Something Greater

Isaiah 15, Part Two: The Prime Of Life Isaiah continues his lament, describing Moab as a valuable, vigorous animal, soon to be slaughtered. Isaiah 15:5 (ESV) My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. EGLATH-SHELISHIYAH: egla shelishi "eg-LAW shel-ee-SHEE" (a female calf, especially one nearly grown; a heifer) and (third); from egel (a male calf, especially one nearly grown; a steer); from agol (to revolve, circular, as frisking round) Eglath-shelishiyah is a compound word, combinining "heifer" (a young female cow that has not borne a calf) with "third", referring to a three-year-old cow. "Heifer" was used to refer to young women (Judges 14:18), as well as the nations of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:20), Chaldea (Jeremiah 50:11), and Ephraim (Hosea 10:11). Jeremiah echoes the declaration of Isaiah: Jeremiah 48:34-35 (ESV) “From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they utter their voi...

Isaiah 15, Part 1: Family What has gone before... Isaiah spoke to four different groups of people, each group given a different message: To Israel, a message of compassion and victory To Babylon, a message of mocking and doom To Assyria, a message of God's sovereignty To Philistia, a message of death Now, in chapter 15... The LORD shows Isaiah the future destruction of Moab, and the vision breaks Isaiah's heart. Who, or what, was Moab? MOAB: mo'ab "mo-awb" (from her father); from 'ab (father) Moab was the son of Lot, the nephew of Abraham (Genesis 19:37). The child was born of the union between Lot and his daughter. Moab became the father of a people group called the Moabites. Now, generations after Lot, Isaiah speaks to the people of Moab, warning them of impending doom and crying out to them in shared pain. Isaiah 15:1-5 (ESV) An oracle concerning Moab. Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Mo...

Isaiah 14, Part Six: Assyria and Philistia Defeated Beginning in verse 24, Isaiah's burden changes from Babylon to Assyria and Philistia. Isaiah 14:24-25 (ESV) The LORD of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder. The LORD is described as having complete, sovereign power over the whole earth: Isaiah 14:26-27 (ESV) This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? The chapter ends with doom pronounced for Philistia: Isaiah 14:31 (ESV) Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in...

Isaiah 14, Part Five: Desolation The LORD declares the ultimate end of Babylon: Isaiah 14:22-23 (ESV) I will rise up against them, declares the LORD of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity, declares the LORD. And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, declares the LORD of hosts. HEDGEHOG: qippowd "kip-PODE"(a species of bird, perhaps the bittern); from qapad (to contract or roll together) American Bitterns are almost always solitary and can be difficult to see. They often hide among wetland vegetation, walking slowly as they forage. American Bitterns typically hunt in low light, catching food with their bill and killing prey with biting or shaking movements. Flight is stiff and fairly clumsy with rapid wingbeats. Territorial males display at each other by approaching while hunkered down, head lowered to the level of its back, neck drawn in, and ...

Isaiah 14, Part Four: Pride and Arrogance Israel had been besieged by Babylonia. Jerusalem was sacked and its population killed or exiled to Babylon (Daniel 1). Babylonia itself was then besieged and conquered by the Medes. (Daniel 5:3). The final king of Babylonia, Belshazzar, proclaimed five instances of "I will...": I will ascend to heaven; Above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:13-14 ESV) STARS: kokab "ko-KAWB" (a star, as round or shining); probably from kabbon (hilly, as heaped up) or from kawa (to prick or penetrate; to blister, as smarting or eating into) MOUNT OF ASSEMBLY: har mo'ed "har mo-ADE" (a mountain or range of hills of an appointment; a fixed time or season; a festival; a year; an assembly; the congregation; the place of meeting; a signal); ...

Isaiah 14, Part Three: Fall From Power and Privilege Israel's triumph over Babylon brings an opportunity to express superiority in the form of a taunt. Isaiah 14:3-4 (ESV) When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased! TAUNT: mashal "maw-SHAWL" (a pithy maxim; a simile, in the sense of superiority); from mashal (to rule) The great emperor of Babylonia would fall in defeat, to be ruled by those he oppressed. The scornful song imagines a scene in Sheol, the place of the dead, where the leaders of nations that had fallen to Babylon take up the taunt: Isaiah 14:9-11 (ESV) It rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. All of them will answer and say to you: You too have become as weak as we! You ...

Isaiah 14, Part Two: Submission in Service The broken nations of Syria, Assyria and Babylon would join themselves with Israel, content to be servants. Isaiah 14:1-2 (ESV) For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. MALE SLAVES: ebed "EH-bed" (a servant); from abad (to work, in any sense; to serve, till or enslave) FEMALE SLAVES: shipha "shif-KHAW" (a female slave, as a member of the household); from a word meaning to spread out, as a family) CAPTIVE: shaba "shaw-BAW" (to transport into captivity; imprisoned or confined) Isaiah later adds more descriptio...