Shebna: the Unfaithful Steward
22: 15-19

Shebna, the unfaithful steward DIG: In light of impending national disaster, what is Shebna the steward, preoccupied with? How will God deal with such egocentric leadership? Do you know someone like Shebna who should be fired? What is the common thread of all bad leadership (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehamiah, to see link click Ch – The Completion of the Walls Despite Opposition)?

REFLECT: What leadership positions in the home, work, church, or community do you have? When, if ever, have you acted like a Shebna in that position? What was missing in your life? Did you recover? How so? What turned things around? If God spoke to you as He spoke to him, how would you react?

This prophecy about Shebna and Eliakim flashes back to the time in which Isaiah is living. He was the prophet of God to King Hezekiah in 701 BC when Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Just as the nation had blinded itself in the face of death, choosing revelry instead of repentance, so Shebna, a privileged official of the state, betrayed his position by enriching himself at the expense of Judah. He thought he was “a big shot.” When he should have been acting in the interests of his people, formulating far-reaching policies that included God’s word, he instead only thought of the immediate future and how it affected him. As a result, with scathing words, God tosses him aside like a filthy rag and gave his position to Eliakim. Both Shebna and Eliakim are mentioned in Chapters 36 and 37 of Isaiah. One was faithful while the other was not.

Isaiah is given a commission to prophesy against Shebna. This is what Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), says: Go, say to this steward, to Shebna, who is in charge of the palace (22:15). This is the only prophecy of Isaiah against an individual. Why? Shebna encouraged self-security and the forgetting of God. Shebna’s position, as the one over the house, was quite unique. It was the highest possible position in the kingdom, below the king himself. You could say he was the king’s “right hand man,” and as such, he had much influence on the king and his policies. And by that office, he encouraged self-reliance, the lack of preparation of the city, and a forgetting of God. He was too busy building a memorial for himself.

What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here (22:16a)? In fact, he was far more concerned with his own future because he built himself a lofty resting place, or grave. Notice the repetition of the word here, indicating Isaiah’s belief that Shebna should be buried elsewhere. It is likely that the tomb was being built on the hillside across the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem, where the village of Silwan is now located. These resting places were commonly hewn out of solid rock, mostly above ground and frequently on the sides of mountains. Many of these ancient sepulchers are still seen today. When he died, he thought that he would be well remembered because of the kind of grave in which he hoped to lay.

The Hebrew text actually changes here from second to third person for emphasis. He hews out his grave on the height! He cuts out a dwelling for himself in the rock (22:16b)? These words may have been addressed to a surrounding crowd. It is as if Shebna himself had come out from Jerusalem in a lavishly equipped chariot (22:18) to survey the work on his memorial. He may have felt especially pleased with himself until challenged by Isaiah. This kind of confrontation was typical of the prophets. When they were least wanted, in moments of fear, pride or self-sufficiency, it was then that they appeared (Isaiah 7:3-9; 1 Samuel 13:10-14; 2 Samuel 12:1-12; First Kings 13:1-6, 18:16-18).

Instead of being buried in his lovely memorial, fit for a great man, Shebna will be tossed away like a filthy rag. Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, O you mighty man (22:17). But Isaiah says that he will never be able to use it. And it is not because he will live forever. He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country, or broad land. Literally, the broad of two hands (Genesis 34:21; Judges 18:10) would seem to imply to Assyria with its broad plains.

There you will die (22:18a). In many different ways the Bible tells us that true honor and glory only come to us as gifts from the LORD. That which we grasp for ourselves, like manna kept overnight (Exodus 16:20), will only decay and end up stinking.

And there your splendid chariots will remain (22:18b). The splendid chariot that Shebna drove out from Jerusalem will one day belong to someone else. So it is with all our possessions. We cannot keep them. If they outlast us, they will belong to others. Why don’t we labor for that which will endure forever (First Corinthians 9:24-27)? Why not live as though we can never die? And if you are a believer in Yeshua Messiah you cannot (Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 12:13-21)! In fact, Isaiah tells us that the pursuit for our own glory will most likely disgrace us. Our example for this is Shebna, who, by his misplaced priorities, actually disgraced his king.

You disgrace your master’s house (22:18c). He would not being buried in Jerusalem with dignity and honor (22:16), but in a foreign country, going into exile and dying in disgrace and ignominy (Jeremiah 22:26). As a result, he would never lie in his lofty resting place that he had built for himself. And the reason? He had misused his position. He was a snapshot of what was wrong with the nation of Judah; it was a growing cancer that would eventually send her into captivity 115 years later.

I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position (22:19). But Shebna’s demise was to be played out in stages. First, he will be demoted. Only a few years later we see this demotion because Shebna is only a scribe (36:3, 37:2). He is no longer the one over the house. He was laboring for what did not really matter, and as a result, his only real memorial is the one of disgrace found here in Isaiah. We can go down that road too unless we make the kind of total self-renunciation where in the end we care for nothing but the approval of God.⁷³ He is the only One we need to please (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Jx – The Parable of the Bags of Gold). In reality, we only have an audience of One.

A Day of Terror in the Valley of Vision
22: 1-14

A day of terror in the valley of vision DIG: What will happen to Jerusalem? How would you describe the quality of leadership Jerusalem had? How would the people respond to the threat of enemy attack? What is wrong with such stockpiling for war? With danger all around them, why did they have an “eat-drink-and-be-merry” attitude (22:9-13)? What does such revelry show about their trust in God? Their hope for the future? Their inner character? Why are they no different than the people of Babylon (see 21:5)? How would their attitudes and actions be different if they had responded as God desired? Compare 22:13 with Ecclesiastes 8:15. In what ways do these passages differ?

REFLECT: What evil regimes in our society seem ripe for judgment today? Would you weep over their callousness as Isaiah did in 22:4? Or would you inwardly cheer that they finally “got what was coming to them”? Why? Consider the popular music, movies, and politicians and how they react to threats like nuclear war, political instability, and an uncertain future. Where do you see the revelry reflected in those signs of the times? Consider your own response to such stressful issues. Are you any less cynical? Less apathetic? Are you more prayerful? Or proactive?

It is said that revelries and parties marked the last nights of Berlin in April of 1945. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra played Wagner’s The Twilight of the Gods. There was a general air of: Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. The inflated promises of National Socialism to bring the millennium – the thousand-year Reich – had disappeared in dust and ashes. The Russian army was on the Oder River, just a few miles to the east, and to the west, German soldiers were surrendering in the thousands to the victorious Allies. The war was lost. But instead of national repentance or even reflection, there was only an attempt to forget in waves of artificially-induced giddiness.

From one point of view, such a response is not surprising. What was there to repent of? The Kaiser’s army in World War I had at least made a pretense of trusting in God, as their uniform belt buckles had stamped on them “Gott Mit Uns” or God With Us. Hitler’s armies made no such pretense. They had abandoned ADONAI who Nietzsche had accused of turning men into old women, and had tried to revive the harsh gods of Norse and Germanic legend. But their real god was simply the god of power. Now cruel fate had turned against them, and the fickle god of power had gone off to fawn on their enemies. What’s to repent of?

For starters, there were an estimated fifty million people dead, including six million Jews. The culture and spirit of Europe lay in ruins, with the spirit, in particular. hard-pressed ever to recover. Germany, the land of Luther, had, like Judah many centuries before it, become a Valley of Vision, where a glorious past of spiritual insight had been forfeited and the claims to see true reality were in fact a mockery.⁷⁰ In a near historical prophecy, Isaiah prophesied about the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians 115 years later (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC). He is distraught over what he sees and weeps bitterly.

An Oracle concerning the Valley of Vision (22:1a). The Valley of Vision is Jerusalem. Jerusalem itself sits on top of a mountain. But all around Jerusalem there are mountains surrounding it, so it gives the appearance of a valley. It is called the Valley of Vision because it is where Isaiah received his prophecies.

What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs (22:1b). The condition of Jerusalem is fear. Suddenly fear strikes the City as the call goes out of the coming danger. The people run to the rooftops to see the approaching army that is coming to destroy the City. This is the Oriental city in commotion. The flat roofs were used not only for promenading (Second Samuel 11:2), but also as places of general gathering in times of excitement, just as we gather in the streets. From the roofs the inhabitants were accustomed to look down into the streets or far off on the roads. This could not be done from the windows, as these seldom opened onto the street. The prophet represents the entire people assembled on the tops of their houses. Whether for mere curiosity, or to assail the invaders, or to indulge in idolatrous worship, these gatherings on the housetops give a striking illustration of Oriental customs.⁷¹

O town full of commotion, O city of tumult and revelry (22:2a)? It is the Babylonian army. Notice the contrast. One day they were full of commotion, a tumultuous city of joy. Now, suddenly, they are filled with fear as they look across the walls of Jerusalem at the approaching army. Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle (22:2b). When Jerusalem begins to fall, the people will not even have the honor of falling on their swords in the heat of battle (First Samuel 31:1-13). No, the dead do not die by the sword, from the glory of battle, but from hunger (2 Kings 25:3; Jer 52:6; Lam 1:19 and Isaiah 49, 2:19, 4:4-5).

All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using a bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away (22:3). Those who do succeed in fleeing the city only fall captive to the Babylonian army waiting for them. The Jewish rulers, including the king, are not only weak, but they are the first to run (Second Kings 25:4-5 and Jeremiah 52:7-8).

Therefore, I said: Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people (22:4). Jerusalem abandons herself to mirth and revelry while the prophet, who knows the future, is plunged into deep sorrow and gloom. Isaiah gives himself up totally to weeping. The Hebrew word here means to be thoroughly exhausted from bitter weeping. The reason is the imminent destruction of his people, and he refuses to be comforted. In Chapters 40 to 66 of his book there will be nothing but comfort, but for now there is nothing but bitterness.

Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s armies (CJB), has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains (22:5). The name Adonai means lord, master or owner. Jerusalem was being destroyed, and the people inside the walls could do nothing about it. They realized that the enemy advancing to the very walls of Jerusalem was a day of judgment brought on by God Himself. The attack was not by accident; it had come because of the people’s disobedience. In the city, the people were terrified as they saw the enemy camped outside waiting for an opportunity to attack.

Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield (22:6). The armies come from the areas of Elam and Kir. This is the area of Mesopotamia, from which Babylon had risen.

Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the city gates; the defenses of Judah are stripped away (22:7-8a). The valleys around Jerusalem were choked with the armies of the enemy, and she staggered on the brink of destruction. Horsemen were posted at the city gates so that no one from inside could escape safely, or to press the attack if the city gates were breached. Jerusalem was helpless.

You would think that in such a precarious position the nation would turn back to God and repent. Obviously, the city could not save itself. But at the very moment when a people of vision should have been looking to God for protection and deliverance, they were depending on their own strength. Judah had been blinded from the coming danger. They were so self-assured they made no preparations for any lengthy siege. Now that the armies have arrived, they try to make quick preparations, but it was too little, too late.

King Hezekiah had turned to prayer 115 years earlier when King Sennacherib had his Assyrian armies at the gates of Jerusalem (37:14-20). But here, King Zedekiah now faced with the same situation turns from relying on God to relying on self. This was exactly the kind of leadership that got him in trouble to begin with. Now with his back literally to the wall, he tried to fortify the city in many of the ways that Kind David and King Hezekiah had done previously. And you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest (22:8b). He looked to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest instead of to God. This was the royal armory built by King Solomon (First Kings 7:2-6, 10:17-21). But there were not enough weapons.

You saw that the City of David had many breaches in its defenses; you stored up water in the Lower Pool (22:9). When he saw that the City of David had many breaches in it, he collected water in the Lower Pool and worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall (Second Chronicles 32:4-5). You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall (22:10). He demolished private houses that had to be torn down in order to strengthen the wall. Not only did the wall have many breaches in it, but also the lower pools had not been supplied with enough water. The Old Pool or the Pool of Salome, which had been leaking, had only recently been repaired and it was too late to have it filled. You built a reservoir between the two walls, for the water of the Old Pool (22:11a). But not being able to fill the Pool of Salome was not the root cause of Judah’s problem.

But Judah’s real problem was that she did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago (22:11b). The real failure of Judah was not to trust God for protection. We have the same choice today. Is it prudent to have dental insurance, life insurance, health insurance, and car insurance? Of course it is, but it cannot replace our ultimate security in the LORD. In Messiah, we are truly in good hands. Jesus said: no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hands, the Father and I are One (John 10:29).

Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s armies, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth (22:12). When the people saw the enemy they should have repented, realizing they were helpless before the Babylonian army. Pulling out their hair (Ezra 9:3; Nehemiah 13:25) and wearing sackcloth were signs of mourning. To make the head bald, or to shave or pluck the beard was a sign of mourning among the Hebrews and many other nations.⁷²

But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! But instead of mourning they lived it up in revelry, banqueting, and drinking wine in the face of their impending death. They said: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (22:13)! The Hebrew use of the infinitives to eat and drink implies continuous and excessive indulgence in revelries and orgies. The sentence may have been the slogan of the reckless revelers who would enjoy themselves while they could, for life was short and death might come at any moment. It may also be the prophet’s scornful thrust hinting at their impending doom.

