Isaiah 14:1-2 – God will always keep His word

Isaiah chapter 13 ended with the prophecy concerning the fall of Babylon to the Medes. This event took place long after the prophet announced it. However, the destruction and judgment of Babylon was God’s mercy showered on Israel. He promised in Isaiah 14:1 that He would restore them. The LORD  explicitly said He would “…show mercy on Jacob and choose Israel and settle them in the land.”

We need to know, however, that not all the people of Judah would return from the captivity. Remember in Isaiah 7:3, God instructed Isaiah saying “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-Jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field.” The name Shear-Jashub means a remnant shall return. Again in Isaiah 10:21-22 the prophet predicted saying “A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, maybe like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return….”

When the people of God returned to the land, verse 1 tells us that “strangers will join them and attached themselves to the house of Jacob.”  In other words, on their return, there would be non-Jews who would join them voluntarily. Verse 2 implies that the people among whom the exile had dwelt during their captivity would help them in the restoration. This was seen in the writings of Ezra and Nehemiah where the returnees were helped and supported to return to their land. Their helpers were once their captors. And now in their restoration, they would willingly offer their service to the people of God. And Israel would even rule over those helpers.

The truth about God is that He is a faithful God. He does not vacillate like us humans. He has chosen Israel and would determinedly stay through till His plan for them comes to pass. Here Isaiah made it explicitly clear that God would choose Israel again. His faithfulness would ensure that. What a blessed thought that just as He was faithful to Israel, God will also be faithful towards us. And His plan for our life will come to pass definitively. He will ensure that. The faithful nature of God ensures that He will never be unfaithful in a single thing He has said. However, we must not take His faithfulness for granted. It does not mean that we can now live at will as we wish without regard for Him. He still requires that we trust Him obediently and walk with Him committedly. Be sure to do that!    

Isaiah 13:17-22 – Take heart, God holds our future

Isaiah 1:1 tells us that the Prophet Isaiah prophesied under the reigns of four kings of Judah namely, Uzziah, Ahaz, Jotham, and Hezekiah. What radically transformed his life and ministry took place in Isaiah 6. That was where he described his serious encounter with God. We are told that it all took place in the year that his cousin, King Uzziah died. Isaiah was believed to have started his ministry a few years before that incident took place. It would fall around 740 B.C. We conclude that he had quite a long ministry since he also ministered into the reign of King Hezekiah who died in 680 B.C. So Isaiah’s ministry spans roughly from 740 to 680 B.C.

It was between this period that he wrote Isaiah 13:17-22, where he identified the fall of Babylon to the Medes. When he prophesied this incidence, it was a good many years before the Medes attacked Babylon and brought this prophecy to pass. History said that the Medes only entered Babylon and destroyed it in 539 B.C. The reason these historical facts are brought up is to assure us that our God is in control of history. Hence, Isaiah who served Him was given insight into what was in the future and could foretell with amazing accuracy the incidence that only took place many years after he had spoken them.

Verse 17 states the reason for the Medes invasion was not because of acquiring more silver or gold. They did not do it because they wanted to accumulate more wealth. They did it on the behest of God. Verse 18 said that their treatment of Babylon was ruthless. They would not even spare the young men and children. God used them to bring down Babylon so thoroughly till their once glory and pride became as worthless as the ashes of Sodom and Gomorrah. Besides, their once magnificent dwelling place would be uninhabited by humans for generations. Their once splendid city would soon become the dwelling place of wild animals.

The amazing accuracy of this prophecy reminds us that we serve a God who is in control of history, past, present, and future. It is sobering to think that we are now grafted into the ultimate plan of this God who controls history. It is humbling to think that in Christ, God has included us in His Kingdom program. We should be energized to live for Him knowing that He holds our future. Let us live with a consciousness of eternity. It is the only thing that counts!  

Isaiah 13:6-16 – The approaching day of reckoning

Prophetical writings usually have both an immediate and ultimate fulfillment. What is described in Isaiah 13:6-16, though speak of the judgment that would soon befall Babylon, is also describing what would happen in the ultimate day of reckoning for the world. Like  the prophets Amos and Joel, Isaiah also refers to that day as “the Day of the Lord.” From the building of the Tower of Babel, Babylon seemed to represent the human construct that has the proclivity of defying God. And no one should expect God to remain passive and not respond to man’s defiance against Him. The Bible had made it clear that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. While Isaiah was here declaring what was coming against Babylon, he was also pointing to an ultimate cataclysmic end-time event that mankind would have to face in the day of reckoning.

