Isaías 13

Isaías 13

Wiersbe comments that "it is clear that Isaiah’s prophecy describes something more significant than the ups and downs of an ancient city. The prophets often began a message by focusing on local events, but then enlarged their vision to reveal something greater. Isaiah saw in the fall of Babylon a picture of “the day of the Lord” (Isa 13:6, 9, 13), that time when God will pour out His wrath on the whole world (Isa 13:11). The image of the woman in travail is used in Scripture to describe a time of judgment (Isa 13:8; 21:3; 26:17; Jer. 6:24; Micah 4:9, 10; Matt. 24:8, where “sorrows” is “birthpains”; 1Th 5:3). Isaiah looked beyond that day to the day when the Babylonian world system would be destroyed (Revelation 17–18). (Wiersbe, W. W. Be Comforted. An Old Testament Study. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books) Isaiah 13:12 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir.: Isa 13:15-18 4:1 24:6 Ps 137:9 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold - Jehovah is still speaking. Because of God's visitation human mortality will be extremely high, but not complete. God will spare a faithful precious and exceedingly honored remnant! Ophir - This is a town probably located on the southwestern coast of Arabia (cf. Job 22:24; 28:16). The picture is that of almost complete annihilation of mankind...when could this occur? The book of the Revelation describes such an extreme loss of human life and supports the premise that Isaiah is describing another future aspect (widespread death of mankind - see Rev 9:15-note, Rev 9:18-note, Rev 9:20-note) of the Day of the LORD. Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts in the day of His burning anger.: I will make: Joel 3:16 Hag 2:6,7,21,22 Mt 24:29 Heb 12:26,27 Rev 6:13,14 earth: Jer 4:23,24 Mt 24:35 2Pe 3:10 Rev 20:1 Anger: Ps 110:5,6 La 1:12 Na 1:4-6) THE HEAVENS WILL TREMBLE I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken - Isaiah 24:18; Joel 2:10; 3:16; Haggai 2:6-7, 21-22. Isa 34:4; 51:6; Hag 2:6. God is in control of the universe! This passage also indicates that our finite human sins will one day have cosmic implications. Think about this truth the next time you are considering carrying out some willful sin! (Instead consider Ro 13:14-note) Joel describes a similar heavenly reaction in the Day of the LORD... The LORD roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel. (Joel 3:16-commentary) Fury of the LORD...the day of His burning anger - In Isaiah 13:9 we read a parallel description of the Day of the LORD as cruel, with fury and burning anger. The fulfillment of God's wrath is described by John in the Revelation, specifically in Revelation 6-19 as well as in 2Pe 3:10, indicating that the Day of LORD spans an extended time (although some association this Day only with the time of the "Tribulation.") The day of His burning anger - This is the Day of the LORD. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the apostle John records the heavens trembling and the earth shaking... And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake (cp Rev 8:5-note, Rev 11:13-note, Rev 16:18-note); and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair (cp Isa 24:23, Mt 24:29), and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth (cp Rev 8:10, 11-note, Rev 8:12-note), as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places (cp Rev 16:20-note). 15 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?" (Rev 6:12-17-notes) Isaiah 13:14 And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, they will each turn to his own people, and each one flee to his own land. Isa 17:13 1Ki 22:17,36 They will each turn: Isa 47:15 Jer 50:16 51:9 Rev 18:9,10 Isaiah 13:14-18 focuses on the savagery that will be manifest in a world that has rejected God and is experiencing His Day of wrath. This recalls the words of our Lord Jesus in His Olivet Discourse: Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 24:12-14-note). Like a hunted gazelle...like sheep - See terms of comparison - simile. Notice the "pun", sheep (unbelieving) without a Shepherd (the Good Shepherd) will be easily dispersed and lost (eternally) in the day of God's visitation. The exact meaning of this passage is uncertain but it could describe "a mass exit from Babylon, foreigners returning to their own lands." (MacDonald) Like the flight of spooked animal, so too will be the flight of the fear filled inhabitants when their great city is attacked. They will realize it was not an impenetrable fortress and they will return to seek refuge in their places of origin, with their own people. Motyer describes "three facets of the Day: no protection (14), no escape (15), no mercy (16). They gathered in arrogant triumphalism (3–5), now they have everything to flee from (14) and nowhere to flee to (15). Humankind without God is without safety and without home. (Ibid) MacArthur proposes that "Humans are frightening to the shy gazelle, but indispensable to the helpless sheep. The Babylonians will find the Lord as their enemy and lose Him as their shepherd. All they can do is flee the land." (Borrow MacArthur Study Bible page 