Isaiah 21 NASB 1995
God Commands That Babylon Be Taken
21 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.
As windstorms in the Negev sweep on,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.
2 A harsh vision has been shown to me;
The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused.
Verses 1-2, some translations say a “burden” against Babylon. The Hebrew here is trying to convey that Isaiah is carrying this heavy “burden” of a message about Babylon. The message is that an army from Persia will march on and invade Babylon. Babylon is called the Wilderness of the Sea because the great plain of Babylon was divided with rivers, lakes and marshes, so it was referred to as a “sea.” Elam and Media are the ancient names for the peoples of Persia, modern day Iran. The Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian Empire, and Isaiah here prophetically sees their armies marching on Babylon. There is no injustice with God, so even though Israel deserved the judgment of being sacked by Babylon, Babylon itself deserved judgment and got it from the Medo-Persian empire. We can read a prophetic description of the Medo-Persian empire in Daniel 2:32 “…, its breast and its arms of silver, …, Daniel 5:30-31 (NASB95) 30 That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31 So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.
3 For this reason my loins are full of anguish;
Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor.
I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.
4 My mind reels, horror overwhelms me;
The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.
5 They set the table, they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;
“Rise up, captains, oil the shields,”
6 For thus the Lord says to me,
“Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees.
7 “When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
A train of donkeys, a train of camels,
Let him pay close attention, very close attention.”
8 Then the lookout called,
“O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,
And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
9 “Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”
And one said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground.”
10 O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor!
What I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel, I make known to you.
Verses 3-10 I just thought it was interesting that Isaiah uses this picturesque language here, loins full of anguish (like getting punched in the gut), and birth pangs, and the pangs of a woman in labor to describe the fear and dread the Babylonian people are feeling as they sense the impending invasion. Jesus uses this same type of language in John 16:21, "Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. My observation is that the bible is consistent with its use of these picturesque illustrations, i.e. birth pangs are signs that something serious is coming. Then think about pairs of riders, horses, donkeys, camels. The cavalry, the supply chain, and the transportation corps. Also consider who is being addressed by the LORD here…. It isn’t a human watchman, we’ve shifted to the angelic realm. Then it says Babylon is fallen, is fallen: This near-term prophecy was fulfilled back in the day, when the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon, but it also looks forward to a future prophetic fulfillment. Revelation 18:2 describes the cry of an angel when God judges the world system, both commercial Babylon and spiritual Babylon: And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” Isaiah’s vision relates to and looks forward to John’s revelation. When the LORD strikes the world system, both spiritual Babylon and commercial Babylon, the world will be terrified and mourn the same way (Revelation 18:9-19). But God’s people rejoice over the fall of Babylon (Revelation 18:20).
Oracles about Edom and Arabia
11 The oracle concerning Edom.
One keeps calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, how far gone is the night?
Watchman, how far gone is the night?”
12 The watchman says,
“Morning comes but also night.
If you would inquire, inquire;
Come back again.”
Verses 11-12 Edom is braced and on alert for the potential of an attack. They’re waiting and expecting an attack presumably by the Assyrian arm. Some translations say Dumah instead of Edom. As we remember, Edom was the name of the people who were descendants of Esau, Issac’s son. The lineage was Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Esau (twins). The Edomites settled in the land to the south-east of Israel and were the sometimes enemies of Israel. This statement, Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again is kind of a weird way of saying “nothing to report right now, check back later”.
13 The oracle about Arabia.
In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night,
O caravans of Dedanites.
14 Bring water for the thirsty,
O inhabitants of the land of Tema,
Meet the fugitive with bread.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow
And from the press of battle.
16 For thus the Lord said to me, “In a year, as a hired man would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will terminate; 17 and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken.”
Verses 13-17 are foretelling of a great movement of refugees coming out of Arabia. Dedan and Kedar (Saudi Arabia) are literally running for their lives, but they’re thirsty and hungry for bread, so it seems many of them will die on the way. “In a year, as a hired man would count it”, is a way saying you can count the days, when a year is up Arabia will be conquered.
