Isaiah 16:1
Sunday School
12/21/2008
I (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - Prophecies against Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - Prophecies against the Nations
1. \\#13:1-14:23\\ Babylon
2. \\#14:23-27\\ Assyria
3. \\#14:29-32\\ Palestina
4. \\#15:1-16:14\\ Moab - We continue with the second chapter describing
Moab’s fall to the Assyrians.
g. \\#1-3\\ Moab is encouraged to make peace with Israel.
(1) Moab was a descendent from Lot \\#Ge 19:36-37\\. While Israel
was to be uniquely God’s and not make alliances with other
nations, that does not mean that Israel had to be at war with
other nations, especially their near kin. God has given the
Moabites their land and commanded Israel to respect their
boundaries \\#De 2:9, 18-19\\. Unfortunately, conflict still
broke out and lasted for centuries. God is encouraging Moab
to make peace with Israel and, although it is not so stated,
that action might have spared the Moab the destruction it
experienced at the hands of the Assyrians.
(2) \\#1\\ "Send ye the lamb" - The idea would be to send a peace
offering, not the sacrifice required by the Jews but a
symbolic gesture of peace with Israel.
(3) \\#1\\ "from Sela" - Sela means "rock." It is close to modern-
day Petra, a wilderness fortress actually in the land of Edom
(south of Moab) where some of the Moabites fled to from the
Assyrians.
(4) \\#1\\ Send the lamb "unto the mount of the daughter of Zion,"
that is, to Israel. Again the name Zion is mentioned, as noted
in earlier references, it refers to the civil powers of Israel.
See notes on Isaiah 1:8.
(5) \\#2\\ Moab shall be as a "wandering bird" searching for a place
to nest.
(6) \\#2\\ They shall stop at the "fords of Arnon." The River Arnon
runs out of the Dead Sea, east, into Moab. Whether this was a
hide-away or a defense stand is uncertain.
(7) \\#3\\ God gives Moab counsel:
(a) Take counsel - Consider carefully what you do.
(b) Execute judgment - Do right.
(c) "make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday" -
There is no night in the midst of the noonday. I gather
that means to they need to make their shadow unseen or
to hide themselves from the invaders.
(d) Have mercy on those fleeing and do not reveal those that
are wandering or on-the-run.
h. \\#4-5\\ A Request for Mercy - At this point, my views differ from
most of those I have read. Others think the Moabites are the
speakers in these verses, asking the Jews for a hiding place for
their afflicted. I believe God is the speaker, asking the Moabites
for shelter for His people. Perhaps this is a fulfilled prophecy,
taking place when Assyria attacked Israel, but it is possibly an
endtime prophecy to be fulfilled when the anti-Christ pours his
wrath upon the Jews during the tribulation.
(1) \\#4\\ "Moab" - I believe this is a term of direct address.
Even though the Moabites were the victims in \\#16:1-3\\,
now the Jews are.
(2) \\#4\\ "my outcasts" - God is speaking of His people.
(3) \\#4\\ God is still offering counsel to the Moabites. He is
telling them to be a "covert," a shelter, from the "spoiler."
(4) \\#4\\ God gives the Moabites some encouragement to comply
with this request. The time of the "extortioner… the
spoiler… the oppressors" is at an end.
(5) \\#5\\ When that time is ended, "the throne" shall "be
established." This is what makes me think this passage is
endtime. If the spoiler was Assyria, the northern kingdom did
not recover. Judah, the southern kingdom, did continue, even
experiencing some revivals from time to time; but this passage
seems to indicate the establishment of a new throne, perhaps
a reference to the throne of Jesus Christ.
(6) \\#5\\ The king of that time also sounds like the King of
endtime, judging and seeking justice and righteousness. This
King shall sit in the "tabernacle of David," perhaps the
millennial temple. While that temple will be different in many
aspects from the temple built with David’s plans, it will still
be very similar.
(7) These verses make me think that some in the land once called
Moab will have opportunity to show compassion to the Jews
during the tribulation, although Isaiah 25:9-12, sounds like
Moab will not take advantage of the opportunity.
Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have
waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him,
we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be
trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that
swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride
together with the spoils of their hands.
12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low,
and bring to the ground, even to the dust.
(8) Assyria and Egypt will likely have this opportunity as well;
however, they it seems more probable that they take advantage
of it. That would explain why God exalts these nations to be
one with Israel.
Isaiah 19:23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and
the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the
Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a
blessing in the midst of the land:
25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and
Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
(9) The judgment of the nations \\#Matt 25:19:31-46\\, may be a
judgment of the world nations over how they treated Israel
during the tribulation.
i. \\#6-12\\ God’s condemnation of ancient Moab continues
(1) \\#6\\ Moab was a very proud nation. That pride probably kept
him from worshipping a God who had selected another people
before them.
(2) \\#7\\ "Therefore" - That pride would also be what caused their
destruction.
(3) \\#8-9\\ Jewish cities where the destruction of Moab would be
felt. Although the chapter is directed primarily against Moab,
when the Assyrians come, Israel will also suffer. Heshbon
(repeated from the last chapter; apparently an area where
grapes were grown and wine produced), Sibmah (5 miles east of
Heshbon, known for its wine presses), Elealeh (repeated).
(4) \\#9\\ "Jazer" - A city originally belonging to the Amorites but
was taken by Israel under Moses and turned into a City of
Refuge, belonging to the Levites. The verse says that this
city will weep at the destruction of the vines of Sibmah.
(5) \\#10\\ There will be no joy for anyone who desired the wine
produced from the Heshbon area.
(6) \\#9, 11\\ Isaiah again speaks of personal sorrow over the
plight of Moab \\#15:5\\.
(7) \\#12\\ Isaiah again mentions the futility of Moab seeking
their gods \\#Is 15:2\\. It will avail them nothing.
(j) \\#13-14\\ God assures Moab of this prophecy
(1) \\#13\\ This is what God has spoken.
(2) \\#14\\ "Within three years, as the years of an hireling" - God
places a date upon this prophecy. It will occur within three
years. While I do not know the date of Moab’s fall to Assyria,
but Israel fell in 722BC. This prophecy likely occurred around
725 BC.
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