In Isaiah 13:6, Isaiah declared that “the Day of the Lord” was near. He categorically declared that that day would come as “destruction from the Almighty.” While the terrible judgment was designated for Babylon, Isaiah made it unmistakably clear in verse 11 that the judgment to be meted out would also be upon the whole world. God’s judgment was inevitable because of the world’s evil, the iniquity of the wicked, the arrogance of the proud, and the haughtiness of the ruthless.  

A plain reading of these verses tells us how terrifying and dreadful the day of reckoning would be. Mankind would be greatly petrified. The whole earth would be left desolated and all sinners eradicated. Verse 1o tells us that even the sun, moon, and stars would be in upheaval. They would not be giving their usual light. Hence total darkness would engulf the whole land. The population would be drastically reduced, and men would be rarer than pure gold. Like terrified gazelle and sheep, people would scatter, finding no shelter and security. Children will be mercilessly killed before their parents’ eyes. Looting would be blatant, and women raped shamelessly. The description and the sordid details given, leave us with the idea of how massive the loss of lives would be in God’s fearsome dealing.  

 

Unlike our anger, God’s anger is motivated by His love. Here we have a warning not to take the love of God for granted. If we resist the wake-up call of God, the consequence will be unavoidable. Paul in Romans tells us it is time to wake up. Romans 13:11 says “…for it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now, salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” Beloved, it is time to get up, clean up, and dress up! Let us be ready for the upward call of God!    

Isaiah 13:1-5 - God is in absolute control

Isaiah 12 ended the first portion of the book with a declaration of joyful celebration in the Kingdom of the Messiah. As we come into chapter 13 right to chapter 23, we will see the prophet bringing a series of eleven prophecies to judge the Gentile nations. In God’s dealing with the nations, we can safely conclude that He alone is sovereign. While His particular concern was with Israel and Judah, His dealing was with evil in general, regardless of nations. Because He is sovereign all nations come under His control. Isaiah 13 starts the ball rolling with Babylon.  

The first verse of Isaiah 13 tells us what the prophet saw was a message concerning Babylon. The word “saw” could indicate a vision that he was given or a conviction that he had about that nation. It was a message of impending judgment on Babylon. Isaiah was instructed to make the message crystal clear to the people of Babylon. So he was told to:

“Lift up a standard on the bare hill,
Raise your voice to them,
Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.”

 

As we have already mentioned, the sovereignty of God meant that the nations of the world were at His disposal. He could use any nation as His instrument of judgment. Verses 3-5 describe how God would muster the forces to overthrow Babylon. Later verses would tell us where these forces would come from. But we know that it was God who would garner them to deal with Babylon. As an aside, Babylon in the Bible since the day of the Tower of Babel speaks of the human proclivity to defy God.

 

Clearly these verses show God’s sovereignty. Every nation and ruler, regardless, is at His disposal. He uses whomever He so chooses to shape the events of nations to accomplish His ultimate purpose. Proverbs 21:1 declares that “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” God is even sovereign over the rulers of pagan nations. He uses them whether they know it or not, or whether they like it or not. Wonderfully Our God is sovereign over creation, over history, and over redemption. He is in absolute control! And nothing can happen to us outside of His will. Hallelujah!     

 

Isaiah 12:1-6 – Celebrating God’s goodness

Quite clearly Isaiah 12 marks the end of the first portion of the book. The prophet showed us from chapters 1-11 how gracious God truly was with His people. All throughout the first eleven chapters, we see the grace of God on display. Grace for the people of Judah, for Isaiah, for Israel, and certainly for all of us as individuals. God’s people had obviously not trusted Him despite His frequent assurances. That did not deter God, who continued to consistently show His generous grace. In spite of His people’s stubborn resistance, His magnanimity did not cease. He promised a glorious future. A remnant shall be preserved. So chapter 12 talked about the glorious day where the remnant and all the people He had gathered for Himself would enjoy Him in the Kingdom, and joyfully celebrate and praise Him.    

God’s magnanimity would eventually be realized, appreciated, and lauded by the people individually, personally, and voluntarily. What became clear was how much God has loved His people. The purpose of His anger was only to redirect them back to Himself. When God was through with His harsh dealings with them, those who remained would experience His comfort.

Notice the two phrases “on that day” and “in that day”. In verse 1, on that day, Isaiah said, there will be an individual and personal call to give thanks and praise to God. Then in verse 4, Isiah said, in that day there would be a corporate call to thanksgiving and praise. Verses 1-3 tell us that on that day each one would personally give thanks and laud God for what He had done for them individually. Then in verses 4-6 tell us that on that day they all would call out to one another to give thanks and honor Him. Whether individually or corporately, the reason would be for the salvation that they had all experienced personally and as a family.   