Isaiah 22 NASB 1995
The Valley of Vision
22 The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?
2 You who were full of noise,
You boisterous town, you exultant city;
Your slain were not slain with the sword,
Nor did they die in battle.
3 All your rulers have fled together,
And have been captured without the bow;
All of you who were found were taken captive together,
Though they had fled far away.
4 Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me,
Let me weep bitterly,
Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
Verses 1-4 Isaiah denounces the city of Jerusalem. He is grieved over this tumultuous/joyous “city of vision”, it is called “city of vision” because it was the homebase for some of the prophets (including Isaiah himself). This prophecy against Judah and Jerusalem is nestled in with prophecies against other nations because Judah ended up behaving like her neighbors and fell away from the Lord.” People used to go up to their housetops to pray and cry out to God for help in times of trouble. A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Isaiah sees the commotion and asks “is this because of evil (tumult) or because of joy?) Your slain men are not slain with the sword: When Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians, many of the men of Judah did not die bravely, they died either of starvation or as they fled in cowardly retreat. Jeremiah 39 talks about how king Zedekiah escaped by the way of the king's garden , but was captured. Then at the end of these verses we see Isaiah weeping bitterly and not wanting to be consoled over the destruction of Jerusalem. Kind of reminds me of the way many Jews go today to the wailing wall, seeking God, but not on His terms…
5 For the Lord God of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion
In the valley of vision,
A breaking down of walls
And a crying to the mountain.
6 Elam took up the quiver
With the chariots, infantry and horsemen;
And Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.
Verses 5-7, Isaiah sees a coming army, (Elam and Kir are the southern and northern contingents of the Babylonian army) and the LORD brings no deliverance. Let’s look at 2 Kings 25:1-7 about the fulfillment of this: Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. 2 So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon..
8 And He removed the defense of Judah.
In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest,
9 And you saw that the breaches
In the wall of the city of David were many;
And you collected the waters of the lower pool.
10 Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem
And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
11 And you made a reservoir between the two walls
For the waters of the old pool.
But you did not depend on Him who made it,
Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.
12 Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing,
To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.
13 Instead, there is gaiety and gladness,
Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
14 But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself to me,
“Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you
Until you die,” says the Lord God of hosts.
Verses 8-14 Isaiah says, “You gathered together the waters of the lower pool…. to fortify the wall”. You get what he’s saying here? Jerusalem was faced with this attack, they prepared the city for battle and for siege, strengthening the wall of the city and making sure there was adequate water supply. Then it says, “He removed the protection of Judah”. They were making all these physical preparations and fortifications, but… but you did not look to its Maker, nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago. I’m guilty of that same mentality.
On that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning. Oh that we would rend our hearts in humble repentance to the LORD. And place our confidence in Him. Instead, we like them, look to their own preparation , and there’s another weird response (“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”). It’s kind of like, “oh well, we might as well party and enjoy what time we have left… Que sera sera, whatever will be will be; like Doris Day sang.
For this iniquity there will be no atonement for you: They ignored God and refused to humble themselves and repent. Jesus said, in Luke 13:3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts,
“Come, go to this steward,
To Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,
16 ‘What right do you have here,
And whom do you have here,
That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here,
You who hew a tomb on the height,
You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?
17 ‘Behold, the Lord is about to hurl you headlong, O man.
And He is about to grasp you firmly
18 And roll you tightly like a ball,
To be cast into a vast country;
There you will die
And there your splendid chariots will be,
You shame of your master’s house.’
19 “I will depose you from your office,
And I will pull you down from your station.
