Isaiah Fall, 2008 Bible Study Chapters 14:28 – 18

We now begin a series of judgments on Judah’s neighbors (14:28-17:11) and conclude with a “chapter” of woe for people who are not under the authority and love of God.

The first judgment is issued against Philistia.

Isa 14:28 In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came: Isa 14:29 "Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpent's root a viper will come out, And its fruit will be a flying serpent. Isa 14:30 "And those who are most helpless will eat, And the needy will lie down in security; I will destroy your root with famine, And it will kill off your survivors. Isa 14:31 "Wail, O gate; cry, O city; Melt away, O Philistia, all of you; For smoke comes from the north, And there is no straggler in his ranks. Isa 14:32 "How then will one answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, And the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it."

Philistia was divided into five principal city states, and so the prophet addresses the entire land in verse 29 with his words of “all of you”. We do not know precisely when Ahaz died but it could at the time of the Philistine revolt against Assyria (ca 716 BC). Others date it at 727 BC, the time of the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign. Remember that Hezekiah was co-regent with Ahaz from 728-715 BC. He was solely king from 715 to 686 BC. We know that Hezekiah obeyed God and destroyed all of the high places of worship in Judah (2 Chron 29, 2 Kings 18:3-7). He even destroyed the bronze serpent of Moses (Num 21:9), which had become a subject of idolatry. Also in about 717 BC he began an aggressive war against Assyria when he retook the cities that Ahaz had forfeited (2 Chron 28:18-19). Thus it could be that the reference in verse 29 is to Hezekiah being the one who is a greater enemy that was Ahaz. Ahaz was certainly evil so the reference to him as a serpent would fit appropriately. There also is the problem of trying to understand why Isaiah first mentions the death of Ahaz if the following verse does not also refer to him in some way. However many people believe that verse 28 is merely setting the time of this section and that the rejoicing in verse 29 might be over the death of an Assyrian king described previously as a rod (Isa 10:15) but that another king of Assyria would arise who would be even more fierce. It is probably impossible for us to precisely know the interpretation.

Only by looking at verse 32 can we probably judge correctly that the helpless are the people of Judah and Isaiah is contrasting the helpless people of Judah with the proud warriors of Philistia. Verse 30 also contrasts the usual methods used by invading armies as they would starve the people before conquering them to how God takes care of the people who put themselves under His grace instead of depending upon some strictly human force. God says that He will take care of His people and destroy His enemy with famine that will even kill their survivors. Isaiah uses the same terminology later:

1 Isa 65:13 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God, "Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty. Behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame.”

Thus God’s attack will be similar to that used by His enemy but will be even more devastating. The gate was the place of business and it was the place of first defense against which battering rams would engage. When Isaiah says that the gate and the city would wail and cry, he means that there is no defense against the invaders. Even though Hezekiah did invade Philistia and take back some cities, Isaiah here is prophesying that Assyria will be the invading force that destroys Philistia. It could be then that the serpent of verse 29 is Hezekiah and the flying serpent would be Assyria since it would “fly in” from the north and bring about the devastation to Philistia that Hezekiah did not bring. The smoke coming from the north could then be the Assyrian army that was noted for its discipline so that there would be no straggler in it. A similar destruction occurred when the Babylonians invaded.

Verse 32 has applications for today. The messengers refer to any envoys of any nation that might ask what has happened. The reply to these questioners is not focused on Assyria but on Judah! The great news is not that Philistia is destroyed but that God has developed His nation and He will protect it in His time. All who rest in the sovereignty of God can have peace knowing that He is absolutely in control and will provide a place of rest for His children. He is so sovereign that even the second, hour, day, month, and year of my death was recorded before I had a single breath:

Psa 139:16 “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”

Judgment against Moab (15:1 – 16:14)

Isa 15:1 The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined. Isa 15:2 They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, even to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; Everyone's head is bald and every beard is cut off. Isa 15:3 In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; On their housetops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears. Isa 15:4 Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him. Isa 15:5 My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath- shelishiyah, For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; Surely on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their ruin. Isa 15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are desolate. Surely the grass is withered, the tender grass died out, There is no green thing. Isa 15:7 Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored up They carry off over the brook of Arabim. Isa 15:8 For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab, Its wail goes as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim.

2 Isa 15:9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; Surely I will bring added woes upon Dimon, A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land.

Moab is a region east of the Dead Sea whose inhabitants are descended from Moab, a son of Lot, and his incestuous union with his eldest daughter (Gen. 19:31–37). Moab was an enemy of Israel and their people were not to enter worship of God:

Deut 23:3 “No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord,”

During the time of David, Moab was defeated:

2Sam 8:2 “And he defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.”

Moab continued to be a problem for Israel as they rebelled after the death of Ahab and even took the vessels of Yahweh about 100 years before this prophecy. The destruction was either very sudden or occurred during night raids. The northern boundary, Ar Moab, situated on the Arnon, was first destroyed. This may have been the capital city of Moab. Arnon is one of four streams that divides the plateau of Transjordan and was crossed by the Israelites:

Deut 2:24 “Arise, set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle.”

Dibon is north of the Arnon and was a site of one of the high places of idolatrous worship.