In rabbinical writings this is the source of teachings on the second death in Second Chronicles 36:15-16 where the writer gives the reason for the Babylonian captivity. The writer says that God kept sending prophets like Isaiah, but that the people kept rejecting and mocking them until the wrath of ADONAI was aroused against His people and there was no remedy.

Finally, God revealed Judah’s judgment for failing to heed His call to repentance: Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for, says Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s armies (CJB). Their sin would not be atoned for until they died (22:14).

An Oracle Concerning Jerusalem
22: 1-25

In the Oracles to the Nations, Isaiah now turns to his own people. But what is an oracle against Jerusalem doing in a collection of oracles against the nations? The reason that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh inspired Isaiah to include certain nations and exclude others was for the purpose of object lessons, similar to the Letters to the Seven Churches (see the commentary on the book of Revelation, to see link click Ay – Write, Therefore, What Is Now). There, yes, each church had a lesson to learn, but the reason that the Holy Spirit inspired John to write to them was primarily for our benefit. Twenty centuries of believers have benefited from the lessons learned there. So it is with the Oracles to the Nations. They are grouped according to their similarity for our benefit.

Babylon and Edom answer the question, “Where does rebellion against the LORD lead?”

The oracle against Philistia describes the personal cost of trying to destroy Isra’el, the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10).

Moab is a picture of what happens when we place our hope in our accomplishments instead of ADONAI.

Damascus and Samaria answer the question, “What happens if I forget about God?”

Cush, Egypt, and Arabia teach us what happens when we cut the LORD out of the picture and take the steering wheel of our lives into our own hands.

The oracle against Tyre reminds us that human pride and the love of money can really hurt us.

And finally, the prophecy against Jerusalem, or Judah, reminds us not to despise the LORD’s discipline and not to resent His rebuke (Proverbs 3:11-12). Like the lessons from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 1:4 to 3:22, these are lessons for the ages. God help us learn them well.

There are two time periods in this section separated by 115 years. They are not in chronological order. First, in 22:15 to 25, Isaiah describes the time when Hezekiah was king. In 701 BC Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, all but destroyed Judah. He conquered forty-six of Judah’s fortified cities, but because of the prayer of Hezekiah (37:14-20), God spared Yerushalayim. He did not destroy her, but He did discipline her. In this section Shebna is an example of the neglect and abuse of the leadership of Jerusalem, whereas Eliakim is an example of a godly man and the believing remnant. Did she learn her lesson? No, she despised ADONAI’s discipline, and resented His rebuke. Therefore, secondly, in 22:1 to 14 Isaiah describes the destruction of the Holy City of Yerushalayim and the Temple in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia. As Isaiah sees the coming destruction of his own city and people, he is filled with grief.

The Oracle Concerning Arabia
21: 13-17

The oracle concerning Arabia DIG: What are the Arabian cities of Dedan and Tema told to do? Which fugitives (or refugees) are they to care for? What does the future hold for Arabia or Kedar? How do you think these three prophecies against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia affect Judah’s sense of hope as they consider the Assyrian threat? Why do you think God had Isaiah reveal these things to Judah?

REFLECT: Do you sometimes feel like collateral damage in this life? Dedan got caught in the crossfire of something beyond her control? Where did Dedan go for help? What happened to those who lived in Tema? Why? What happens when you take control of the steering wheel of your life? What is the alternative?

The Assyrian threat is the background of this oracle. The Dedanites were a tribe from southern Arabia. Tema (Jeremiah 25:23) was a well-known oasis in northwestern Arabia, and Kedar (42:11) was in northern Arabia. This oracle discusses the difficult times the people of Arabia would soon experience at the hands of the Assyrians. Isaiah uses play on words here. The meaning of the root letters for Arabia and evening are the same three Hebrew letters. Only the vowel patterns change. The night that Edom is to suffer, that night of Edom, will creep into Arabia as well. Only in Arabia it will be more in the sense of evening rather than the night.

An oracle concerning Arabia (21:13a). The NKJ, which is a word for word translation, reads: The burden against Arabia. The NIV, which is a thought for thought translation, reads: An oracle concerning Arabia. Muslims translate the Bible to read the burden upon Arabia. They teach that those who believe in the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ja – Whose Wife Will She Be at the Resurrection) are trying to destroy them; thus, it is the responsibility of all Muslims to spread their belief that Allah is the only god and his messenger is Muhammad, throughout the world (see my comments on 21:7).

Isaiah focuses on two key cities. In the Dispensation of Torah, Arabia was never a unified kingdom as it is today in Saudi Arabia. Rather, until recently, Arabia was comprised of various tribes. Here Isaiah focuses on two key tribes. The first one is the tribe of Dedan, or the Dedanites. Dedan is probably identified with the modern al-Ula, which is about ninety miles southeast of the second tribe of Tema.

This near historical prophecy for Arabia came true. In 715 Sargon II wrote that he had defeated a number of Arabian tribes and had deported them to Samaria. In 703 Arabs joined Merodach-Baladan (39:1) in rebellion against Assyria and were crushed by Sennacherib. The tribe of Dedan had settled just east of Edom. Their origin is mentioned in Genesis 10:7 and 25:3. Because of their proximity to Edom they are often referred to together in the Prophets (Jeremiah 49:8 and Ezeki’el 25:23). But here, the Dedanites are viewed as fleeing from war and having to hide. Although their main economy was based upon the caravan routes, they suddenly found they needed to camp in the thickets of Arabia off the beaten path (21:13b).

Bring water for the thirsty, you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives (21:14). Tema is about two hundred miles southeast of Dumah on the incense trade route. The word for fugitives occurs in 16:2-3 of the Moabites fleeing from danger. The Dedanites could not even go into the city to buy food. The tribe of Tema needed to feed them. Suddenly, this highly independent, self-sufficient Dedan tribe needed to depend upon other tribes for food and water. Tema was in northwest Arabia (Job 6:19 and Jeremiah 25:23). They could have fled to Jerusalem but the Arabian tribes sought to be self-sufficient.

They flee from the sword, literally from before swords, from the drawn sword, swords, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle (21:15). The reason why the Dedanites must hide is because they were caught up in the reality of war. The word swords suggests being caught between two opposing forces. They were collateral damage. So inner Arabia became a haven for those fleeing from the warfare that would engulf the more fertile lands around the edges of the desert. Where could they find help?

Then Isaiah turned his attention to a second Arabian tribe, that of Kedar (Genesis 25:13). The glory of Kedar was her merchant trade and control over certain caravan routes is mentioned elsewhere in Isaiah 42:11, 60:7 and Ezeki’el 27:21. Kedar was a very wealthy, strong tribe. They lived in tents, but they were quite elaborate tents. They looked ugly from the outside, but they were quite beautiful on the inside. The tribe of Kedar was known for its tents (Psalm 120:5).

The mode of traveling in a caravan is peculiar. They travel four camels abreast, which are all tied one after another, like in teams. The whole body is called a caravan, which is divided into several companies, each of which has its own name and could include thousands of camels. The camels have bells about their necks, which, with the singing of the camel drivers, who travel on foot, make pleasant music. Though there is great confusion at the setting out of a caravan, its different companies and divisions soon settle down into a condition of order.⁶⁹

Then Isaiah prophesies. This is what the LORD says to me: Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will come to an end (21:16). In other words, Kedar will fall within one year. This was assured because ADONAI, the God of Isra’el had spoken. The boldness of this statement is lost on us today. What does ADONAI have to do with Babylon or Edom or Arabia? They had their own gods. But Isaiah dares to say it is his God alone who holds the nations in His hand. Do you believe that today? Is it true that the Word of God alone shapes the destiny of the nations? Apart from the sovereignty of God is there any hope for mankind that seems intent on destroying itself?

The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar will be few, because they would experience a great defeat (21:17a). When judgment hits, her population will decrease (Jeremiah 49: 28-33). The survivors will become fugitives, running for their lives from the sword. For Arabia, this will be evening. Notice the contrast with the Edomites. For Edom it is night, total destruction. No one was left. But for Arabia, it is evening, because a remnant will survive into the Millennial Kingdom. This was the far eschatological prophecy for Arabia. The oracle would be fulfilled, for ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, had spoken (21:17b).

The suffering Dedanites, and their helpers of Tema, tried to control their plight with their own resources, and the results speak for themselves. Like Edom and Egypt, Arabia teaches us what happens when we cut the LORD out of the picture and take the steering wheel of our lives into our own hands. The bottom line is this: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Oracle Concerning Babylon
21: 1-10

The oracle concerning Babylon DIG: In Isaiah’s day, Babylon sought allies among the other nations, including Judah (see Chapter 39), to help her resist Assyria. Why is that a faulty, even fatal hope? How does this dire vision affect Isaiah? Why is he so upset? What does this show you about him? Compare Isaiah 21:5 to Dani’el 5:1-30. What were the leaders of Babylon doing the very night of their final overthrow? What does that say about the people of Judah? If Judah hoped that Babylon might protect them from Assyria, how would she react to the news that Babylon has fallen?

REFLECT: What Babylon are you betting on to shelter you from the uncertainties of life? Knowing that such temporal security will be swept away, like Babylon, how do you feel? What can you do to fulfill that God-shaped void of insecurity? When was the last time you were betrayed? How did it feel? What could you have done differently? How does God enter into the equation?

There are two series of oracles. The first series, from 13:1 to 20:6, is marked by great optimism. Even the world’s super powers are subject to ADONAI, and His word is full of promises. The second series of oracles that starts here at 21:1 and ends at 23:18, is very different. Even though the content of each oracle makes its subject clear, each oracle has an air of mystery, even foreboding. There is, in fact, an all-encompassing sense of doom and darkness around each one.

One of the classic examples of the failure of a web of deceptive alliances in our time is the story of Russia and Germany during World War II. One of Hitler’s greatest fears growing out of World War I was of a “two-front” war. So, in order to secure his eastern flank while campaigning in the west, he negotiated what must surely be one of the most cynical alliances of all time. Knowing that he would one day attack Russia (already having said so in his book, Mein Kampf), he still got Russia to agree to a nonaggression pact. For his part, Stalin was frightened of the rapidly growing German war machine and congratulated himself for having effectively stopped it at his borders.

Both of these pirates had built their empires on lies and looting, and now they were announcing their “mutual understanding and trust.” It is amazing that Stalin could not see what sort of person Hitler was after all the promises he had broken from Czechoslovakia onward, but perhaps the Russian tyrant thought he saw a kindred spirit in Hitler. It may also be true that Stalin was afraid of his remaining generals (after the purges of 1937-1938) amassing power within the country if he permitted a great buildup with the pact.

In any case, once Hitler felt the west was secure, he turned to gobble up the great wheat field of Byelorussia and the Ukraine, sure that a cowed Stalin would hide behind the Ural Mountains and sue for peace. But if Stalin misread Hitler, Hitler also misread Stalin. Hitler did not know that he had kicked a bulldog. The former Orthodox priest had pursued his goals of absolute power for twenty years with incredible tenacity and stubbornness, and those traits would serve him well in “The Great Patriotic War.” Both men thought they had put something over on their neighbor that would be to their own advantage. But in the end, both countries were devastated.

This section is not referring to the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian Empire in 539 BC. The end of the Babylonian Captivity was something that Isra’el would rejoice in. Then the Israelites would look forward to the return to their homeland. This fall of Babylon, however, was terrifying and something to be feared. In 722 BC a Chaldean prince from the Persian Gulf region named Merodach-Baladan (39:1) had revolted against Assyria, captured Babylon, and was crowned king of Babylon. Hezekiah, king of Judah, and other members of his royal court felt that Merodach-Baladan would be able to break the strength of the Assyrian Empire (to see link click Ha – The King of Babylon Sent Hezekiah a Gift). But Isaiah warned them that would not happen (see Go – Hezekiah and the Assyrians).

In this near historical prophecy, Isaiah pictures an invasion from the Desert by the Sea, or from Babylon by the Persian Gulf, as being like an approaching desert storm (21:1a). The invader was probably Merodach-Baladan who arose suddenly from the desert regions to revolt against Assyria. The present oracle is probably God’s attempt to discourage Judah from joining Babylon in an alliance against Assyria. It plays the same role in relation to Merodach-Baladan and Babylon as 19:1-15 does in relation to an Egyptian alliance.⁶⁵ Why should Judah trust Babylon when Babylon herself was doomed?

Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror (21:1b). The whirlwinds sweeping through the southland refer to hot winds that move from the east, out of a land of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels (Jeremiah 2:6). These storms come with deadly suddenness and force (Job 1:19, 37:9; Jeremiah 4:11, 13:24; Hosea 13:15; Zechariah 9:14).

God gave Isaiah a vision about the Babylonian uprising against the Assyrian empire. A dire vision had been shown to him, and he didn’t like what he saw. Just because he prophesied about doom and bloodshed didn’t mean he delighted in it. The same sensitivity that made Isaiah aware of what the LORD was saying to him also made him empathize with the human tragedy that he saw coming (21:a). This is why Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet (Lamentations 1:16).

Elam and Media were allies of Babylon in the 700s, Isaiah heard the battle cry for Elam, to attack, and Media (north of Elam) to lay siege! Merodach-Baladan and Babylon were encouraging their allies to join her in the attack on Assyria. But it was to no avail. Sennacherib launched a campaign against Elam in 694 BC and ravaged the land. In that sense the traitor betrays (33:1), and the looter takes loot. Nevertheless, the Babylonian invader Merodach-Baladan thought he could bring to an end all the groaning caused by the traitor, the Assyrian Empire (21:2). She had caused most of the nations in the area to groan under the devastation caused by her conquests. Evidently, Merodach-Baladan thought he could stop the Assyrian advance and liberate the entire Mesopotamia region.

The prophet then contrasted his feelings with those around him. At this my body is wracked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see (21:3). The prophecy he was about to utter had specific effects upon Isaiah himself. First, his body is wracked with pain. The Hebrew word here means contortions, induced by cramps. Secondly, pangs seize him, like a woman in labor, a simile often used by the prophets (Isa 26:17; Jer 4:31, 6:24, 22:23, 30:6, 48:41, 50:43; Micah 4:9-10). Thirdly, he is staggered by what he was hearing. He could hardly stand up. Fourthly, he was bewildered by what he was seeing in Jerusalem. The people around him were living their lives as if nothing was going to happen (21:5a), totally unaware of the impending danger. Possibly Isaiah had in mind the feasting that would occur when king Hezekiah received Merodach-Baladan and his envoys from Babylon (39:1-8).

Isaiah declared: My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me (21:4). Fifthly, his heart falters, in other words, he suffered irregular heartbeats. Sixthly, he is so fearful, that he shook. And finally, the twilight, which would normally be a relief to someone having a nightmare, only brought more horror. While Merodach-Baladan lived in a fantasy world thinking that Babylon could actually defeat Assyria, Isaiah saw the reality. Not only were the Judeans unsuspecting of the dangers ahead, neither were the Babylonians themselves.

The Babylonians, rather than living life as usual, should have been preparing for battle with the Assyrians. Isaiah said of the Babylonians, “They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, and they drink!” Instead, their military leaders should have been saying: Get up, you officers, and oil the shields (21:5). To oil the shields was the first step in the preparation for combat. And they would anoint the shield with oil, because swords, spears, and arrows would more easily glance off. Shields were made of bull-hide, of two or more thicknesses, stretched over a frame of wood, and sometimes strengthened with metallic rims, and ornamented in various places by pieces of metal. An occasional rubbing with oil was necessary to prevent the leather from becoming dry and cracked, and to keep the metallic portions from rust. This was especially necessary in getting ready for battle, hence, to oil the shields was equivalent to a preparation for war. When shields were not in use, they were kept in cases, or covers, probably made of leather, to preserve them from dust. To “uncover the shields” would be equivalent to a preparation for battle, and is an expression having the same meaning as oil the shield. Also see Habakkuk 3:9.⁶⁶ At the very last minute the Babylonians realized that they were in danger, but it was too late. Like the Titanic, they were about to go down.

God told Isaiah to have someone be on the lookout for the battle between Babylon and Assyria. This is what ADONAI says to me: Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees (21:6). God sent a lookout, or watchman, to his post and Babylon to its doom. Once appointed, he is told to report what he saw.

When he sees a military caravan of chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert (21:7). This was what he was supposed to be looking for.

The lookout was to be alert, fully alert. Even strong walls and double gates would not of themselves secure a city from the enemy. Men were therefore employed to watch day and night on the top of the walls, especially by the gates and this is what Isaiah saw. A figure of a lookout and his work is beautifully seen also in Ezekiel 32: 2, 6-7, and Habakkuk 2:1.⁶⁷

It is insightful how Muslims corrupt this same verse for their own uses. They teach that the Bible reads an oracle upon Arabia, instead of the correct translation, an oracle concerning (NIV) or against (NKJ) Arabia in 21:13. Clearly, Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him (John 8:44). Muslim doctrine states that Isaiah wrote these verses after he saw a vision of a chariot of donkeys and a chariot of camels, which once again is not how the text reads. The verse reads, When the watchman sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert. They teach, however, that the chariot of donkeys turned out to be Yeshua who entered Jerusalem on a donkey. They even quote Matthew 21:5 and John 12:14 to substantiate their misinterpretation of this Scripture. Then they ask, “Who then was the chariot of camels?” They say it could be no other than Muhammad who came about six hundred years after the birth of the Messiah, who they believe is a prophet of Allah. Therefore, they ask all mankind to accept Muhammad as “the Seal of the Prophets,” or the last of the Prophets. This is an amazing corruption of this text and shows to what extent that the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (Second Corinthians 4:4).

But the lookout grew impatient when he neither saw nor heard anything. And then he shouted, literally, called out like a lion, “How much longer do I need to keep on looking?” Day after day, my lord (another way of saying sir, responding respectfully to Isaiah, the one who appointed him in 21:6) I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post (21:8). When the answer finally came, the watchman saw what he was told to look for, he blurted out: Look, here it is, here comes a manned chariot with a pair of horses (21:9a). This verse gives us some insight into the demands of a prophet. He was determined to declare only what he saw, his character was unquestioned, and he was disciplined enough to wait until he was certain of his message. The Assyrian military procession (21:7) was returning victorious. That signified that Babylon had fallen and the gods of Babylon had been judged.

And Isaiah gave back the answer to him when he said: Babylon has fallen, has fallen. The repetition of the verb adds to the impact of the statement. All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground (21:9b). The prophets emphasize that when God judges the gods of Babylon, He will punish them (Jeremiah 51:47 and 52). In 46:1-2 we learn that Nebo was the son of Bel Marduk and these two most important gods of the Babylonian pantheon are now seen to be stooped low as if they were in carts to be carried away. Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low. The expressions, bows down and stoops low, evidently refer to the downfall of these idols, and of the system of idolatry of which they were the symbols. So utterly helpless are Nebo and Bel, that they cannot deliver themselves from captivity, and so worthless that they are counted only as burdensome images that are carried about by beasts of burden.⁶⁸

Isaiah says that they are burdensome, a burden for the weary. Furthermore, he tells us that they were unable to rescue the burden. These gods could not deliver Babylon from the invasion of Sennacherib. Now, they themselves go off into captivity, the property of the Assyrian king. It is important to see here that the gods of Babylon were gods that needed to be carried. That is his main point.

The emotional impact of this message on the people of Judah, who were hoping for Babylon’s revolt against Assyria, was devastating. They had hoped that the alliance king Hezekiah had made with Babylon would break the Assyrian domination. But it was not to be. So, the people of Judah felt crushed emotionally, like a grain of wheat on the threshing floor (21:10a).

Isaiah reiterated that his message was from God. He was only telling what he had heard from the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), the God of Isra’el (21:10). Judah should not rely on the Babylonians to save them. This man from the Desert by the Sea, Merodach-Baladan, would not be successful. They should not hitch their wagon to him.

The Oracle Concerning Egypt and Ethiopia
20: 1-6

The oracle concerning Egypt and Ethiopia DIG: Sargon II destroyed Ashdod, a city in revolt against Assyria, in 711 BC. What object lesson was that meant to teach Judah? Nudity was culturally unacceptable: What was Isaiah likely wearing? How would that plus his message, take on new meaning when Assyria triumphs over Ashdod? How was Isra’el unequally yoked with Egypt and Ethiopia?

REFLECT: Do you learn better through lectures or object lessons? What object lesson has God provided for you that has contributed to your trusting God more? What is the “Assyria” that seems unstoppable in your life? What “Egypt” are you tempted to rely upon for help? What would it mean, instead, for you to trust God in that tempting situation? Are you unequally yoked in any way with the world?

This passage concludes Isaiah’s oracle against Egypt and summarizes God’s message not to trust in her. Egypt was under judgment so reliance on her was useless. Nevertheless, there were some in Judah who wanted to form an alliance with Egypt and Cush, or Ethiopia. As an example, God allows the Assyrian king Sargon II to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod in 711 BC. The king of Ashdod, Yamani, fled to Egypt to seek asylum. But the Egyptians, faced with an Assyrian army on its borders, completely capitulated and meekly handed over a bound Yamani to the Assyrians. This is the backdrop in Isaiah, prompted by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, drew a line in the desert sand. The truth was that Egypt was just as subject to defeat as any other nation, and any reliance on her would be just as foolish as it had been for Ashdod and Yamani.

This oracle in Isaiah Chapters 19 and 20 highlights the conflict between two world views: the biblical one and the world view. The temptation for the Jews of Isaiah’s day to embrace the world was just as strong as it is for us today. The fears are the same. But John cuts to the heart of the issue when, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17). Today, the threat to the universal Church is tolerance. The world believes in syncretism, or that all paths lead to God. The motto of the world is, “All is one.” But it was a lie at the Tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dl – The Tower of Babel) it was a lie in Isaiah’s lifetime, and it is a lie today. The world believes that we are all brothers and sisters. That is also a lie. There are only two families in this life. You are either in the family of God or the family of Satan. And if you aren’t in one, you’re in the other. That’s what the Bible teaches.

Judah could not be protected from the world by embracing the world any more than we can today. Isaiah’s remedy is our remedy. The Bible commands us to love God and do not be yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (or false gods)? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the Temple of God and idols? For we are the Temple of the living God. As ADONAI has said: I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the LORD (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it (20:1). The year that the supreme commander went to Ashdod and captured it was during the reign of Sargon II (Second Kings 18:17). We know his reign lasted from 721 BC to 705 BC. The fall of Ashdod took place in 711 BC. It was necessary for Ashdod to be taken, because it stood in the way of the Assyrian invasion of both Egypt and Ethiopia. So with this one verse the fulfillment of three earlier prophecies begins.

It is in that year, 711 BC, that Isaiah is commanded to perform a symbolic act. At that time, the LORD through Isaiah son of Amoz, He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet. And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot” (20:2). Being a prophet was not always an ideal situation. Sometimes you had to do some strange things. Jeremiah and Ezeki’el were asked to do some weird things as well. Here Isaiah is acting out the fate of captives, who were frequently stripped and led into captivity. For three years Isaiah did not wear his outer garment of sackcloth, an inner tunic, or sandals. He only wore a loincloth. It would be the equivalent of walking around in your underwear for three years. For most people this behavior would not be easy to undertake. But once Isaiah knew God’s will, he was committed to it. It is the same for us. God probably will not ask you to walk around for three years in your underwear, but He does ask for your obedience to His Word and His will. Indeed, He may ask you to do something that is just as distasteful as walking around in his underwear was to Isaiah.

Then the LORD said: Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and warning against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared – to Egypt’s shame (20:3-4). The beginnings of the near historical prophecies of Chapters 18 and 19 are about to be fulfilled. Isaiah, acting as a mouthpiece for the LORD, said that the way that he was stripped would be a sign and warning against Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia). The concept of a sign and warning is very biblical (Isaiah 8:18; Deuteronomy 13:1-2, 28:46, 29:3, 34:11; Psalms 135:9; Jeremiah 32:20-21). Prior to the Exodus, the signs in Egypt proved that the Hebrews’ God was superior to any Egyptian god. Also, Jesus’ resurrection was evidence that He was indeed who He said He was, the Redeemer and Savior of mankind (Matthew 12:40). So here Isaiah’s actions do not guarantee that Egypt will go into captivity, but they are part of the evidence that Egypt is not trustworthy and ADONAI is.