Verses 15-19 Isaiah denounces Shebna, the king’s chief steward because he had a high and honorable office, yet he used it to glorify himself. Interestingly, Shebna was a steward (a servant) of king Hezekiah, but he was also a scribe (2 Kings 18:18). The LORD says, “What have you here, and whom have you here”, in other words, “Who do you think you are?” Have you ever said that to anyone? Can you think of any times someone said that to you? It is definitely eye opening, and startling. Shebna even makes preparations for his own burial (hews a tomb). Pride blinds us to the obvious and the inevitable. God says, “He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country”, like I’m going to wad you up like a piece of paper and toss you into the trash.
20 “Then it will come about in that day,
That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
21 And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he opens no one will shut,
When he shuts no one will open.
23 “I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.
24 So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.
Verses 20-24 The LORD is going to transfer this honor that should have been Shebna’s and bestows it on Eliakim. This Eliakim is the son of Hilkiah mentioned in 2 Kings 18:18 and Isaiah 36:3 assistant to King Hezekiah. This is not the Eliakim who was king Josiah’s son, who was a puppet king established by Pharaoh (2 Kings 23:34).
Then down a little it says, “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder” and “He shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut and no one shall open”. Just like in Revelation 3:7 These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. We don’t have time to go down every rabbit trail, but in some way Eliakim is like Jesus Christ. Honor and power and majesty and dominion is bestowed on Jesus forever.
25 In that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”
Verse 25 Getting back to Shebna, “you will fall! God will bring it to pass”. Not only are you cast down, but anyone who was following on your coat-tails will fall with you.
Isaiah 23 NASB 1995
The Fall of Tyre
23 The oracle concerning Tyre.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
For Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor;
It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus.
2 Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland,
You merchants of Sidon; Your messengers crossed the sea
3 And were on many waters.
The grain of the Nile, the harvest of the River was her revenue;
And she was the market of nations.
4 Be ashamed, O Sidon;
For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying,
“I have neither travailed nor given birth,
I have neither brought up young men nor reared virgins.”
5 When the report reaches Egypt,
They will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.
Verses 1-5 Now we have the promise of coming judgment against Tyre. The sailors of Tyre agonize when they hear of the destruction of their home port. Tyre was north of Israel, and was the leading city of Phoenicia, a great seafaring nation because of its harbor and shipping was a commercial powerhouse. Tyre of Phoenicia was referenced in Mark 7:24-30
24 Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. 25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.
6 Pass over to Tarshish;
Wail, O inhabitants of the coastland.
7 Is this your jubilant city,
Whose origin is from antiquity,
Whose feet used to carry her to colonize distant places?
8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9 The Lord of hosts has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty,
To despise all the honored of the earth.
Verses 6-9 When it mentions “origin is from antiquity”, and “colonize distant places”, it is just talking about how great an empire Phoenicia was in both time and space. No matter how great an empire, which covered much of the Mediterranean, God is bigger. He can and will bring it down.
10 Overflow your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish,
There is no more restraint.
11 He has stretched His hand out over the sea,
He has made the kingdoms tremble;
The Lord has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds.
12 He has said, “You shall exult no more, O crushed virgin daughter of Sidon.
Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.”
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people which was not; Assyria appointed it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin.
14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
For your stronghold is destroyed.
Verses 10-14 Tyre was defeated by the Chaldeans of Assyria.
15 Now in that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
16 Take your harp, walk about the city,
O forgotten harlot;
Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered.
Verses 15-16 I think it’s interesting that like Israel was in captivity for seventy years, Tyre also would be desolate for seventy years, then after there would be a restoration. They had some strange ideas of poetry or song lyrics back in the day. 16 Take your harp, walk about the city,
O forgotten harlot;
Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered
17 It will come about at the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her harlot’s wages and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18 Her gain and her harlot’s wages will be set apart to the Lord; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord.
Verses 17-18 to me, this description of Tyre’s latter end is worse than the first, but there is this mention that the Lord will visit Tyre. Could it be talking about Jesus’ visit to Tyre and the Syro-Phoenician woman?
Takeaway God is sovereign not only over His people, but even the pagan Gentile nations.