956) Isaiah 13:15 Anyone who is found will be thrust through, and anyone who is captured will fall by the sword: Isa 14:19-22 47:9-14 Jer 50:27,35-42 51:3 Anyone...thrust through...fall by sword - A veritable massacre is the Day of the LORD and not a day of mercy. That day has passed, and all that remains for those who have rejected God's longsuffering and patience is His unhindered wrath. Dear reader, if you are skeptical about these prophecies and continue to disbelieve God's offer of salvation, may God grant you grace to take heed and accept the acceptable time for this day of grace will not last forever - 2Co 6:1,2, cp Ps 32:6, Ps 95:8, Isa 55:6, 7, Jn 12:35, 36. Read Jesus' warning in Luke 13:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30-note. (See also these notes) Captured (05595)(saphah) means to scrape or sweep away, to destroy, to perish, to be captured. The first four uses are in the context of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - what an interesting picture of Jehovah "sweeping away" sinners, in effect "cleaning house!" Genesis 18:23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Genesis 19:15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” Genesis 19:17 ( When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” Saphah described the fate of those in the rebellion of Korah when Moses "spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.”(Nu 16:26) Patterson - The basic image of the root seems to be that of sweeping—both the process of heaping things together and of sweeping them away...The root is usually used in a hostile sense, particularly in contexts of judgment. David spent much of his life being swept away before his enemies, later, facing God's judgment for sin, he avoids the choice of being swept away before his enemies (1 Chron. 21:12-13). The judgment of God against sin is the subject of several contexts. Lot and his family were warned so that they would not be consumed with Sodom (Genesis 19:15ff.). The prophets repeatedly warned apostate Israel that God would heap misfortunes upon them (e.g. Isaiah 7:20). Jeremiah (Jeremiah 12:4) stated that man's sin was so serious that even the natural world was affected by it. God's judgment should occasion prayer and intercession. Abraham pleaded with his heavenly visitors for the life of the righteous in Sodom (Genesis 18:23f.). The Psalmist, concerned that God's will and reputation be evidenced in his life, prayed for his enemies to be swept away (Psalm 40:14). (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Gilbrant - The verb sāphāh means "to sweep away" or, in the Niphal, "to be swept away." A similar verb in Arabic means "to sweep away dust." In Middle Hebrew, the verb means "to carry off," and in Syriac it means "to collect." Sāphāh first occurs in the account of Abraham pleading with God on behalf of the righteous people living in Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of these few godly men, Abraham begged God not to "sweep away" the notoriously evil cities (Gen. 18:23f). Though God ultimately destroyed the cities, angels warned Lot to take his righteous family and quickly leave Sodom, lest they be swept away when God's wrath was poured down (Gen. 19:15). A similar situation arose when Moses warned the Israelite community to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram because they were about to be swept away due to their rebellion against Moses' leadership (Num. 16:25-35). Also, David foretold Abishai that Saul's end would come when the Lord caused him to be swept away and destroyed (1 Sam. 26:10). Numbers 32:14 depicts a different nuance, in that Israel was "sweeping up," or increasing, the anger of the Lord through their sin. For example, as a flame grows in response to fanning, the Lord's anger mounted in response to Israel's disobedience. Sāphāh is also used in an illustration of the result of the stubborn attitude of the Israelites toward God: dry land would replace the good land because of Israel's idolatrous disobedience (Deut. 29:19). Isaiah 30:1 is often translated "to add" sin to sin, taking the verb form there to be from yāsaph (HED #3362), rather than sāphāh. Saphah - 18x in 18v - add(2), captured(1), destroy(2), heap(1), perish(2), remove(1), snatched away(1), sweep away(2), swept away(6). Gen. 18:23; Gen. 18:24; Gen. 19:15; Gen. 19:17; Num. 16:26; Num. 32:14; Deut. 29:19; Deut. 32:23; 1 Sam. 12:25; 1 Sam. 26:10; 1 Sam. 27:1; 1 Chr. 21:12; Ps. 40:14; Prov. 13:23; Isa. 7:20; Isa. 13:15; Isa. 30:1; Jer. 12:4 Isaiah 13:16 Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.: Little ones: Ps 137:8,9 Ho 10:14 Na 3:10 Their: La 5:11 Zec 14:2 THE BRUTALITY OF WAR Dashed...plundered...ravished - Apt descriptions of the horrible conditions in the dreadful Day of the LORD. So called "civilized" nations are still barbarians at heart, if their heart has never been "circumcised" by grace through faith in Christ (See Excursus on Circumcision Of the Heart). Out of their evil hearts issue despicable deeds which know no bounds or mercy! Little ones...wives - Even women and children will not be spared in the Day of the LORD. Ravished (07693)(shagal) in