The Egyptians would be taken captive and the Ethiopians sent into exile, naked and disgraced (Isaiah 3:17; Ezeki’el 16:37, 23:10 and 29). At first it seems odd that a revolt by Ashdod should provoke a prediction of Egyptian (and Ethiopian, since the Ethiopian dynasty ruled Egypt) captivity. Furthermore, such captivity did not occur until the reign of Esarhaddon in 671, some forty years later. However, further reflection shows that his emphasis was not so strange. In fact, it dealt with the real issue. For Ashdod’s fate was not the most important thing with which Judah should concern herself. The real issue was the fate of Egypt, the agitator of rebellion. So, Isaiah concerns himself with the cause of the rebellion, not the symptom. Not only will Egypt’s lackeys go into exile, Isaiah says, but so will Egypt herself. Mighty Egypt, rich in culture and glory, will be carried off in shame.⁶³

Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say: See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape (20:5-6)? Those in Judah, who thought an alliance with Egypt and Ethiopia would help her, would eventually be afraid and ashamed. People would realize that if Egypt and Cush had fallen to Assyria, then they had no chance of escape. As Ashdod had looked to Egypt and been betrayed, so would they. She had not been strong enough to save Ashdod. She had not even been strong enough to defy Assyria’s demand for Yamani. All this pointed to the harsh truth that whatever Assyria wanted she would get. Why then, Isaiah would ask, would Judah want to trust Egypt? It could only end in shame as it did for Yamani. Why look to the fading glory of Egypt when she could look to the glory of God.⁶⁴ Why do we sometimes look to the fading glory of mere humans, when we could look to the glory of ADONAI?

Blessed Be Egypt, Assyria and Isra’el
19: 23-25

Blessed be Egypt, Assyria and Isra’el DIG: What does the highway motif indicate about the restored fellowship between Egypt, Assyria, and Isra’el (also see 11:16 and 40:3-4)? How would Isaiah’s fellow Jews feel about the Assyrians? What effect would hearing 19:25 have on them? What does that show about God’s attitude toward other nations?

REFLECTION: Egypt and Assyria represent all the nations (see 2:2-4 and Revelation 7:9-11). What then do these verses imply about God’s relationship to the world? Therefore, how will you pray for the world?

In that day once again points to the far eschatological future in the Millennial Kingdom. In a remarkable statement Isaiah sees the end of the ancient hostility between Assyria and Egypt. No more will Isra’el be merely a pawn between these warring powers. Now she will take her place beside them to fulfill the ancient promise: and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). Nor will God’s blessing be for her alone. It will be impartially given out to all nations.⁶⁰

Here Isaiah deals with the union of three previous enemies: Isra’el, Egypt and Assyria. Assyria today is Iraq and a small portion of Syria. Iraq covers a huge area, which includes ancient Babylonia and Assyria. Modern Syria extends further out, which includes parts of ancient Assyria. There will be three types of unions: an economic union, a religious union, and a blessing aspect to the union.

The economic union: Isaiah speaks of a highway out of Egypt to Assyria. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria (19:23a). A highway is a favorite metaphor in Isaiah for the removal of alienation and separation (11:16, 33:8, 35:8, 40:3, 49:11, 62:10). In the rough and hilly country of Isra’el, this could be easily understood. Isaiah’s message was clear. Do not make a highway, or an alliance, with Egypt to escape from Assyria. Isaiah emphasizes that Judah’s only hope, and in reality Egypt’s only hope, is in ADONAI.

What was unquestionably the most important highway in the ancient world is sometimes referred to as the Great Trunk Road; it passed from Egypt to Babylonia and to frontiers beyond and vitally linked each part of the Fertile Crescent in all periods. This highway began at Memphis, near the base of the Nile delta, and passed the Egyptian towns of Ra and Sile before arriving at Gaza. Gaza was an important Egyptian provincial capital, and it sometimes served as a launching pad for Egyptian campaigns through Palestine and Syria. This southern-most sector of the highway was of paramount importance to Egyptian security; it was the way of Horus in Egyptian literature. In the Bible this segment of the road was known as the way to the land of the Philistines’ (Exodus 13:17).⁶¹ Since 1948 the Great Trunk Road has been cut off from both the Egyptian border on the south and the Syrian border on the north. But when this union is established, the “way of Horus” will be reopened and once again there will be a highway between these three nations.

The religious union: There will also be a religious union, because they will worship the same God. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together (19:23b). People in these two nations, bitter enemies in Isaiah’s day, will worship together.

The blessing aspect to the union: In that day Isra’el will be the third nation, along with Egypt and Assyria, which will be a blessing on the earth. ADONAI-Tzva’ot will bless them, saying: Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance (19:24-25). The titles My people, My handiwork, and My inheritance always belonged to Isra’el (Second Samuel 3:18; Isaiah 29:22; Psalm 28:9). But during the Messianic Kingdom, they will be shared.

In a remarkable statement, Isaiah applies terms previously restricted to Isra’el to both Egypt and Assyria. He calls Egypt, My people (10:24, 43:6-7; Hosea 1:10, 2:23; Jeremiah 11:4) and Assyria, My handiwork (Isaiah 60:21 and 64:8; Psalms 119:73 and 138:8). It is true that the favorite term, My inheritance, is reserved for Isra’el (Deuteronomy 32:9), but the claim that this term gives a slightly special standing to Isra’el is an argument from silence. In fact, Assyria, Egypt and the rest of the earth will also be the recipients of blessing in that day, the Millennium.

Compare this passage with Ezeki’el 29:13-16. Combining what Isaiah has to say, and what Ezeki’el has to say, we see that at the end of the Tribulation Egypt undergoes a national conversion. Yet, because of their previous history of continuous hatred against Isra’el, during the first forty years of the Millennial Kingdom, the Egyptians will be dispersed among the peoples of the earth. Egypt will be deserted during this time. Then after forty years there will be a regathering of all the Egyptians. But Egypt will never again be a kingdom ruling over other nations.

The underlying point in this section is that if Isra’el trusts in Egypt to protect her instead of God, she will be prostituting her ministry to Egypt. Instead, she is to be the vehicle whereby those very nations can turn to her God and become partners with her in service to Him and enjoy His blessings.⁶²

The LORD Will Make Himself Known
to the Egyptians
19: 16-22

The LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians DIG: Isaiah anticipates a tremendous change in Egypt. How and why will Egypt’s sense of superiority over Judah change? Compare Isaiah 19:19-20 with Exodus 3:7-10. What does this tell you about the judgments of ADONAI? How much does God love the Egyptians (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ej – Hagar and the Angel of the LORD)?

REFLECT: In 19:16-22, Egypt moves from (a) fearing God, to (b) calling upon Him for help, to (c) joyfully worshiping Him. How far along are you on that a-b-c highway? What most excites you about what it will be like when the promises of these verses are fulfilled? How will the altar in the heart of Egypt, in turn, alter your heart of hearts? What “pagan Assyrian” in your life do you presently disdain, much as a Jew in Isaiah’s day would? What could you do about changing your heart in this area?

The second half of Chapter 19 moves from poetry to prose, and from the judgment of Egypt to her redemption (see the commentary on Exodus Bz – Redemption). Isaiah now begins with a three-stage progression that will lead to Egypt’s national conversion. From this stage on, Isaiah uses the phrase, in that day, to indicate the far eschatological future for Egypt. The first statement is a transitional one from the previous section.

In the first stage we see Egypt’s fear of Judah. In that day, the Egyptians will no longer be warriors standing tall in battle. They will be like women in the midst of war, who know themselves defenseless, cowering in fear before their victor. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies raises against them (19:16). The emphasis here is on Egypt’s fear and trembling. The cause of that fear is ADONAI-Tzva’ot. As Isra’el had been a source of horror to the Egyptians hundreds of years earlier (Exodus 10:7; 12:33), Y’hudah will now be also. And the reason will be the same in both cases. It was not because she would pose any military threat. Rather, it is because of the way that ADONAI will make His power visible to the world.

In contrast with Isaiah’s day when Judah was thinking about turning to Egypt for help, a time will come when Egypt will recognize Judah as the dominant force in the world. Their fear is so great that when Isra’el of the far eschatological future is mentioned, they begin to shudder. What is the cause of Egypt’s terror? It is that God, who abides in the land of Judah, will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD of heaven’s armies is planning against them (19:17). But why is it necessary to bring terror? Because those who have not experienced the results of their sin are very likely to deny that they have any sin. But those who are crushed by their sin will look for a way out. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation (Second Corinthians 7:10). They will be looking for a Redeemer, and that is what Isaiah is promising.

Once again, the phrase, in that day, is used placing this prophecy in the far eschatological future. In the second stage, Isaiah begins to speak of an Egypt turning to ADONAI, presumably as a result of the outworking of God’s plan upon them. How often do people whose comfortable world has come crashing down around them turn to YHVH in desperation and find, almost to their surprise, that He had been waiting to receive them? So, Isaiah pictures Egypt turning to God.⁵⁸

In that day five cities in Egypt will speak in Hebrew, the language (literally the lip) of Canaan, and swear allegiance to the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (19:18a). At first glance, this seems like an odd statement. Five cities out of 30,000 is hardly a large percentage. But YHVH uses the figure of five cities to convey the radical nature of the turn. To think of even one city adopting the language of the “sand-dwellers,” the Semites, whom the Egyptians held in contempt, would be astonishing. But for five to do so would truly be amazing. So, Isaiah says that Egypt’s turn to God will be so complete that some cities will go so far as to adopt even the language of Judah.⁵⁹ One of these cities will be Heres, or Heliopolis (Ezeki’el 30:17), called the City of the Sun (19:18b NLT). It was one of the major cities in the south end of Egypt’s delta, and was dedicated to worshiping the Egyptian sun god Ra. Such a significant change, to worshiping ADONAI instead of Ra, will prove to the world and to Isra’el that Egypt is dedicated to the LORD. What a day that will be!

In that day is used again for the third time, pointing to the far eschatological future. The third stage is the national regeneration of Egypt. An altar will be built to the LORD along with a monument at Egypt’s border (19:19). The altar is for sacrifice, and Egypt submits to ADONAI by means of sacrifice (Zechariah 14:16-19 and Malachi 1:11). The monument (pillar in the KJV) is for a memorial. The purpose of the monument will be a sign and a witness that the land of Egypt, the former enemy of Isra’el, had received Messiah Yeshua. At the end of the Great Tribulation they will cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, and He will forgive them of their sins. Not only that, He will also send them a Savior and defender who will rescue them (19:20). For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). And after living in the Messianic Kingdom for forty years they will be gathered back to Egypt, which will have been deserted the entire time (Ezekiel 29:13-16). At that time, the world will plainly see that Egypt is worshiping the God of Isra’el. So, ADONAI will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge Him. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings. They will make vows to the LORD and keep them (19:21).

Next is the summary of Egypt’s salvation. The language here is similar to that of the Exodus (Exodus 7:5, 9:28; 14:4). The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague. He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to Him and He will respond to their pleas (19:22). They will be struck with a plague as in the Exodus, but this time they will turn to ADONAI. Egypt will be in the same position as Isra’el, in the sense that, when the Egyptians ask God for help, He will give it to them. This message was seemingly unbelievable to the people of Judah during Isaiah’s day. But the Bible says it will occur. In that day, at that time, there is going to be a national regeneration of Egypt. But they are not the only ones.

The Wise Counselors of Pharaoh
Give Senseless Advice
19: 11-15

The wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice DIG: Zoan and Memphis were major cities in Upper and Lower Egypt. Compared to the LORD’s power and wisdom, what are their famed wise men like? What effect does their leadership have upon the country? How is this related to their consulting with the mediums and the spiritists in 19:3b? Since Egypt’s plans (19:3a), natural resources (19:5-7) and leadership (19:11-12) were all dependent upon the LORD, what should that have said to Jews looking to Egypt instead of ADONAI for help? Could God’s judgments in 19:1-15 be intended to bring about the events in 19:16-25?

REFLECT: To whom do you rely on for wisdom in your own life? Your gut feeling? Your friends? Your horoscope? Your family? or God? How much time do you spend asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom in making the important decisions in your life? How much do you rely on the Scriptures for direction the LORD has already given you? How often do you find yourself being wise in your own eyes?

An oracle concerning Egypt. The pro-Egyptian party in Judah wanted to look to Egypt for help against the Assyrian threat. But Isaiah pointed out that Egypt would be no help at all, because she too would be overwhelmed by God’s judgment. In this poem of three nearly equal strophes God exposes the weaknesses that would supposedly make Egypt great: her idols (19:1-4), her wealth (19:5-10), and her wisdom.

If Egypt thought she had reason to be proud of her religion and her economy, she certainly thought she had reason to be proud of her wisdom (First Kings 4:30). The Ruach Ha’Kodesh, however, describes why Egypt’s wisdom would be unable to help her. Egypt was well known in the ancient world for its writings of wisdom and its wise men. Yet, Isaiah says that their wisdom would be of no more value to them than their idols or natural resources. In words similar to those addressed to the idols in Chapters 40 and 41, Isaiah challenges the wise men to a contest. Could they show Pharaoh God’s plans for Assyrian invasion? Of course not. Then what reason would there be for Judah to trust in, or even fear, Egypt? Her gods were useless, her productivity was dependent on God’s grace, and her supposed wise men were downright stupid. What could Egypt offer Judah?

