Questions for Thought
1. What power of God does one see when reading prophecies that have been fulfilled?
2. What does the term “the day of the Lord” mean in prophecy?
3. What happens when God’s people choose to quit living like God’s people and start living like the world?
Isaiah 13-23 contains a series of prophecies against nations and people including Babylon, Moab, Damascus, Samaria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jerusalem, Tyre, Ephraim, and Assyria. These people are condemned for the way they have behaved toward God and toward His people. Their doom is predicted.
When we read prophecies given by God to His prophets and recorded by them for us, and we can read where those prophecies have been fulfilled, should we not see the marvelous power and knowledge of our God? Just like the prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah, these prophecies of destruction to those who opposed God’s people took place. We don’t often hear a lot about these prophecies, but when we study them, God’s omnipotence and omniscience and omnipresence that we looked at in an earlier blog are clearly shown. God is in total control of His creation. He knows what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen in the future. He is present everywhere. Knowing our God is in control should give us a sense of peace.
Notice as you read Isaiah 13 in verse 6 and verse 9 “the day of the Lord” was coming. As we read about the day of the Lord in the New Testament, we usually think about the judgment day, but here in the prophecies, this day often referred to a time when certain destruction would fall upon a nation. We always need to take into consideration the context when we are trying to understand to what any particular phrase is referring. In this case, God was referring to the day when He would destroy Babylon. Remember He was using Babylon to punish His people, but then He would punish Babylon.
Keeping in mind the idea of context, Read Isaiah 13:9-10. “9. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.” If you did not know this was a prophecy concerning Babylon, you could easily misapply the scripture to the end of time. This is the same type of language Jesus used in Matthew 24 when He described the destruction of Jerusalem, but many today try to apply those verses to the end of time.
Throughout chapter 13 and 14, Isaiah told the people what could be expected for Babylon. In chapter 13, verse 20 God said through Isaiah the city would never be inhabited. Babylon has been destroyed just as God said it would be and it is not to this day inhabited. Assyria and Philistia are included in the prophecies in chapter 14. How does it make one feel to know God is in control of all the universe?
Chapters 15 and 16 of Isaiah are condemnations against Moab. Commentators are not in agreement as to the meaning of many of these condemnations. But it is clear God had a punishment planned for Moab. Moab would be in mourning.
In chapter 17 the prophecy against Damascus is given. Damascus is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It is mentioned in Genesis 14:15 and 15:2. According to historians, Damascus was destroyed in 734 BC and no longer existed as a superpower. By 539 BC, Damascus had recovered and today it is the capital of Syria. A key verse concerning why Damascus was set for destruction is found in 17:10 where it says they had forgotten the God of their salvation and had not been mindful of the rock of their strength. The same can happen today as men leave God and go after idols and false gods.
Ethiopia and Egypt are discussed in chapters 18-20. Ethiopia has woes prophesied in chapter 18. In verse 3 the whole world was told to pay attention to what was about to happen. While the Assyrians were planning against Ethiopia, the next few verses show that God is in control no matter what happens and we just need to believe in God. According to verses 5 and 6 when the time was right, God would act against Assyria. In chapter 19, after pronouncing the burden or prophecy against the people, Egypt is promised blessings. Then in chapter 20, both nations are under consideration. It is in chapter 20 where God told Isaiah to remove his sackcloth and his shoes and walk naked and barefoot for three years to show the people how Assyria would lead away captives of Egypt and Ethiopia. The act is meant to deter God’s people from trusting in either nation, but only to trust in God. We too must not be trusting the governments to lead us in the right direction. We must know God’s word and obey Him even when it goes against our government.
Babylon, Dumah, Arabia, Judah, and Tyre are the subjects of the last three chapters covered in this blog. Chapter 21 deals with Babylon, Dumah, and Arabia. Babylon’s destruction has already been discussed in chapters 13-14, but here it appears in verse 2 God is saying Elam and Media would deal with the treacherous dealer, Babylon. According to verse 5, Babylon would not be expecting this attack and would be eating and drinking. In verse 9, the watchman appointed by Isaiah reported Babylon was fallen along with her broken images. In verse 11, the prophecy goes to Dumah or Edom known as the people from Esau. The people here are asking when is this going to be over. But the answer does not give hope because even when the night ends, it soon comes again. Finally beginning in verse 13 is the burden for Arabia. God said within the year it would fail.
After the prophecies against the nations opposed to God in chapters 13-21, chapter 22 seems out of place. This prophecy is against Jerusalem, God’s chosen. Why would there be a prophecy against them? Oh, remember, they have fallen into the same sins as those other nations. Now Isaiah tells them in verse 11 their problem is they have not looked unto God. In the following verses, Isaiah spoke as if the problems had already come upon them. That is just how sure what God says is going to happen will happen. Instead of repenting, the people continued in their sinful ways and even a ruler is condemned in the later part of the chapter.
Finally in chapter 23, we have the prophecy against Tyre. In verse 4, Zidon or Sidon as it is called in the New Testament is also prophesied against. Tyre is promised hardship and in verse 8, we see it is God who has planned this overthrow just as He had planned and carried out other calamities as shown in verse 11. At the end of her troubles, Tyre would, according to verse 17 have another opportunity, but it too would be wasted. Jesus mentioned Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 11:21-24 when He said if the signs done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented. Jesus visited the area and healed the Canaanite woman’s daughter as recorded in Matthew 15:21-28.
All of these prophecies should help us to see how God is in control. We may not understand why things happen but we can be assured our God knows what is going on and His plans will be carried out. Next time we will begin with chapter 24 where Isaiah has prophecies for the whole world.
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