Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church
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CALVARY PANDAN three nations that were related to Israel BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, They were Edom (from Esau), Ammon SINGAPORE (from Lot) and Moab. But these nations did not leave Israel alone. For example, Balak, the king of Moab, DHW BIBLE CLASS purchased the services of Balaam, a false prophet, to curse Israel when LESSON 15 Israel was en route to the Promised THE BOOK OF ISAIAH Land. Israel did not do anything to CHAPTER 15 justify such an attack. God turned the curses into a blessing. Then Balaam counselled Balak to get Israel to sin. Theme: “The sad end of a Gentile When Israel sins, the LORD will surely nation!” punish Israel. Balaam taught Balak who sent in many “loose” women to tempt Israel. Israel sinned against the THEME VERSE LORD and 24,000 died (see Numbers Isaiah 15:3 (KJV) “In their streets they 25). shall gird themselves with sackcloth: The hatred Moab had against on the tops of their houses, and in their Israel was more spiritual than carnal. streets, every one shall howl, weeping Although Ruth, the grandmother of abundantly.” King David came from Moab, there was only animosity that existed INTRODUCTION between Moab and Israel all their days. Moab was not a city unrelated to There was no love lost between the Israel. Moab was one of two sons born two nations. In Isaiah’s time, the to Lot out of an incestual relationship judgement of the LORD will also between Lot’s daughter and himself. include this enemy of Israel. Like all Moab means “Who is my father?” This Gentile nations, the end will come. is a very apt name given to the poor Chapters 15 and 16 of Isaiah describe son as Lot was his grandfather as well this end. There is no man-made nation as his father. This name conjures bad on earth that will exist for eternity. memories of the time when the LORD There is no exception to this immutable had to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah law of God. The only nation that will because their sins of homosexuality exist forever is the nation of Jesus and fornication were full. Christ! Since that fateful day, Moab grew to become a nation of its own. OUTLINE However, Moab was not friendly 1. The Destruction (v.1); toward Israel. When God led Israel 2. The Mourning (v. 2-5); from Egypt into the Promised Land, Israel was told by God not to touch 3. The Deaths (v. 6-9). DHW LESSON 15 ISAIAH 15 COMMENTARY identified. It must always have been a place of importance. It is mentioned as The Destruction – 15:1 Charakmoba (Karakmoba) in the Acts The burden of Moab is the same of the Council of Jerusalem (536 AD) for the other Gentile nations mentioned and by the early geographers. It earlier. The word for burden means dominated the great caravan road heavy weight. The message for Moab connecting Syria with Egypt and was heavy as it describes her total Arabia. The Crusaders therefore destruction. The suddenness of directed attention to it, and held Moab’s destruction is seen in the use possession from 1167 till it fell again of the phrase “in the night”. The night is into the hands of the Moslems under less than half a day. Two major cities Saladin, 1188. The Chroniclers speak that belonged to Moab were suddenly of it as in el Belqa, and the chief city of destroyed within the same night. The Arabia Secunda. Under the title of swiftness of the destruction is also Petra Deserti the Crusaders founded emphasized here. Ar (means “city”) here a bishop's see. The Greek bishop and Kir (means “fortress) were both of Petra still has his seat in Kerak. laid waste i.e. ravaged. They were “Kerak stands upon a lofty spur totally destroyed and the destruction projecting westward from the Moab was total and swift. plateau, with Wady `Ain Franjy on the “The city of Ar is named in a South, and Wady el-Kerak on the snatch of ancient song (Num. 21:15), North, about 10 miles from the Dead literally "the site of Ar". It is identical with "Ar of Moab" (Num. 21:28; Isaiah Sea. The sides of the mountain sink 15:1). This is probably the place called sharply into these deep ravines, the City of Moab in Num. 22:36, where which unite immediately to the West, the Hebrew is `ir mo'abh. It is probably and, as Wady el-Kerak, the great also intended by "the city that is in the hollow runs northwestward to the middle of the valley" (Deu. 2:36; Jos 13:9,16; 2Sa 24:5). It lay "on the sea. It is a position of great natural border of the Arnon, which is in the strength, being connected with the utmost part of the border" (Num. uplands to the East only by a narrow 22:36).” [ISBE, Swordsearcher 6.1] neck. It is 3,370 ft. above the level of The city of Kir – “The name, at least the sea. The mountains beyond the in this form, appears only once (Isaiah adjacent valleys are much higher. 