context means violated or raped. Isaiah 13:17 Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold.: I am going to stir up: Isa 13:3-5 21:2 41:25 Jer 50:9 51:11,27,28 Da 5:28-31 Will not value: Pr 6:34,35) THE LORD IS THE "EXECUTIVE MANAGER" OF WORLD HISTORY Behold (hinneh) is inserted to get our attention. I am going to stir up the Medes against them - The verb "stir up" is in the causative with God as its subject and we see the active involvement of God in history. He is not aloof or passive. He is not simply a spectator. He is in complete charge, manipulating his plan. All his actions are purposeful. Events do not happen by chance. This emphasis is clearly discernable in the OT passages which use the verb stir up -- Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, was stirred up by the Lord against the tribes in the Transjordan area (1Chr 5:26). God aroused the Babylonians against Jerusalem (Ezek 23:22). Then God stirred up the Medes against Babylon (Isa 13:17; Jer 50:9; Jer 51:11). It was the Lord who incited Cyrus to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Judah (2Chr 36:22; Ezra 1:1) and who in turn urged the exiles to return (Joel 3:7). When apathy had overtaken the returned exiles, the Lord agitated Zerubbabel and Joshua through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to carry the construction of the second temple to its completion (Hag 1:14). Motyer adds an important note - In all this, of course, the Lord is no puppet master making automata jump to his bidding (cf. Isa 10:5-15). People are simply being themselves (Titus 3:3-note). Isa 14:26 notes that the guiding power in history is the ‘stretching out of his hand’. Yet in so many ways the Day is the withdrawing of his hand as he judgmentally leaves sinners, unrestrained, to implement all the savagery of the fallen nature. The more people turn their backs on God, determined to ‘be themselves’, to be masters of ‘their own world’, the less human they become, therefore the less humane. When the Day comes, sin will take centre stage as the total and savage destroyer it has always been, and those who did not want God will get what they wanted: they will be given up (Ro 1:24-note, Ro 1:26-note, Ro 1:28-note) to be themselves. (Ibid) Medes (see note) - Iran will be used to judge Babylon. Da 5:30, 31 is the "near" fulfillment of this prophecy and a foreshadowing of the fall of Babylon in Revelation 17, 18/ Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold - These soldiers will not be deterred from their task of destruction. They cannot be bribed or bought off! They are motivated to carry out their merciless conquest! This picture was historically fulfilled with the fall of Babylon to the Medes, but will be repeated in the horrible conditions of war associated with the future Day of the LORD. Isaiah 13:18 And their bows will mow down the young men. They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, nor will their eye pity children.: ( Mow down: Isa 13:16 2Ki 8:12 Ho 13:16 Na 2:1 3:10 eye: 2Ch 36:17 Eze 9:5,6,10 Bows - The Medes were men of the bow. Mow down (term of comparison)...not even have compassion...nor will their eye pity - Isaiah piles up vivid descriptions of the savagery of the armies in the future Day of the LORD, even as seen in the armies of the Medes when they conquered Babylon in 539BC. Motyer - They have no concern for life (young men), no restraint of pity (infants), no thought for the future (children)—nothing but the fulfilment of their own imperialism! (Ibid) Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.: Babylon: Isa 14:4-6,12-15 Jer 51:41 Da 2:37,38 4:30 When God overthrew: Ge 19:24 Dt 29:23 Jer 49:18 50:40 Zep 2:9 HOW THE MIGHTY CITY HAS FALLEN! Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride - Notice how quickly the passage moves from the transient beauty and lofty pride of men to the low, abysmal, eternal fate of Sodom and Gomorrah! And so it is with the pride of men - God allows a brief day in the "sun" but an eternity in darkness! As I heard someone say This life is as close to heaven as an unbeliever will ever get and as close to hell as a believer will ever come! And all God's children cry "Hallelujah!" Daniel agrees with the preeminence of Babylon above all other human kingdoms of the earth declaring to Nebuchadnezzar... You, O king, are the king of kings (The best men can offer - cp Rev 19:16-note, the best God provides), to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. (Da 2:37, 38-note) Sodom and Gomorrah (terms of comparison) - This suggests a near and far fulfillment. Babylon was first defeated by the Medes (Isaiah 13:17) around 539 B.C. (Daniel 5:30,31), some 175 years after Isaiah's prophecy. However, Babylon continued as an important city until well after the time of Christ. Motyer - Having announced and described the Day of the Lord, Isaiah turns to the foreseen fall of Babylon. It is typical of the Old Testament to see coming calamity against the backdrop of ultimate calamity. (Ibid) It is passages like Isaiah 13:19 which present problems for those commentators like Matthew Henry which see all the prophecies in Isaiah 13 as past history.