Isaiah says that the officials and counselors of Egypt are fools and should not be counted on to save the nation from the coming destruction. Isaiah taunts the officials of Zoan, or advisors of Pharaoh, saying they are nothing but fools who give senseless advice. Those supposedly discerning counselors were giving Pharoah advice that would not be fit for an animal (Psalm 49:20, 73:22). Specifically, it means to be without spiritual discernment. Therefore, it is linked here with the inability to see what ADONAI is doing, or to discern the spiritual cause behind the national, social and economic problems of the nation. Isaiah speaks to the wise men directly, asking sarcastically: How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings” (19:11)? Their plans had failed so many times that Isaiah is flabbergasted that they were still willing to claim to be the keepers of ancient wisdom. If the truth be known, they did not understand either the past (14:24-27; 37:26), or the present.

The prophet even taunts Pharaoh himself, saying: Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies has planned against Egypt (19:12). He uses language that Paul uses many years later in First Corinthians 1:20. God is going to treat Egypt the way He did in the Exodus. How will the wise men, who lack wisdom from God, explain that? In fact, they cannot even tell him what God’s plan of attack will be. Isaiah wonders out loud why Pharaoh even keeps them around.

The tragedy of Egypt was that the very ones who should have led her correctly were leading her astray. The officials of Zoan (Numbers 13:22; Psalm 78:12 and 43; Isaiah 30:4; Ezekiel 30:14) have become fools, the leaders of Memphis (Jeremiah 2:16, 44:1, 46:14 and 19; Ezeki’el 30:13 and 16; Hosea 9:6) are deceived. These people were the very cornerstones of Egyptian society (Judges 20:2; First Samuel 14:38; Zechariah 10:4). But if the cornerstone itself has no foundation, it is worthless. As a result, the cornerstones of her peoples led Egypt astray (19:13).

Without God, wisdom is limited in this world. This is why the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). It is also why there is no other foundation than Christ Himself (First Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20; First Peter 2:6; and Isaiah 28:16). This lack of wisdom has been consistently true of Egypt until this very day. The leaders of Egypt have led their country into four wars with Isra’el. Each with devastating results for the Egyptians. The foolishness of the Egyptian leadership was complete. The city of Zoan is in the north and the city of Memphis is in the south. So foolishness characterizes both north and south, both Upper and Lower Egypt. The result was that Egypt had been led astray.

The picture of a confused, drunken Egypt was no accident. ADONAI was the one who confused the arrogance and supposed wisdom of Egypt, just as He confused the language of the Tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dn – Let Us Go Down and Confuse Their Language). The LORD has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit (19:14). All their so-called wisdom was foolishness when compared to ADONAI, who was planning the onslaught. Having ignored the general revelation of the LORD and exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:18-32), He is going to treat Egypt again as He did at the Exodus.

No one in Egypt could do anything to avert the destruction. There is nothing Egypt could do – head or tail, palm branch or reed (19:15). Neither the head (the palm branch), or the leaders, nor the tail (the reed), or the common people, would hold back God’s judgment. After the New Kingdom period ended, the greatness of Egypt would come to an end. She would be dominated by a whole series of foreign conquerors. It is not a surprise that Isaiah sees her situation as being hopeless (9:13), like an ancient prostitute who does not realize that she has seen her better days. A century later Ezeki’el adds that as a result of this kind of devastation, the Egyptians, like the Jews, will be dispersed throughout the peoples of the earth for forty years. During that time, Egypt will be desolate and no one will pass through (Ezeki’el 29:6-9). Both Isaiah and Ezeki’el were appalled to think that Judah would compromise her faith in God for a hopeless, drunken Egypt.

Isaiah has already said: Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own thought (5:21). Unlike Egypt (or the world), we need to remember that true wisdom comes from God (First John 2:15-17). The Bible teaches us to trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, then He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). Those, like Egypt, who refuse to acknowledge Him are nothing but fools (Proverbs 26:12). Which are you?

I Will Stir Up Egyptian Against Egyptian
19: 1-10

I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian DIG: Egypt was the most likely ally for Judah against Assyria (see Chapters 30 and 31). Why was that so foolish? What about the Exodus might account for the idols trembling? Why wouldn’t Egypt’s idols, wealth or wisdom help her in her time of need?

REFLECT: How do you keep from aligning yourself with the wrong people or causes in your life? Who is there to warn you of the dangers? Even if someone told you, you were in danger, would you listen to them? Have you ignored warnings in the past? What was the result? What would you do different now?

An oracle concerning Egypt. Some of the Jews living in Judah wanted to look to Egypt for help against the Assyrian threat. But Isaiah pointed out that Egypt would be no help at all, because she too would be overwhelmed by the LORD’s judgment. In this poem of three nearly equal strophes the LORD exposes the weaknesses that would supposedly make Egypt great: her idols (19:1-4), her wealth (19:5-10), and her wisdom (19:11-15). None of these could save Egypt against the coming onslaught, so why should Judah tie her national destiny to that doomed nation? So in general terms, ADONAI is merely exposing Egypt’s weaknesses in 19:1-5. She is no solution to the Assyrian problem facing Judah. The details are not important.

First, Egypt’s idols could not save her. Isaiah tells Judah that Egypt will be judged by means of internal troubles, which will lead to a civil war. See, ADONAI rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt (19:1a). God is pictured riding on a swift cloud (Ps 68:4 and 33; 104:3). In Canaanite mythology this same idea is used of Ba’al, the god of rain and fertility. But, God, not Ba’al, is the true Giver of rain (something Egypt would really need) and fertility. The gods of Egypt would not be able to save their people from the coming judgments.⁵⁷ The idols of Egypt tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them (19:1b). Egypt’s many idols will be exposed as worthless before the presence of God. They can offer neither help nor hope. Their idols will tremble before Him and will cause the Egyptians to be disheartened and depressed.

Egypt will be judged by means of internal troubles, which will lead to a civil war. I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian – brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom (19:2). Throughout her history Egypt was especially prone to civil war. After six strong dynasties of the Old Kingdom, there came a two hundred year period when each of the forty-two city-states became independent and chaos reigned. Then the Twelfth Dynasty again united the people for about two hundred years, but chaos again took over for two centuries. Each city-state had its own god, which would lead to dissolution if there was no one man who had enough leadership capabilities to pull the nation together under one pharaoh. And so it went again and again. Isaiah sees this kind of disaster ahead for Egypt. In general terms, her gods could not hold her together because of God’s judgment.

Not only would there be civil war, there would be judgment against Egyptian occult practices. The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing (19:3a). When people begin to lose their hope, depression settles in. They become despondent, lacking in spirit. When this happens, spirit is often replaced by spiritism. And that is exactly what will happen in Egypt. Isaiah prophesied that they would consult with idols and the spirits of the dead, with mediums and spiritists (Isaiah 8:19; Leviticus 19:31, 20:6). Losing the power of logical reasoning, the Egyptians have clung to sorcery and witchcraft (19:3b).

The nation whose gods have deserted them is ripe for oppression. It lacks both the will and the guts to resist any attack from either inside or outside the nation. And then a cruel master and a fierce king will overtake them. Egypt, who centuries before had been a cruel master over Isra’el (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ag  – Then a New King Who Did Not Know About Joseph Came to Power), would now be the object of cruelty. And a fierce king will rule over them. This judgment would come from ADONAI, the LORD of heavens armies (19:4).

Secondly, Egypt’s wealth could not save her. It is not an understatement to say that without the Nile there would be no Egypt. The lifeblood and the entire industry of Egypt were based upon the Nile River. Therefore, to show that the judgment would come from God, Isaiah said that the destruction would affect Egypt’s natural resources. The waters of the river will dry up (19:19:5a). Here Isaiah pointed to the fact that if the Nile were ever shut off, the rich and haughty Egypt would cease to exist. The critical weakness that Isaiah was emphasizing to Judah in this strophe is not to depend on a country who could not even control its only resource for existence. It was not in their own hands, it was in the hands of God.

This would result in the destruction of certain industries. The riverbed will be parched and dry. The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up (19:5b-6a). Before God, the mighty Nile could be shut off, the canals made dry and stinking, and the Delta become as dry as a desert. Why would Judah want to commit herself to a nation as vulnerable as that!

The first result of the river’s drying up would be the destruction of the lush plant life along its edges. The reeds and rushes will wither, also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river. But not only would the rushes and the papyrus reeds disappear, but every sown field along the Nile would become parched, blow away and be no more (19:6b-7). Throughout Egypt’s history, she was able to export grain to the rest of the world. Paul traveled to Rome on a grain ship from Egypt in Acts 28:11. When judgment comes, however, she will not be able to feed herself let alone anyone else.

But if the Nile dried up, so would the marine life. The fisherman will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away (19:8). Fishing was one of the major industries of Egypt (Numbers 11:5; Ezeki’el 29:4), and that industry would obviously cease to exist if the Nile stopped flowing. Would the Egyptians once again turn to their many idols who were supposed to protect the Nile (see the commentary on Exodus Bk – Strike the Water of the Nile and It Will Be Turned into Blood)?

Another industry representative of the Egyptian life was the production of linen from flax. Those who combed flax to break down its fibers to make thread will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope (19:9). Like the production of grain and the fishing industry, the growing of flax and the making of fine linen was totally dependent upon on the Nile. But the Judeans needed to understand that all of it could be taken away in an instant. Who would put their trust in something as tenuous as that?

The result would be unemployment. The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart (19:10). The entire economy depended upon the Nile River. Isaiah knew the country well, but was convinced that all its productivity was no more than a gift from God.

The Oracle Concerning Egypt
19: 1-25

Now Isaiah goes north of Ethiopia to Egypt. Chapter 19 focuses on Egypt; Chapter 20 concerns both Egypt and Cush. As in the other oracles, the historical situation, the impending Assyrian advance throughout the whole region, serves as a backdrop for the prophecies. As seen in Chapters 30 and 31, the leaders of Judah were tempted to rely more and more upon Egypt as the eighth century drew to a close and the threat of Assyrian invasion became greater and greater. However, Isaiah’s message remained the same: Anything that we trust instead of God will eventually turn on us and destroy us. He asks, “Why, trust Egypt when she has nothing to offer you that you do not already have (Chapter 19)? Why trust Egypt when recent history shows she will betray you (Chapter 20)? Why not trust the LORD who holds Egypt in the palm of His hand and to whom she must one day turn?”

The Oracle Concerning Ethiopia
18: 1-7

DIG: How would you sum up ADONAI’s answer in 18:3-6, which they are to bring to the aggressive nation? What do the images of the summer heat, morning dew, and the farmer pruning His garden say about the way God will work with Assyria? How do the events of 37:36-38 illustrate the lesson of 18:5-6? Beyond the Assyrian crisis, what ultimately will result from God’s work among the nations (see 2:2-4, 9:5-7, 11:10-12, 14:1-2, 16:4-5; also Psalm 68:31)?

REFLECT: If God’s purpose for the nations is unchanged, how does this affect the way you pray for peoples that seem most fearsome to you? How has Christ, the banner who is raised for all to see, transformed someone who is feared far and wide into someone close to Him? The Ethiopian eunuch is one example. Can you think of anyone else you know of? Who has been God’s heat and dew in your life? How might you be like that to someone in your circles who is feared far and wide? What would that take for you to do so?

The woe to Ethiopia (or Cush) is a specific example of the oracle to Damascus and Syria. It puts the message to them in a particular context. The word woe points to distress, or a threat voiced in the face of present or coming disaster. It is not directed to the Ethiopians, and no word of judgment is pronounced on them. Rather, they are to be the bearers of a message that no alliance against Assyria would succeed. As Isaiah had prophesied all along, the alliance of Syria and Isra’el would fail to conquer the southern kingdom of Judah. ADONAI was using the Assyrians to discipline His people.⁵⁵

When we think of this prophecy, that the Ethiopians will come to Jerusalem bearing gifts to the LORD, we remember the Ethiopian eunuch who received the divinely guided interpretation of Isaiah 53 and became a believer (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). He represents all those other nations who have brought their gifts to God in Jerusalem, both before the birth of the Messiah and even more since. Isaiah has the long view that sees the reality behind what the other people of his day cannot see.⁵⁶ This segment provides a transition to the oracles against Egypt, but the poem is not a part of Chapters 19 and 20. It is the closing of the segment that began in 17:1.

Woe to the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush, which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water (18:1-2a). The woe was directed against the land of whirring wings, or the nation of Cush. The term whirring wings refers to swarms of insects, and to Ethiopia in particular. Cush included modern-day southern Egypt, Sudan, and northern Ethiopia.

Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers (18:2b). Ethiopia has three rivers (two key rivers, and serves as a source for a third one). The first key river is the Atbara River. The second river is the Blue Nile, and the third river is the Nile itself. The Nile, like the Euphrates, is sometimes designated as the sea. Ethiopia is the source for the Nile. From Ethiopia the Nile flows northward into Egypt, and becomes Egypt’s key river. From the Israeli point of view, the land beyond these rivers was the city of Napata, which was the capital of Ethiopia at that time.