15:1) as that of a city in Moab. It is The place was surrounded by a named with Ar of Moab, with which strong wall, with five towers, which possibly it may be identical, since `ar can still be traced in its whole length. or `ir is the Hebrew equivalent of the The most northerly tower is well Moabite Qir. The Targum hence reads preserved. The most interesting "Kerak in Moab". There can be no building at Kerak is the huge castle doubt that the Kerak here intended is on the southern side. It is separated represented by the modern town of from the adjoining hill on the right by that name, with which, consequently, a large artificial moat; and it is Kir Moab is almost universally 2 DHW LESSON 15 ISAIAH 15 provided with a reservoir. A moat The Mourning – 15:2-5 also skirts the northern side of the The destruction of homes and fortress, and on the East, the wall lives are hard to bear. We are people has a sloped or battered base. The who cling on to familiarity to provide castle is then separated from the stability and strength for our existence town. The walls are very thick and on a daily basis. The “He” refers to the are well preserved. Beneath the Moabites who fled from the cities of Ar castle is a chapel in which traces of and Kir. They have gone up to Bajith frescoes are still visible. In days of (means “house”) and Dibon (means ancient warfare, the place must have “pining”), which were their high places been practically impregnable. It could for worshipping their gods, to weep. be entered only by two roads passing The word for weeping is “overflowing through rock-cut tunnels. The main sorrow”. The weeping was loud and danger must always have been desperate. They cried to their gods for failure of water supply. There are help for the destruction was great and springs immediately outside the city; the loss sorrowful. but those alone would not be The Moabites also wept for two sufficient. Great cisterns were other cities. The word used here is therefore constructed in the town and worse than the previous word. The also in the castle. The half-nomadic word “howl” literally means “to yell with inhabitants of Kerak today number a wailing tone.” The first city was Nebo some 1,140 families (Musil, Arabia (means “prophecy” in Hebrew). This Petrea, III, 97). The Greek church was probably near the place where claims about 2,000 souls; the rest are Moses was brought by the LORD to Moslems. They are wild and fearless see the Promised Land before his people, not greatly inclined to treat death (see Deu. 32:49). The other city strangers with courtesy and was called Medeba (means “water of kindness. In the spring of 1911, the quiet”). Apparently these two cities town was the center of a rising were also destroyed. against the government, which was The intense mourning of the not quelled until much blood had Moabites was described using been shed.” [ISBE, Swordsearcher baldness and beard shaven off. This 6.1] was their way of mourning as opposed The totality of the destruction of to the Jews who would wear sackcloth the two cities is deduced from the and put ashes on their heads. phrase “brought to silence”. The cities became deserted. The inhabitants left This city is first mentioned along with their ruined cities in haste to escape Heshbon and Dibon in an account of with their lives. Israel's conquests (Num. 21:30). It lay in the Mishor, the high pastoral land of Moab. The district in which the city stood is called the Mishor or plain of 3 DHW LESSON 15 ISAIAH 15 Medeba in the description of the The ancient city is represented by the territory assigned to Reuben (Jos modern Madeba, a ruined site with an 13:9), or the plain by Medeba (Jos Arab village, crowning a low hill, some 13:16). Here the Ammonites and their 6 miles South of Heshbon, with which it Syrian allies put the battle in array was connected by a Roman road. The against Joab, and were signally ruins, which are considerable, date defeated (1Ch 19:7). This must have mainly from Christian times. The left the place definitely in the surrounding walls can be traced in possession of Israel.