 25,
586 BC            Jeremiah Prophesies against Babylon                          Jeremiah 50, 51
539 BC            Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon        Ezra 1:1

If this chapter tells us anything, it tells us that whatever happens on the world stage, the Lord rules over all. In its long history Babylon did a lot of damage but…it was finally removed. When we look at the entire timeline we can begin seeing things for what God intends them to be. If God ruled over Babylon…then, Babylon’s misdeeds were permitted by God. Babylon was just a tool…in 586 BC…to teach Judah.

I’ll bet Nebuchadnezzar thought it was all about him…

The importance of this perspective…the Lord rules over all…is it prevents us from taking the short view when trouble besets us. A bad political administration will not ruin us but it may teach us some lessons. A bad supreme court decision will not ruin us but it may teach us a lesson. A bad marriage will not destroy us but it can teach us some lessons. These things aren’t self-sustaining perils in our path. They are tools in God’s hand.

Live boldly out there today…

Isaiah 20 - A Message About Egypt and Cush

“My servant Isaiah has gone around barefoot for three years. He has not worn anything but his underwear. He is a sign and reminder to Egypt and Cush about what will happen to them.”

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Our gracious God, in the previous chapter, offered relief and salvation to Ethiopia and Egypt because of their willingness to listen and call upon Him. The promise refers to events happening in the 4^th century BC. This doesn’t mean they wouldn’t first pay for their disobedience.

Things got a lot worse before they got better…

It is possible to date the events of chapter 20 precisely “Sargon sent his highest commander to the city of Ashdod. He attacked it and captured it. Sargon was king of Assyria”. Sargon's inscriptions date that event in 711 B.C." Isaiah mentions the fact that his symbolic act (going naked and barefoot) was interpreted to the people in that year.

Because of alliances she had formed, the Northern Kingdom, Israel, had already been destroyed by Sargon and carried off to Nineveh 11 years earlier. Now, Sargon had his sights set on Egypt/Ethiopia.

After Ashdod was captured, the Lord said: “My servant Isaiah has gone around barefoot for three years. He has not worn anything but his underwear. He is a sign and reminder to Egypt and Cush about what will happen to them”. The king of Assyria will lead prisoners away from Egypt and Cush. Young people and old people alike will be taken away. Like Isaiah, they will be barefoot. They will not be wearing anything but their underwear. And their backsides will be bare. So the Egyptians will be put to shame. Forty eight years later the mass deportation occurred. 

The prior fate of the Northern Kingdom should have been sufficient warning but, Isaiah's purpose was to discourage Judah's from joining her Egyptian allies in their war against Sargon. The prophet was a walking symbol of utter humiliation and destitution in the streets of Jerusalem. He seems to have been successful because there is no record that Sargon attacked Jerusalem. That came over a hundred years later in the reign of Sennacherib his son.

America has made all sorts of unholy alliances in the last generation. Alliances that are moral as well as geographical. As a nation we are allied with an industry that kills unborn babies. We are allied with interest groups that openly defy the teachings of Romans, Chapter one. We are allied with nations in the Middle East that martyr Christians.

We need to extricate ourselves from these Godless entanglements as quickly as we can. But, it will get worse before it gets better.

Live boldly out there today…

Isaiah 19 - Message to Egypt

Pharaoh, where are your wise men now? Let them tell you what the Lord who rules over all
has planned against Egypt.

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God said, The Lord is coming to Egypt. He’s riding on a cloud that moves very fast. The statues of the gods in Egypt tremble with fear because of him. The hearts of the people there melt away inside them.

This doesn’t sound good… “I will stir up one Egyptian against another. Relatives will fight against relatives. Neighbors will fight against one another. Cities will fight against cities. Kingdoms will fight against one another. The people of Egypt will lose hope. I will keep them from doing what they plan to do”.

What did God have against the Egyptians? Her leaders were very foolish. They lied. They led their people down the wrong path. Pharaoh’s wise men gave advice that didn’t make any sense. Yet, they saw themselves as mythical figures “like the advisers to the kings of long ago.” They were “full of themselves”.

Euphoric on power, with a spirit that made them feel dizzy, their inebriated leadership made Egypt unsteady. She became like a person who drinks too much. She "throws up and then walks around in the mess [s]he’s made".

Well, that’s an ugly picture…

So, Isaiah says: Egypt will be as terrified as women. The people of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians. Everyone in Egypt who hears the name of Judah will be terrified. That’s because of what the Lord who rules over all is planning to do to them. At that time the people of five cities in Egypt will use the Hebrew language when they worship the Lord who rules over all. They will take an oath. And they will promise to be faithful to him.