Second Kings 19:9 states that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt had responded to Hezekiah, who was seeking an alliance against Assyria, by marching out to fight the Assyrian king while Sennacherib was threatening Jerusalem (see Gp – The Timeline of Sennacherib’s Invasion of Judah). Apparently, Ethiopia sent messengers to Judah. When they arrived, Isaiah was the one who spoke to them, and sent them back with a word of judgment. All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it (18:3a).

The LORD would defeat the enemy at the proper time. While the people of Cush represented all the people of the world who wanted to see Assyria defeated, Assyria is not the point here. Isaiah helps us see beyond a mere nation to the fact that ADONAI is LORD over all the earth. The entire world is called to witness His Lordship. When the banner of Messiah is raised on the mountains, the world will see it. And when the shofar, or last trumpet, sounds (First Corinthians 15:51-52), the world will hear it (18:3b). So, when the signals are given, all the people of the world must be prepared to accept the evidence that God has given us that He is at work in the world. Many times, we do not see His hand in events because we do not expect to see it. But having been altered, we will, through faith, see the Hand that controls the universe.

On the surface of it, it seems strange that God would judge Cush so harshly because she was sincerely trying to help Judah. But her actions, however well intentioned, went directly against God’s Word through His prophet Isaiah. Is this still not true today? Anytime we go against the Word of ADONAI, however well intentioned we might be, our desires, like Cush, will not succeed.

This is what the LORD says to me: I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest (18:4). These verses contain the content of what Isaiah said to these messengers from Ethiopia. He said that God’s plans would linger much like the summer heat and harvest dew. ADONAI told Isaiah that He would wait until the proper time to cut off the enemy. The prophet had already been given the reasons for this (10:12, 25 and 32). But the Assyrian army first had to complete the task God gave them. That was to punish the people of Isra’el by taking them captive. No Ethiopian alliance against Assyria would succeed. The near historical prophecy for Cush would be that they were sentenced to destruction by Assyria.

For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches (18:5). The LORD carefully watched the state of affairs developing on the earth and then, like a farmer who prunes back his vines, ADONAI will cut off the excess leaves that were not bearing fruit and leave it. God has perfect timing and, like the farmer, will not act too soon or too late. Once the fruit is matured, God’s pruning knife will go into action. The near historical context is the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s attack on Hezekiah and Jerusalem. At the last possible moment, when it seemed all was lost for Judah, the LORD quietly pruned and cut off 180,000 Assyrian soldiers and left them on the ground like so many leaves (see Gw – Then the Angel of the LORD Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp).

They will be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter (18:6). However, once God’s purposes had been accomplished, He would intervene and cut them off just when the Assyrians. Like grapes beginning to ripen (or beginning to expand their empire), just as they were poised to attack Judah, they would be killed and left on the mountains as food for wild birds in the summer and wild animals in the winter (37:36-38).

But it has a happy ending of sorts because Ethiopia submitted herself, and offered herself to the LORD. It is ironic that the Ethiopians, who did not have the Torah, submitted to ADONAI, but in the final analysis, Judah, who had the Torah and the prophets, would not. But God would honor the submission of the Ethiopians.

At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of heaven’s armies from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers – the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, to the place where the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies lives (CJB), Mount Zion (18:7). After the Assyrian defeat, the LORD would cause the people of Cush to bring gifts to the LORD of heaven’s armies at Mount Zion, where His name dwelt. He says that no alliance that Ethiopia will try to gain against Assyria will succeed. The Assyrians sentence Ethiopia to destruction. It is no accident that Isaiah uses the same phrase, the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), which Zechariah uses when describing the nations of the world bringing gifts to Him at Mount Zion during the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the far eschatological prophesy for Ethiopia would be that in the Millennial Kingdom, they, along with people and nations from all over the world, would go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19).

In That Day
Their Strong Cities Will Be Abandoned
17: 9-14

In the day their strong cities will be abandoned DIG: Since Isra’el still worshiped the LORD (as well as other gods), what does it mean to have forgotten God? 17:10-11 refer to a pagan fertility rite whereby plants were force-bloomed in hopes of persuading the gods to bless the harvest. How will this practice backfire on Isra’el? What does the sailor’s image of the raging sea and the desert image of the chaff and tumbleweed mean for the future of many nations? Where else have you seen Isra’el’s powerful enemies so quickly cut down as they are here? How is this depicted in 10:28-34 and 37:36-38?

REFLECT: Compare 17:12-13 with Psalm 2:1-6. What truth about God emerges from these descriptions? How might that story, together with the image of 17:13, affect you as you face a world full of confusion and tumult raging around you (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ff – Jesus Calms the Storm)? Are you going it alone? Or are you in the boat with Jesus?

In the midst of earth’s struggles, it is sometimes hard to believe that God is really on the throne. For instance, suppose a modern-day Isaiah had stood up on the streets of London in the spring of 1942 and said that Germany and Japan, who at that moment ruled fully half of the world between them, would be completely powerless in just a little over three years. He would probably have been laughed to scorn. Yet he would have been completely correct. Despite the energy, intellect, and military power of those two great nations, they were swept away. God is the one reality who does not change or fade away. He is the One with whom we must come to terms.⁵⁴

As Isaiah had prophesied all along, the alliance of Syria and Isra’el would fail to conquer the southern kingdom of Judah. Oh, the raging waters of many nations – they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples – they roar like the roaring of great waters (17:12)! These peoples were the Assyrians, whom God was using to discipline His people. Although ADONAI uses wicked nations for the purposes of disciplining His people, eventually, the LORD disciplines them as well.

Therefore, they would become like chaff, the light and useless part of the grain, which, when winnowed, blows away. Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale (17:13). Although Assyria brought terror in the evening, the enemy would be gone before morning. Though Sennacherib and Assyria had plundered 46 cities of Judah, 185,000 soldiers were killed overnight (37:36-38).

Through all of this, ADONAI will preserve a remnant and they will learn the lessons of destruction. They will recognize their own responsibility for the disaster and turn back to the LORD. They will recognize that God has not failed them, but their own efforts to save themselves certainly had.

This was the root cause of all their problems. Isaiah tells them: You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock your fortress (17:10a). He says you can make all the plans you want to, but they all will come to nothing. Therefore, though you set out the finest plant and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain (17:10b-11). No matter how successful you are at accomplishing goals in this life by your own sheer will, the harvest will be bitter if you avoid dependence on the LORD. Those accomplishments have a way of slipping through the fingers of people who leave ADONAI out of the equation. A life without God is a life of desolation.

The southern kingdom of Judah would not learn the lessons suffered by her sister Isra’el to the north. One hundred years later Y’hudah would find herself in the same situation. God says: A cry is heard from the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of God, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten ADONAI Elohim. They confess the failure of idolatry to bring them salvation. Help did not come from the high hills and mountains where idolatry took place (Jeremiah 3:21-25). Later, God would say to Y’hudah, “This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you, declared the LORD, because you have forgotten Me and trusted in false gods” (Jeremiah 13:25).

In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and underbrush. And all will be desolation (17:9). Therefore, as a result of the near historical judgment in that day, Y’hudah and her strong cities would be abandoned and thickets and underbrush would grow. Because of her unfaithfulness to the true God and her forgetting Him, her normal life of planting and harvesting would end. The harvest would be diseased and the people would be in pain.

In the theology of Deuteronomy, remembering and forgetting form a fundamental concept (Deuteronomy (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Bc – Do Not Forget). What is in view here is not primarily a mental activity, although that is part of it. Rather, remembering is a mental activity that results in certain kinds of behavior, and the absence of the behavior negates any claimed mental activity. God wants His people to recall His unique, never-to-be-repeated acts on their behalf with the result that their present actions will be in keeping with His character. If their present actions do not reflect God’s character, then they do not truly remember what He has done. If God has touched my life, yet my life is no different, then what He has done has been lost to me (First Cor 11:24-29; Gal 3:1-5). Thus, the Israelites may well have continued to look to ADONAI as their national God. They probably continued to see themselves as being faithful to Him even while assimilating idolatry and paganism into their faith. But in fact, the significance of  the LORD’s acts on Israel’s behalf was lost to them, as their manipulative attempts to make themselves secure demonstrated.⁵³

In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning they are gone (17:14a)! Although Assyria brought terror in the evening, the enemy would be gone before morning. Though Sennacherib and Assyria had plundered 46 cities of Judah, 185,000 soldiers were killed overnight (see Lo – Then the Angel of the LORD Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp).

The principle is at the end of this section. This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us (17:14b). Although Ha’Shem uses wicked nations for the purposes of disciplining His people, eventually, the LORD disciplines them also. God is in control of the nations and He will not permit them to obliterate His people. Despite their worldly power, He is their Master. One is reminded of the early colonial American flag with the coiled rattlesnake and the words, “Don’t Tread on Me.” To tread on God’s people is to invite disaster on oneself.⁵⁵ There are more than a few who should remember that today!

In That Day, The Glory of Jacob Will Fade
17: 1-8

In that day, the glory of Jacob will fade DIG: Whereas the previous two prophecies were dated in 715 BC, this one refers to events in 735-732 BC when the northern kingdom of Isra’el was allied with Syria against Assyria (see Chapter 7). The capital city of Syria was Damascus. Comparing 17:1-3 with 7:4-9, what will be the future of Damascus and Isra’el (or Ephraim)? What do 17:7-8 and 10a imply about Isra’el’s spiritual condition during this time (also see Second Kings 17:7-18).

REFLECT: God is described as the Maker (17:7a), the Holy One of Isra’el (17:7b), the Savior (17:10a) and the Rock (17:10b). Which of these aspects do you tend to forget sometimes? Why? Instead, what do you find yourself trusting in? What practices can help you “remember” the LORD and live out your life accordingly?

After dealing with Judah’s two southern neighbors, Philistia and Mo’ab, Isaiah now turns to address the two on the north, Syria and Isra’el. Although the oracle is addressed to Damascus, or Syria, the real intended audience after 17:3 is the northern kingdom of Isra’el. The point here is that the refusal to rely upon ADONAI is pure foolishness that will result in destruction by the nations. Even so, YHVH is in control of the nations and He will not permit them to eliminate His people. Despite the raging of all the nations, He is their Master.

Damascus was one of the most strategic cities of the ancient world. It stood at the mouth of a natural funnel through which ran the only suitable road between Mesopotamia and Egypt. Mount Hermon stood north of the city, and south of it are a string of basalt plateaus. Both of these provided barriers to caravans passing through. Therefore, Damascus was far more important than other cities of the same size. Isaiah, however, declared that it would become a heap of ruins. By the time of his prophecies against Philistia and Moab, it had already come true because the Assyrian king Shalmaneser had conquered it in 732 BC.

Isaiah writes an oracle concerning Damascus, and says: See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins (17:1). Isaiah starts out by dealing with the devastation of Damascus and Ephraim, or the northern kingdom of Isra’el. Damascus will be destroyed first. She will become feeble. Panic will grip her; anguish and pain seize her. The town will be abandoned and her young men will die in the streets. God says that He will set fire to the walls of Damascus and consume the fortress of Ben-Hadad, the storm god of the Syrians (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Do – A Message Concerning Damascus). Amos says that God will break down the gate of Damascus (Amos 1:3-5).

The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid (17:2). Aroer (Numbers 32:34) is in Gad, one of the tribes that made up Ephraim. The picture is that these cities were once thriving, but now are only good for the grazing of animals. However, Damascus fares better than Babylon because Babylon’s land will not even be good for grazing. The near historical prophecy for Syria would be that she would be invaded and destroyed by Assyria. The prophet Amos tells us the people of Aram (Syria) will go into exile (Amos 1:5).

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites, declares ADONAI-Tzva’ot (17:3 CJB). At the same time the fortified city of Samaria will disappear from Ephraim. The destruction of the northern kingdom of Isra’el comes only because of her alliance with Syria (with her capital city of Damascus) against the southern kingdom of Judah. They had become twins that could not be separated and together they would fall. Unbelieving Ephraim could not be helped by Damascus, or Damascus by unbelieving Ephraim. Isaiah says that the remnant of Aram will be like the fading glory of the Israelites (meaning the Northern Kingdom). The glory of the LORD had already departed from Isra’el . . . she was on the decline. As stated earlier (7:8), the near historical prophecy for Isra’el would be that she would not be a people within 65 years.