In these six verses we see why praise and thanks to God for His generosity should be spontaneous. Though angry with our sin, God had personally undertaken to become our salvation. We all deserve His wrath. Yet in His wrath, He would graciously seek to comfort us. Therefore, we would be downright ungrateful if we do not turn to thank and praise Him for all His magnanimity. And having experienced His goodness personally, it behooves us, therefore, to call on others, so that together we can proclaim the greatness of the One who alone deserves our total allegiance. Individually and personally, we must be grateful, but we must also encourage corporate gratitude and praise, all to the glory of our Matchless and Magnificent God!         

 

 

Isaiah 11:10-16 – With God, there is no impossibility

Here in Isaiah 11:10-16, the prophet assured the people of God that there would be a glorious end awaiting them. God would be gathering His people together from all over the places. In verse 10, we are told that, on that day, the root of Jesse will play a key role in that great ingathering. We can safely surmise that here Isaiah was referring to Christ Jesus the Messiah. He would be the standard-bearer. Nations would come to consult Him and in Him, there would be a provision of a place of rest. So we hear Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

In Isaiah 11:11-16, Isaiah went on to talk about the grace of God upon His people in bringing back the remnant. The naming of the various countries was not to say that the people would come from those places. But by way of saying that God’s restoration would be thorough and complete. Wherever they were, God would bring them back. Whether they be in the countries north, south, east, or west of them, the remnant shall return. Verse 12 tells us that the composition of the people God would bring together would comprise not just the scattered people of Israel and Judah, but also the people of the nations. Under the sprout of Jesse, peace would be restored between the people of Israel and Judah. All internal conflict would cease, and Israel and Judah would work in partnership against the surrounding nations such as Philistine, Edom, Moab, and Ammon. The emphasis here is not so much about the battle, as the restoration of the Kingdom under the Davidic Messiah.  

For King Ahaz and his people, the ferocious advancement of Assyria was a real threat.  How could Isaiah’s words be possible?  So Isaiah, in verses 15-16, brought them back to the scene where God delivered the Israelites from Egypt’s captivity in the time of the Exodus. It was an impossible situation but with God, there could never be an impossibility. He used the scorching wind and created a path for the Israelites to walk across the Red Sea. As he did then, He would do it again. God would create a highway to enable the remnant to return. Just as He guided the Israelites through the wilderness, a highway would be created to get the remnant home.

To be sure, it is always hard to visualize a glorious end when one is caught between a rock and a hard place. We need to know that in God’s scheme of things for our lives, He will never lead us into caves but only through tunnels. In His plan, there may come difficult times but there will always be light at the end. We need to know that the issue is never about God’s ability to take us through but our ability to trust Him in the face of adversities.  So we must trust God and the promises He has made in His Word. He promises a glorious future for His people and we must take Him at His word, even in the face of intimidating circumstances. God never fails in a single promise He has made. Trust Him!    

Isaiah 11:6-9 – Our glorious hope

Having described the Messiah and how He would minister in Isaiah 6:1-5, the prophet now turned to talk about the Messianic Kingdom in verses 6-9. We can see that there will be a radical change in the nature of the ferocious animals. These aggressive animals will no longer prey on one another but instead, be transformed in their nature. Be it a wolf, a leopard, a young lion, or a bear, all will be so subdued that even a child can lead them. Verse 8 tells us that even cobras and vipers would become harmless that even children, both nursing or weaned ones, can play in their nest and not be harmed.

When Messiah’s Kingdom is established, and His holy mountain set, then the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea. All hurts and pain brought about by the previous deformed society will be brought under the healing grace of the Messiah. God’s people will finally be one. Peace will be the prevailing order, and no one will oppress another. The whole environment will be safe and there shall be no dark corner. There will be perfect healing. He will bring about perfect restoration. The Messiah and His domain will be the only solution to all human poverty, plight, and aggression.  

No wonder Paul could categorically say in Romans 8:18 “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Explaining further, in verse 19, the Apostle saw all creation on tiptoe eagerly waiting for that glorious moment. He then said in verse 23, that we believers …having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

The question that confronts us is when will all these happen and who will bring it to pass? We know when Jesus the Messiah comes again, all these will begin to find their fruition. For now, God is calling on us to believe in Him and to declare the good news that He is still offering. He whom the whole world despised at His first coming will be coming again. This time He comes to rule and reign sovereignly and no one has the power to stop Him. When He ushers in His Kingdom He will reign with perfect peace and harmony. Hallelujah, what a glorious hope!