Historically, we’re told this all came to pass after the conquest by Alexander the Great…about 375 years after Isaiah wrote this message. Alexander established large numbers of Jews in Alexandria; and Egypt became a great stronghold of monotheism. The Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures was produced there and proved to be a key in the evangelism of the world.  Significantly, this break-through occurred after Alexander the Great declared Greek would became the universal language of the whole world. The Old Testament was hardened into facts of history, known by the whole world and incapable of being changed. Present day critics cannot get around the witness of the Septuagint (LXX). http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/view.cgi?book=isa&chapter=019

Wow!

There would even be an altar erected to Jehovah in Egypt (Isaiah 19:19). It was erected by a Jewish high priest named Onias and was significant in the later conversion of Egyptians to Christianity. God then promised to send them a Savior (Isaiah 19:20). Historically, this was fulfilled when Alexander the Great freed the oppressed peoples from their yoke of Persian submission; but ultimately, it prophecies the coming of Christ the Savior who would free them from their sins.

So the Lord promised to make himself known to the people of Egypt and “at that time they will recognize that he is the Lord. They will make promises to the Lord. And they will keep them”.

And…like Ethiopia, Egypt is still around although, for remarkably different reasons. Ethiopia is still around because she listened to God. Egypt is still around because God imported Himself into the life and culture of Egypt through Alexander the Great…and the people responded.

Here in America God imported Himself through pilgrims and other God-fearing folks. Their intent was to “bring the light of Christ” to the new world. Our culture was saturated with faith. We became a modern-day Egypt. Now, a couple of hundred years later, the best we can hope for is to be a modern-day Ethiopia…and listen.

Live boldly out there today…

Isaiah 18 - Message to Ethiopia

At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord who rules over all. The people who are tall and have smooth skin will bring them…They will bring their gifts to Mount Zion. That’s where the Lord who rules over all has put his Name.

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This is an interesting chapter… not a "judgment", but...a "message".

Ethiopians were fierce warriors and instilled fear in the hearts of neighboring people. They were a major power, adventurous and traveled far and wide. And, it sounds like Isaiah is telling them to “go home”.

Ethiopia…the cradle of civilization. Archaeology informs us skeletal remains of Homo sapiens sapiens (immediate ancestors of modern human beings) have been unearthed on this spot that date as far back as 160,000 years ago.

By the 15^th century BC the country was believed to have been named for Ityoppis, son of Cush, son of Ham. For this reason, Ethiopia is considered a combination of African and Sabaean (Sheba, or modern day Yemen) cultures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia

In  2^nd Chronicles 14, we’re told Ethiopia came out against the army of Judah (about 900BC) with an army of a million men and 300 chariots. King Asa cried…”O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”  So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians and the Ethiopians fled. Asa pursued them and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive.

But, Ethiopia was not like a lot of other nations. The Psalmist (68:31) says when God “scatters His enemies” Ethiopia will be one of those nations that “shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God”.

200 years later, Isaiah penned his warning… Messengers, hurry back home! Go back to your people. Isaiah explained, a farmer cuts off new growth with pruning knives. He cuts down spreading branches and takes them away. He does it before the grapes are harvested. That’s when the blooms are gone and the grapes are ripe. In the same way, the Lord will cut off the nations that are gathered against his people.

100 years after Isaiah, Jeremiah wrote these words concerning the King of Ethiopia. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I will deliver you on that day…and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

A coin dated to 324 shows that Ethiopia was the second country to officially adopt Christianity (after Armenia). It was the first major power to do so.

I can’t escape the thought that God was willing to warn the Ethiopians of impending trouble because they were willing to listen. Could we make an application today?

Live boldly out there today…

Isaiah 17 - Prophecy about Damascus

“Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin”.

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Then…there’s Damascus. Damascus was part of the Egyptian Kingdom, from 1720 to 1570 BC.

Damascus is not documented as an important city until the arrival of the Aramaeans, Semitic people from Mesopotamia, in the 11th century BC. The city would gain preeminence in southern Syria by 965BC. As this new state expanded south, it prevented the Kingdom of Israel from spreading north and the two kingdoms soon clashed as they both sought to dominate trading hegemony in the east. This conflict continued until the early 8th century BC when the king of Syria was captured by Israel after he unsuccessfully besieged Samaria (the capital of Israel).

By the 8th century BC, Damascus was practically engulfed by the Assyrians and entered a dark age. 900 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus#Early_settlement

We should see a pattern emerging…nobody dominates God's people except God.

Here is the message the Lord gave Isaiah about Damascus.