The Assyrian’s dealt with captured people differently than most other ancient nations. Usually, conquering civilizations would take their prisoners into exile within their own country, as the Babylonians would eventually do with the southern kingdom of Judah. But the Assyrians did not do that. They would switch some of the captives to their capital and nation, but more importantly they would bring their own people into the conquered land, eventually intermarry with them and assimilate them (Second Kings 17:24). This is what the Assyrians did to the northern kingdom of Isra’el. Eventually, she would not be a people. She would no longer be a Jewish nation, but a hybrid nation of Assyrians and Jews called Samaritans. The southern kingdom of Judah would despise them in the time of Messiah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gw – The Parable of the Good Samaritan).

The main focus of this passage however, is on the northern kingdom of Isra’el. In that day the glory of Jacob, or the northern kingdom of Isra’el, will fade (17:4a). This is the first of three sections beginning with the phrase in that day. This refers to the time of God’s blessings showered on His people. In some passages, it is a far eschatological prophecy, while in others it refers to the near historical. 17:4 and 8-9 refer to the near historical, while 17:7 refers to the far eschatological. Isaiah frequently uses this near, far, near motif.

As a result of the invasion Jacob would face difficulties. Isaiah uses three figures of speech to describe what will happen to Isra’el and Syria. The first is physical, and the second two are agricultural. All three stress the pitiful nature of what will be left of both of them, but especially Isra’el. First, they will be like the fat of a man’s body wasting away. To depart from the way of faith means to be spiritually weakened.

Secondly, they will be like a reaper who gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm – as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim (17:4b-5). The Valley of Rephaim (Joshua 15:8, 18:16) was a fertile area west of Jerusalem where David had twice defeated the Philistines (Second Samuel 5:18-20 and 22-25). To depart from the way of faith makes the people of God vulnerable against external forces of destruction and leaves them with no evidence that they had ever existed.

Thirdly, the two countries will be like an olive tree after the harvest. Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs, declares ADONAI, the God of Israel (17:6). As a few olives are left on an olive tree’s branches, so a few people would be left. Most of them would be slaughtered. God would expose the northern kingdom of Isra’el as a spiritual fraud. The glory that Jacob had achieved was only through her own strength. Eventually, her arrogance would have to be replaced with humility.

Although the oracle here is against Syria and Isra’el, Isaiah writes for the benefit of the southern kingdom of Judah. It is as if he is saying, “Learn a lesson from how God deals with theses two nations.” Judah need not fear her neighbors; it was God whom she should fear.

The mixed race of the Israelites and the Assyrians, or the Samaritans as they came to be called, would not be a godly people. Of the nineteen kings of Isra’el, not one of them would serve the Lord. When Isra’el rebelled against Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, the United Kingdom was split in two. Shortly thereafter, the ten northern tribes, lead by their new king Jeroboam, would start to depart from the will of the Lord. God could not bless them because, under the leadership of Jeroboam, they changed the place of worship from Jerusalem to Dan and Bethel, they changed the time of worship of the Feast of Sukkot from the seventh to the eighth month, they changed the priests of worship from Levites to all sorts of people; and they changed the object of worship from God to golden calves (First Kings 12:26-33). These were the causes of her destruction.

But because of the grace of God, there would be a remnant out of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. When the true worshipers of ADONAI saw the perversion in Isra’el, they left and came back to Judah. There they were obedient to the worship of the LORD at the Temple. When Assyria came in and destroyed the northern Kingdom, a myth developed regarding “the ten lost tribes” of Isra’el. There are no lost tribes. Because of the worldwide dispersion after the fall of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70AD, Jews today have no idea what tribe they are from. But God knows. In the book of Revelation, John describes 144,000 Jews from the twelve tribes of Isra’el. The term Isra’el used here is in a general sense. There are ten tribes from the northern Kingdom and two tribes from the southern Kingdom (Revelation 7:1-8). God knows who is in each tribe, and He knows the true remnant.

In 17:7 and 8 the Ruach Ha’Kodesh contrasts the gods made with human hands with the God whose hands have made humans. The Psalmist wrote: Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands (Psalm 119:73). This points out the folly of thinking that we can create a god in our own image, when in fact; we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Anything that we have made cannot save us because it is not holy. Yet, sometimes when life is going well it seems like we can. When our lives fall apart; however, we are forced to look to the one who holds us in His hands (Job 12:10; Isaiah 49:14-16, 62:3; Dani’el 5:23; John 10:27-30).⁵³

In that day men and women will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Isra’el (17:7). At the end of the Great Tribulation, in the day, there will be a national confession of sin, a plea for the LORD to return, and then the national regeneration of Isra’el, all twelve tribes. ADONAI says: And I will pour out on the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look upon Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Me as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Me as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day a fountain will be opened to the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zechariah 12:10 and 13:1). This is the far eschatological prophecy concerning Isra’el.

Verses 8 and 9 revert back to the near historical prophecy. When faced with certain destruction by the Assyrians, Jacob will realize the worthlessness of their idols. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made (17:8). The altars were those set up to idolatrous gods, not the true God. The Asherah poles were wooden symbols of Asherah, Canaanite fertility goddess and wife of Ba’al. In the northern kingdom of Isra’el, greatly influenced by Ba’al worship, were many who worshiped him at Asherah poles. But when the mighty Assyrians attacked, they quickly realized that only ADONAI could deliver them.

The Oracle Concerning
Damascus (Syria) and Samaria (Isra’el)
17: 1-14

The oracle concerning Damascus (Syria) and Samaria (Isra’el) REFLECT: In this section, ADONAI is described as their Maker, the Holy One, your Savior, and the Rock, your fortress. Which of these aspects do you tend to forget sometimes? What leads you to do so? Instead, what do you find yourself trusting in? What practices can help you “remember” God and live out your life accordingly?

After dealing with Judah’s two southern neighbors, Philistia and Mo’ab, Isaiah now turns to address the two on the north – Syria and Isra’el. Although the oracle was directed to Damascus, the capital of Syria, the main focus after 17:3a is upon Samaria and the northern kingdom of Isra’el. In the Book of Immanuel we are told that Isra’el had allied with Syria (7:2) against the Assyrian threat. Isaiah had, of course, prophesied against this. Here again, Isaiah stresses that failure to trust God will result in their failure to achieve their worldly alliance. ADONAI is in control of the nations and He will not permit them to obliterate His people. Despite their worldly power, He is their Master.

My Heart Laments for Mo’ab Like a Harp
16: 7-14

My heart laments for Mo’ab like a harp DIG: From God’s perspective, what is the reason for Mo’ab’s destruction? What does it tell you about God that He, through Isaiah, weeps because of their destruction even as He ordains it to occur? Why was it futile for the Moabites to go to their high place or shrine in Dibon where they worshiped the god Chemosh (see 44:17-20)? Since Judah would be tempted to look to Mo’ab as an ally against Assyria, what would God desire them to learn from this prophecy?

REFLECT: What is one of the false gods you once trusted in (sports, TV, family, job, technology, intellect)? How did that god serve only to wear you out? How does that god look to you now? Have these changes been merely cosmetic, or are they deep and significant?

The thrust of the oracle is to discourage any who would be tempted to join with proud Mo’ab for mutual security. There would be no security with her! She would be reduced to abject poverty and will herself be forced to rely on Judah’s only hope: The Messiah (16:5).

Therefore, because of her pride, the Moabites wail; they will wail together for Mo’ab. Lament and grieve for the men of Kir Hareseth. All of the wealth and abundance of Mo’ab was stripped away in a single night. The fields of Heshbon wither, the vines of Sibmah also. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the choicest vines, which once reached Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots spread out and went as far as the sea (16:7-8). This included their vineyards. They were famous for their vineyards which were the source of Mo’ab’s pride, but this was about to be destroyed. The invading army and the drought that would accompany it would wipe out her chances for survival.

The prospect of Mo’ab’s sudden destruction reduces Isaiah to tears. So, I weep, as Jazer weeps, for the vines of Sibmah; O Heshbon, O Elealeh, I drench you with tears! Just as Jeremiah wept over the destruction of those he denounced, so Isaiah weeps here. This also speaks to the compassion of God, for Isaiah normally identified himself with ADONAI. Just because he was the messenger of judgment, it did not mean he was happy about it, especially with a people so close to the Israelites. The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit and over your harvests have been stilled (16:9). Therefore, the God who has quieted the shouts of joy was also the God who weeps for those in despair.

Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards: no one treads out wine at the presses, for I have put an end to the shouting (16:10). It was a common custom among the Egyptians to sing at their work. The Hebrews did the same and were especially jubilant at the time of grape gathering. They plucked off grapes with shouts of joy, and carried them to the winepress. Accompanied with musical instruments, they soothed the labor of treading the grapes by singing. (Judges 9:27; Jeremiah 25:30 and 48:33).⁵²

Isaiah is affected by Mo’ab’s wailing and his heart is distraught by her distress when he says: My heart cries out, literally, my bowels moan, for Mo’ab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir Hareseth (16:11). Isaiah knew what it was like to have his stomach churn over shock, anxiety or grief. Yet, despite Mo’ab’s pain, she would rather present herself to her own gods rather than seek the protection of Judah. When Mo’ab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail (16:12). But the gods of Mo’ab would utterly fail. In prostrating herself to them she only wears herself out. Mo’ab will go to her own place of safety rather to the place of safety in Zion. As a result, she will not succeed. Mo’ab’s religious ritual of sacrificing at her high place and praying at her shrine would not help ease God’s judgment. It never does.

Mo’ab had already suffered greatly. Now the prophet announced that there would be further destruction. While Isaiah initially prophesied about the destruction of Mo’ab, God did not tell him how long it would take before its fulfillment. But then came a second revelation where God spoke to Isaiah about the timing of the destruction of Mo’ab. This is the word the LORD has already spoken concerning Mo’ab in times past (16:13).

Isaiah says that the prophecy that he had given earlier was incomplete. But now the LORD says: Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Mo’ab’s spender and all her many people will be despised (16:14a). As a hireling does not work a moment longer than the set time, so the fall of Mo’ab will not be deferred for a moment longer than the three-year period mentioned. The emphasis here is on the exactness of timing. The vineyards, which were the pride of Mo’ab, will be brought into contempt within three years. The remnant, or survivors, will be very few and feeble (16:14b). Even this will be better than Babylon, which will be totally destroyed. No remnant will survive from Babylon. But as other prophets make clear, there will be a land of Mo’ab in the Millennial Kingdom, that will come from this small remnant of survivors.

The Hope of Mo’ab’s Salvation
16: 1-6

The hope of Mo’ab’s salvation DIG: To whom are the Moabites to send these lambs? What need prompts them to do so? How was Judah to respond? What hope is held out for the Moabites? Who was that hope? How is this hope related to the prophecy in 11:1-5? What caused Mo’ab to refuse?

REFLECT: Isaiah held out the Messiah as the only real hope for his hearers and readers. In what way is the reign of Yeshua Messiah the only real hope for people suffering in the world? How does His rule serve as a model for how believers ought to respond now towards the poor, the homeless, and the hungry?

In the midst of the devastation coming on Mo’ab, protection was found in Judah. ADONAI instructs the Moabites to send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of the Daughter of Tziyon (16:1). The hope of Mo’ab’s salvation is that she would submit to Judah, the Daughter of Tziyon. The Moabites had now fled all the way south to strongholds in Edom such as Sela, about 50 miles south of Mo’ab’s southern border. If they really wanted to be safe they would send lambs ahead as tribute. Paying tribute was a sign of submission. Mo’ab had been under Jewish control, but in Second Kings 3:4-5 Mo’ab rebelled. What Isaiah is telling Mo’ab to do is to resubmit. If Mo’ab would do that, her salvation would be assured. Isaiah could suggest this because he had already prophesied that Jerusalem would be spared from destruction by Assyria (10:24-34). Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Mo’ab at the fords of the Arnon (16:2). Frustrated, the women of Mo’ab are described as wandering birds, flying here and there, not knowing what to do or where to go.

ADONAI tells Mo’ab that she is to request the counsel of Judah, and Judah is instructed to respond to Mo’ab’s request. Give us counsel, render a decision. Make your shadow like night – at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. They are to hide the outcasts and the refugees. The people of God are instructed to obey Him if Mo’ab would ask for protection. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer. And Isaiah makes a promise that if Mo’ab obeys and submits to Judah, the oppressor will come to an end and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land (16:3-4).

The basis for this promise is the future of the Davidic throne. In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it – one from the house of David – one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness (16:5). Judah has a throne with a future. Although Isaiah had been sent to prophesy to a nation in rebellion against God, and although the house of David would be reduced to a cut down stump as a result (11:1-5, 53:2), it was still superior to the Moabite dynasty. Mo’ab had no future, but the house of David did. So Mo’ab is invited to share in the messianic hope with Judah. If they come, they will receive the best, the Messianic hope (to see link click Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozra). Then Isaiah spells out the future of the Davidic throne. It will be established in grace; Messiah will sit on the throne in truth. He will judge, He will seek justice, and He will do righteousness. The background to this verse is 9:6-7. So, Isaiah has given Mo’ab an offer of salvation, but Mo’ab, because of her pride, refuses.

