Theological Commentary: Click Here
Reading
Isaiah 14 is all about perspective. Consider
the facts. In Isaiah’s lifetime, he has
seen Israel go into captivity. He has
seen Assyria come to the gates of Jerusalem, only to be thrown back by a
plague. He’s also seen how Babylon will
become a thorn in the side of the people of Judah. He’s prophesied that the Hebrew people will
go into captivity under Babylon. It’s
not a very pretty picture. Isaiah has
seen much in his life to make him doubt – or at least be skeptical of – God’s
provision.
This chapter,
and many others in this book, show Isaiah defying expectations. Isaiah isn’t focused on the horrible reality
of captivity. He isn’t doubting God and
His provision. Instead, he’s looking
further down the road. He’s seeing
through the eyes of God, not the eyes of a human.
From God’s
perspective, the captivity of the Hebrew people isn’t that big of a deal. It’s seventy years of a national lifespan
that reaches many centuries. As we know
from history, the Hebrew people are able to find favor among their Babylonian
and Persian captors, even! Life is all
about perspective.
There’s
another set of perspective that’s important to have. Much of this chapter deals with prophesied
death of the Babylonian king. This
chapter talks about how the great king will not be able to escape death. Death will come to claim him just like it
comes to claim everyone else. What this
teaches us about perspective is we may all have our day, but everyone’s day
eventually ends. The best and the worst
kings will eventually be claimed by death.
The best and the worst paupers will also be claimed by death.
At the end
of the chapter, what is there to learn?
It is important to remember to live by God’s perspective instead of our
own. Death will eventually take us; we
only have so many years to live. Yet,
God is even the God over death. In Him,
we can know restoration. In Him, we can
know genuine life. He can take us in our
worst and restore us to bring us into new life.
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