Isaiah 13:1-8

The rising and falling of nations are in the hands of God (Dan.4:25, 32; Acts 17:26). In Isaiah chapters 13-23 you have a series of oracles, or prophecies, spoken against various nations in the Middle East that at one time or another were enemies of God’s people. The first concerns Babylon, the capital city of the mighty Babylonian Empire. (See also Jeremiah chapters 50, 51). There is no one too big and powerful, or mean and nasty, that God cannot bring them down. Isaiah pictures God the Lord raising an army of ”holy ones” (3). They may not necessarily be holy in behaviour, but they have been set apart for God’s purposes. That’s the meaning of the word. He tells them to ”enter the gates of the nobles” (2) that is Babylon itself. ”I’ve taken charge of my special forces, called up my crack troops. They’re bursting with pride and passion to carry out my angry judgment.” The Message.

(4, 5): When Isaiah wrote this prophecy, it was the Assyrians, not the Babylonians, who were the Superpower in Middle Eastern politics. But Isaiah was able to see ahead, to the rise of Babylon, the conquest of Judah, and the exile of the Jews. Then he was enabled to see even beyond that to the eventual defeat of Babylon by Cyrus King of Persia (joined by the Medes from Media: verse 17), and the return of the Jewish exiles to their own land (14:1, 45:1, 13). ”It’s GOD on the move with the weapons of his wrath, ready to destroy the whole country.” The Message.

Any day that God intervenes decisively in history can be called ”the day of the LORD” (6). Of course, this expression repeatedly refers to the last judgment. Whenever God’s judgment comes it is terrible: ”…an avalanche crashing down from the Strong God! Everyone paralyzed in the panic, hysterical and unstrung, Doubled up in pain like a woman giving birth to a baby. Horrified – everyone they see is like a face out of a nightmare.” The Message.

”In the defeat of Babylon, Isaiah saw a picture of the final ”day of the Lord” when the world will taste the judgment of God…Isaiah’s message against Babylon was fulfilled, and the city and empire are no more. In Scripture, Babylon symbolizes the world system confederated against God (Gen.11). Like Babylon in Isaiah’s day, the world today seems so successful and invincible; but one day, the whole system will fall (Rev 17, 18). That is why God calls His people to separate themselves from it (2 Cor.6:14-18).” Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.461.

Prayer: Help me Holy God to have a true valuation of things and ‘love not the world.’