But Moab’s pride and conceit kept her from turning to Y’hudah for salvation (Isaiah 25:10-11; Jeremiah 48:29 and Zephaniah 2:8-10). We have heard of Mo’ab’s pride – her overwhelming pride and conceit, her pride and her insolence – but her boasts are empty (16:6). The people of Mo’ab should have realized their helplessness before the Assyrians and turned to the LORD through their neighbor Judah, but they refused to do so. Because of their pride, confident that they did not need God, they would meet destruction. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

Mo’ab was famous for their vineyards, and they became the source of Mo’ab’s pride. They got to a place where they relied on their accomplishments rather than relying on God. We need to learn this lesson today. There is no hope in our achievements. None of our accomplishments can save us. We may be justly proud of the things we have done, but if that is the source of our eternal hope, our hope is small indeed. Perhaps the pyramids of Egypt will endure to the end of time, but what do they tell us about their builders? Next to nothing. What happened to the kings buried there? Every last thing they intended to endure for eternity has been stripped away.

It is the same for us, whose accomplishments are a lot less amazing than those ancient Egyptians. What will we leave behind? Everything! All our efforts to gain control of our environment, whether it is home, office or love of life will end with our death. Later, Isaiah will say: Why do you labor on what does not satisfy? Like the Moabites, we tend to look in all the wrong directions for our hope. Then, when our world falls apart, as it will, there is nothing left to do but wail for all that is lost. In this world the only certainty is death and loss.

Our hope is not in our accomplishments but in ADONAI’s. In place of the world’s seemingly endless tears and loss, He has given joy and abundance. If we wait for a day yet to come to see Him enthroned in all His glory, we can still live our days here on earth with confidence and rest.⁵¹

Mo’ab is Destroyed in a Single Night
15: 1-9

Mo’ab is destroyed in a single night DIG: What do you imagine Isaiah foresees happening to these places that accounts for such wailing and mourning? What do you imagine the scene was like for these refugees fleeing the warfare in Mo’ab? What do they look like? What are they carrying? What are they feeling?

REFLECT: What part of your world suffers most because of political chaos and war? When you hear of the oppression and suffering that people experience due to these situations, what do you feel? How do you think God responds to such misery? Do you have a light touch on the things of this world? How so?

Chapters 15 and 16 are the second oracle against a neighboring nation. This oracle concerned Mo’ab, and was a term used to describe the region on the east side of the Dead Sea, extending from the Arnon River, which drains into the Dead Sea about twenty miles south of the sea’s north shore, to the Zered River at the southern end of the sea where the territory of Edom began (Numbers 21:10-13). On the east, the border would have been less well defined, merely extending to the edge of the land capable of being farmed productively. The total territory would have been about thirty miles long and thirty miles wide, shockingly small when one thinks of a nation.

Judah’s relationship with Mo’ab was always somewhat ambiguous (compared with Edom, where the hostility on both sides never seemed to stop). There was not only a close kinship between the two nations geographically (Genesis 19:37; Deuteronomy 2:9), but also because of their language. The relative ease of immigration and migration described in the book of Ruth also points toward a rather close relationship. This may account for what seems to be genuine cries of grief that appear in these chapters.

On the other hand, both Judah and Mo’ab claimed the territory of Ammon. That land was given to Reuben and Gad (Numbers 32:1-5 and 33-38). This was a continuous source of conflict between them (Numbers 21:24-30; Judges 3:12-30, 11:22-26; First Samuel 14:47; Second Kings 3:4-27), which finally gave way to a deep-seated hostility. That being said, the words describing the fate of Mo’ab are much different than those of Babylonia, Assyria or the Philistia. There is a much greater sympathy for the Moabites, whereas a sort of grim satisfaction greeted the downfall of the others.

The oracle begins with a lament over a sudden disaster that will fall upon Mo’ab and reduce it to a nation of refugees. Ar in Mo’ab is ruined, destroyed in a single night, suddenly, unexpectedly! Kir in Mo’ab is ruined, destroyed in a night (15:1)! Isaiah describes the destruction of the capital and the fortress. The city of Ar was the capital, and the city of Kir was the chief fortress. They both fall in one night; their destruction is swift and sudden. This should be obvious to all. There is no security in this world (Amos 6:1-3 and Isaiah 5:26-30).

After the destruction of the capital and the chief fortress, there is lament that will take hold of the whole land. Dibon goes up to its temple, to its high places to weep (15:2a). Dibon is located four miles north of the Amon River and was given to the tribe of Gad at one time (Numbers 32:34). There is weeping in the high places, or idolatry-centered cities like Dibon. It was King Mesha’s native city and a high place of the Moabite god Chemosh was located there. These high places were shrines originally built on hilltops and usually associated with pagan worship. The reason for the wailing seems to be that Chemosh had been unable to deliver his people (Jeremiah 48:35).

Mo’ab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved and every beard cut off. There was also wailing over the loss of key cities like Nebo and Medeba. In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping. Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Mo’ab cry out, and their hearts are faint (15:2b-4). Heshbon and Elealeh were situated about two miles from one another and the wailing in one city could be heard in the other. Isaiah seems to have a greater sympathy for the fate of the Moabites than the downfall of the others mentioned in the oracles against the nations.

The four results are given. The first result is the devastation of the land. My heart cries out over Mo’ab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the way to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction. The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left (15:5-6).

Secondly, Mo’ab’s wealth is carried away. So the wealth they have acquired and stored up, they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars (15:7).

Thirdly, the cries of the fugitives fill the land from end to end and border to border. Their outcry echoes along the border of Mo’ab; their wailing reaches a far as Eglaim, their lamentation as far as Beer Elim (15:8).

Fourthly, the destruction is total and the horror complete. Dimon’s waters are full of blood, but I will bring still more upon Dimon – a lion upon the fugitives of Mo’ab and upon those who remain in the land (15:9). There was nowhere to go. Running away would not give the fugitives any more security than staying behind. On the one hand, to try to escape across the wilderness might help them escape from the Assyrian army, but on the other hand it might deliver them to wild animals. There was only Magor-Missabib (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Da – Jeremiah and Pash’chur), or terror on every side.

The Oracle Concerning Mo’ab
15:1 to 16:14

For centuries Mo’ab, east of the Dead Sea, had been the enemy of Isra’el. In Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moabite women seduced Isra’el’s men (Numbers 31:15-17). In the time of the Judges, Isra’el was oppressed by Mo’ab for eighteen years (Judges3: 12-14). Saul fought Mo’ab (First Samuel 14:47) and David defeated Mo’ab (Second Samuel 8:2, 12). Solomon was influenced by his wives to build an altar to Mo’ab’s god Chemosh (First Kings 11:7-8). Mesha, Mo’ab’s king, had to pay tribute to Ahab, king of Isra’el (Second Kings 3:4). After Ahab died in 853 BC Mesha rebelled against Joram but was defeated (Second Kings 3:5-27). The destruction of Mo’ab described in Isaiah, Chapters 15 and 16, caused the Moabites, under Assyrian attack, to flee south to Edom. The thrust of the oracle is to discourage Judah from attempting to join forces with Mo’ab for security. Mo’ab will be reduced to hopeless poverty and be forced to rely on Judah’s only hope: the Messiah (16:5).

The Oracle Concerning Philistia
14: 28-32

The oracle concerning Philistia DIG: Who was this oracle written for? Philistia wanted Judah as an ally against Assyria. Why would this message against Philistia be given to Judah? Where should Judah look for safety (14:30a, 32)? What biblical principle is seen here? Are there any Philistines alive today?

REFLECT: What alliances, or getting in with “the right people,” might keep you from trusting in the LORD? What does this oracle tell you about those alliances? How is that going for you? Any bumps in the road? Where does your security lay? What is the evidence of that in your checkbook or in your calendar?

This oracle, written about Philistia, was for Judah’s benefit as seen in the last verse. This prophecy comes in the year 727 BC, the year King Ahaz died (14:28). It is also the same year that Tiglath-Pileser III died. Other prophets also had oracles against the Philistines (Jeremiah 47:1-7; Ezeki’el 25:15-17; Amos 1:6-8; Zephaniah 2:4-7; and Zechariah 9:5-7). God condemned the Philistine cities for thinking they were safe from destruction.

The issue here is the foolishness of turning away from that which is secure to depend on what is falling apart. God’s help often seems so intangible, while the material world seems so real. Today, as in ancient times, we need the Scriptures to help us see the real fragility of what seems on the surface to be so strong. We need to remember that the LORD has established Zion, God’s people, and that the Church, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers (Eph 2:14) will survive when all the world’s institutions are gone. The Bible says: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). That is what Isaiah is saying.⁵⁰

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines (14:29a). The coming destruction included all of the Philistines. This is necessary because Philistia, unlike other surrounding nations, was not united under one king. It was a confederacy of five cities and five kings, Ashcalon, Ashdod, Gaza, Eckron, and Gaz. God’s judgment will go against all of these cities. While other prophets sometimes limited judgment to certain cities, Isaiah condemns them all.

The rod that struck you is broken; from the root of the snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent (14:29b). The house of David had many battles with Philistia. The rod that struck Philistia in the past was the house of David. But now that the house of David had been struck with the rod, the Assyrians, and of course the Philistines, were rejoicing over it. But Isaiah prophesies that just because the house of David has been struck with the rod of the Assyrians, that doesn’t mean that things will get any better for Philistia. Then he spells out a progression of judgment for them, from the snake (mild), to the viper (poisonous), to a darting, venomous serpent (deadly). The ones he has in mind are three key members of the house of David. Ahaz is the snake; under Ahaz territory was lost to the Philistines (Second Chronicles 28:18). Hezekiah is the viper; under him most of the territory would be regained (Second Kings 18:8). The Messiah would be the venomous serpent because under His rule the house of David would occupy the entire land and He would restore their fortunes, but He would turn His hand against the Philistines until the last one is dead (Amos 1:6-8). The sages teach that the purport of the verse is that, though the foreign ruler under whom they had hitherto suffered is dead, a descendant of his would arise and be mightier and more dangerous than the deceased king.

What was it that caused the LORD to be this venomous serpent against this nation? What exactly did the Philistines do to deserve such a fate? Ezeki’el prophesied: This is what Adonai ELOHIM says: Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in My wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them (Ezeki’el 25:15-17).

A biblical principle was established when God said to Abraham; I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you (Gen 12:3). Because Philistia sought to destroy Judah, they would be destroyed. In fact, the LORD tells them, “I will destroy you and none will be left” (Zeph 2:4-7). Jeremiah 47:1-7 describes the near historical prophecy of the Philistines when they were attacked and defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 604-603 BC. This is why there is no far eschatological prophecy for Philistia. They have been totally destroyed; not one of them is left. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31).

In stark contrast to the ominous progression of judgment in 14:29b, here is the quiet picture of God’s sheep in His pasture. In contrast to the mighty ones of Philistia, Judah is pictured in safety. The poorest of the poor will find rest, or pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But for Philistia there is not hope. He declares: Your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors (14:30). They will be exterminated so thoroughly that nothing will remain of them to spring up again.

As a result, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh teaches us again that the helpless who depend on Him are stronger than the powerful who refuse to bend their knee (Philippians 2:10-11). Rabbi Sha’ul said it this way: To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (Second Corinthians 12:7-10).

Verses 31 and 32 repeat the form of verses 29 and 30, the first verse promising doom on the Philistines and the second contrasting Judah’s security. These verses point to the Philistine rebellion against Assyria in 715, for they make it clear that the enemy will come from the north. Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! These words evoke the image of Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks (14:31).

Philistia now asks a question. What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation (14:32a)? Had Assyria defeated Judah and taken Jerusalem? Envoys were sent by Philistia to determine the success or failure of the Assyrian siege of Yerushalayim. We know from history that while Assyria did succeed in taking 46 cities, they failed in taking Tziyon (to see link click Gq – In the Fourteenth Year of Hezekiah’s Reign). Therefore, God answers their question through His prophet when He says: The LORD has established Tziyon, and in her, His afflicted people will find refuge (14:32b). As a result, the Israelites found safety and plenty, but the Philistines would be nonexistent in the near historical future.

God who has established Yerushalayim, is her only security (28:16). How hard it was for the Judeans to learn that, and how hard it is for us to learn that! We deceive ourselves if we believe that military strength, wealth, or intelligence can give us stability and certainty. Unless the LORD blessed Jacob (or Judah), he couldn’t save himself (Genesis 32). Or in the words of Yeshua: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it (Luke 9:24). But the person who has “lost his life” in dependence upon God, that person will be truly secure, whatever may happen (First Peter 2:4-10).