“Damascus will not be a city anymore. Instead, all of its buildings would be knocked down. Royal power would disappear from Damascus. Those who were left alive would be like the glory of the people of Israel,” Men would turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.

At that time Israel had forgotten God, so her cities would become deserted, taken over by bushes and weeds. The whole land would become dry and empty. There would be sickness and pain that would’t go away. Many nations would march against her but when the Lord speaks out against them, they would run. The armies that caused terror in the evening would be gone by morning.

That’s what happens to those who steal our goods. That’s what happens to those who take what belongs to us. This is an interesting phrase. God pronounces judgment upon Damascus but…when Israel is guilty of the same sins…God will not let anybody wreak the same havoc on His stuff.
And, Israel belongs to God.

God’s house, God’s rules...

Only God will judge His people…He won’t contract this out.

Of course, the time did come when Israel fell. The time will come, as well, when our country falls…if we don’t repent. The only question remaining is this: Will we fall by God’s hand or by another? The answer depends upon who we believe owns us.

We may think the results look the same but they aren't. What God destroys He can rebuild. What man destroys generally stays broken.

Live boldly out there today…

Isaiah 16 - Prophecy of Moab’s Devastation

“Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent.”

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This is the message the Lord spoke to Moab. “We have heard all about Moab’s pride. We have heard how very proud they are. They think they are so much better than others. They brag about themselves. But all of their bragging is nothing but empty words”. So, God says to the people of Moab, send lambs as a gift to the ruler of Judah".

The implication is clear: “pride will kill us unless we repent”. And, it would look like this…
The women of Moab were freaking out…like birds that flap their wings when they are pushed from their nest. Moab’s men went to their high place to pray, but all they did was wear themselves out. Their god Chemosh couldn’t help them at all. They were all in a panic.

All their prosperity and pride failed them. They were homeless and they went begging. The Moabites appealed to Judah crying, “Give us advice. Don’t turn us over to our enemies. Let us stay with you. Keep us safe from those who are trying to destroy them.”

Even so, God wasn’t intent on destroying the people, just the nation. He said “a man from the royal house of David will sit on Judah’s throne. He will rule with faithful love”. When he judges he will do what is fair. This was gracious…and true. We know from biblical history that in due time the knowledge of who was, or wasn’t, a Moabite was lost. Any Moabite could convert to Judaism without restriction….and marry Jewish men and women.

Moab was gone, but the people were fine…

This doesn’t seem complicated to me. Since I believe in “manifold fulfillment” of prophesy I believe there is a cryptic message for America: Unless we repent of our pride and become more charitable with our prosperity we will follow the way of Moab. The good news is, God doesn’t want to destroy you and me, just...possibly...the nation that we call home. This could get exciting. It doesn’t have to hurt that much, unless we identify more with America than we do with Heaven. I wonder where we‘ll go?

Most likely to a nation that still fears and honors God.

Live boldly out there today…

Isaiah 15 - Judgment on Moab

Surely in a night the city of Moab is devastated and ruined; surely in a night the citadel of Moab is devastated and ruined.

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Isaiah wrote the prophesy around 700BC. Moab has an interesting history.The land of Moab, spread along much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, never amounted to much. After the conquest of Canaan (1400 BC) the relations of Moab with Israel were of a mixed character, sometimes warlike and sometimes peaceful. The story of Ruth, the Moabite (1100BC) testifies to the existence of friendliness between Moab and Judah. The genealogy in the final chapter of the book explains how Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David (1040-970BC). The king had Moabite blood in his veins.

In her 700^th year of existence Isaiah proclaimed Moab would be destroyed. I doubt the King of Moab worried much about a prophet from a neighboring country. Yet, by the time of the destruction of the First Temple (597BC), the knowledge of which people belonged to which nation was lost and the Moabites were treated like all other gentiles. So…some 100 years after Isaiah wrote chapter 15…Moab ceased to exist as an identifiable nation. Moab survived about 800 years… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moab#Decline_and_fall

Not bad for a nation of no repute on the world stage. I wonder if the greatest nation in the history of the world (US) can hope to last that long.

But…why did Isaiah make this prophesy?

About 850BC, the Moabites rebelled against Israel, According to the Bible, the prophet Elisha directed the Israelites to dig a series of ditches between themselves and the enemy, and during the night these channels were miraculously filled with water which was as red as blood. Deceived by the crimson color into the belief that their opponents had attacked one another, the Moabites became overconfident and were entrapped and utterly defeated.

Moab’s prosperity and pride are are not only what defeated them in battle…they are what ultimately incurred the wrath of God.

So here we are…238 years old…saturated with prosperity and pride. The smart money says we’ll never last as long as Moab did unless we repent.

Live boldly out there today…