The Point Of Condemning The Nations
Isaiah 13
begins a fairly lengthy section of chapters in which Isaiah will make
prophecies about the surrounding nations.
These prophecies will speak about God’s judgment upon them. It is unlikely that these words were written
for the people of the Gentile nations to read.
What is far more likely is that these words were written to bring
comfort to the Hebrew people as they stand to be judged by God first.
Please note,
though, this idea of finding comfort from the misery of others does bring up
and interesting dichotomy of feelings within me from a New Testament
theological perspective.
Let’s spend
just a second focusing on the first verse.
This is an oracle. In English, an
oracle is defined as being a message from a divine source in response to a
request, plea, or petition. However,
from the Hebrew perspective this word means “to burden” or “to carry.” The Hebrew word for oracle literally comes
from an agricultural perspective where a beast of burden would be harnessed and
loaded down with goods from the field, or the yoke of a cart, or something else
that is heavy. Oracles, therefore, are
not some mystical and happy pronouncement of joy and glad tidings. Oracles are a burden placed upon a messenger
to be delivered to a people. If I may
make a reasonably crude – but fair – analogy, we can think of Isaiah as God’s
pack mule or donkey. That is what it
means to be a prophet. A prophet
receives whatever load the master desires to be carried and takes it forth to
the place to which the load needs to be carried.
Babylon
As we now
move forward into the passage, we hear the message that God desired for Isaiah
to carry. Judgment is to come upon
Babylon. There is much debate within
commentary writers as to whether or not God is talking about the destruction
that the Assyrians bring to Babylon or the destruction that the Persians
bring. We know the Assyrians are the
first to sack Babylon, but verse 17 seems to make a claim about the Medes, who
are associated with Persia. Either way,
Isaiah’s point rings true. Babylon will
be judged for their inability to be humble before God. Babylon will be judged for the crimes it has
produced against humanity.
The Day Of The Lord
Let’s also
make sure that we understand the imagery here.
The Day of the Lord – as Isaiah says repeatedly – is not a pleasant
day. How many times in this chapter (and
the chapters to come) will Isaiah speak about the wrath of the Lord? How often will we hear about the anger of the
Lord? Isaiah even calls the Day of the
Lord a “cruel day.”
What is it
that the Lord is angry about? The Lord
is angry about the evil within the world.
The Lord does not tolerate iniquity.
The Lord does not tolerate pompous behavior within the people. The Lord does not accept pride. What does the Lord seek from us? Again and again throughout the Bible we are
told that the Lord desires humbleness before Him. Each of these qualities that evoke the Lord’s
wrath are contrary to a life of humbleness before Him.
Verdict
What is the
verdict upon Babylon? It will be
destroyed. It will be desolate. Wild animals will make a home within that
land. It will no longer be the pasture
land for flocks. It will not be the
basin for civilization that it once was.
Ever hear of the Fertile Crescent?
The punishment for disobedience is life without the favor and blessing
of God. The punishment for not being
humble before God is to live as the wild animals – fully absorbed by one’s
nature instead of by God’s provision.
I can’t help
but think about this passage as I look forward to humanity. We know that the Old Testament deals with the
first covenant – a covenant that was but a shadow of the covenant to come
through Christ. I cannot help but also
think that the judgments in the Old Testament are also a shadow of the
judgments to come as well. As Babylon
was judged, so shall the whole world be judged.
As Babylon was laid bare and allowed to revert back to a wild and
nature-driven existence, so shall the world be allowed to revert back to
everyone being driven by their passions and desires.
All the more
reason to approach the throne of God with humbleness. All the more reason to cast off the things
and desires of this world while there is still time. The Lord will judge this world. In fact, we are all already guilty – every
single one of us. However, we have time
to confess our sin, come to the Lord, and request the forgiveness that He has
offered to us through Jesus Christ.
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