Next a city south of Ar Moab, Kir Moab, was destroyed. By mentioning these two cities, Isaiah is saying that entire country was to be destroyed. Using the perfect tense throughout this section, he is stating that, although this event had not yet occurred, it was decreed by God and thus all he reports is certain. This destruction would occur within three years of the prophecy. Nebo is a mountain where Moses died and Medeba was a city formerly owned by Reuben. Both of these places were sites of their false worship. Their weeping before their idols brings no relief. Isaiah says that there is baldness meaning disgrace, and beards being cut off signify humiliation so that they are unable longer to raise their heads and face the world. Humiliating, shameful defeat has come to Moab. Verse three tells of the total defeat of the people as they have no place to turn for help. Israel had previously visited these cities in former battles under Moses:

Num 21:25 And Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages. Num 21:26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. Num 21:27 Therefore those who use proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established.

3 Num 21:28 "For a fire went forth from Heshbon, A flame from the town of Sihon; It devoured Ar of Moab, The dominant heights of the Arnon. Num 21:29 "Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, To an Amorite king, Sihon. Num 21:30 "But we have cast them down, Heshbon is ruined as far as Dibon, Then we have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba." Num 21:31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. Num 21:32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

These cities were thus once occupied by Israel, had become their enemies, and now God was destroying them. This represents quite a circle! Isaiah is now giving the second woe from God to Moab. In verse five we see that Isaiah is not relishing the destruction but he also weeps over their destruction because they rebelled against God. Weeping over the lost people is one of the signs of a true prophet of God. Zoar is the city that their ancestor Lot sought when he fled from Sodom. Although we do not know the exact locations of some of these cities it seems that the people were fleeing south to Edom. The reference to the waters of Nimrim seems to refer to a normally fertile area and the people identified its dry season to what has happened to them. The Assyrians would also block sources of water to cause more destruction to an area. The people took what they had and fled to Edom.

Eglaim was probably at the northern end of the Dead Sea and Beer-elim may have been Moab’s boundary toward the wilderness. Isaiah did not choose well-known places perhaps as more of an indication of the total destruction of the area. We can only speculate that he choose the stated cities to indicate how massive was the destruction and how the wailing of the survivors reached the ears of neighbors even far away. Jeremiah also spoke of this battle and many people think that Dimon is to be identified with “Madmen” in the Jeremiah text:

Jer 48:1 “Concerning Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Woe to Nebo, for it has been destroyed; Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured; The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and shattered. Jer 48:2 "There is praise for Moab no longer; In Heshbon they have devised calamity against her: 'Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!' You too, Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow after you.”

At any rate, blood flows freely as the invading army destroys the people and ravages the land. As verse nine tells us, even the people who fled will not be spared as they will be attacked by a lion from the wilderness who will even further devastate the land.

Isa 16:1 Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land, From Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. Isa 16:2 Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon. Isa 16:3 "Give us advice, make a decision; Cast your shadow like night at high noon; Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive.

4 Isa 16:4 "Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you; Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer." For the extortioner has come to an end, destruction has ceased, Oppressors have completely disappeared from the land. Isa 16:5 A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness.

The Assyrians could not capture Jerusalem so it was a city of refuge. Sending animals to a ruler was a way of paying tribute (2Kings 3:4) and so the Moabites were begging for a place of refuge as they had fled south but were still being attacked. They ask for a shadow of protection that is indicative of them being hidden from their enemy. Isaiah is then in verse four referring to the Moabites as the extortioners who were the enemies of Judah but their destruction on Judah has ceased and the Moabite oppressors are no longer a threat to Judah. It seems that the Moabites wanted Judah’s help but they refused to accept God. Ruth had the proper mindset of accepting help from people and accepting God:

Ruth 1:16 “But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

Verse five is a Messianic promise of the day when the Messiah will sit on the throne of David. He will be faithful and bring true justice and righteousness. There will be other kings such as Hezekiah who will rule in faithfulness as a forerunner of Christ.

Isa 16:6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride; Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury; His idle boasts are false. Isa 16:7 Therefore Moab shall wail; everyone of Moab shall wail. You shall moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth As those who are utterly stricken. Isa 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon have withered, the vines of Sibmah as well; The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts; Its tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea. Isa 16:9 Therefore I will weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah; I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; For the shouting over your summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away. Isa 16:10 And gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting, No treader treads out wine in the presses, For I have made the shouting to cease. Isa 16:11 Therefore my heart intones like a harp for Moab, And my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth. Isa 16:12 So it will come about when Moab presents himself, When he wearies himself upon his high place, And comes to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not prevail.

This section states that the pride of Moab kept them from accepting God. The same pride keeps people captive today and one day all who are not God’s children will wail as did Moab over their righteous judgment from God. They once had great vineyards, summer fruits and harvests that they thought were products only of their efforts. Carol and I have seen beautiful vineyards even

5 cultivated on steep land in Europe and the people there are very proud of their efforts to have their vineyards even on land not ideal for such cultivation. But people must first praise the Lord for their true source of everything. They had famous raisin cakes and were proud of such developments much like some may be proud of their specialty deserts that are served at great occasions of celebration like food at a tailgating party.

A true prophet indeed does weep over areas that will not accept God.

Prov 24:17 “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;” God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked:

Ezek 33:11 "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'

Even Jesus wept over people refusing to accept God:

Luke 19:41 “And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it,”

Even when the people finally cease only moaning and go to their worship sites to seek comfort they will not find any relief for their gods are false and they still refuse to worship God.

Isa 16:13 This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab. Isa 16:14 But now the Lord speaks, saying, "Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent."

Moab has heard the truth of God from the times of the Pentateuch but they have consistently refused the truth. God is truly patient but now the final judgment will come upon them. Isaiah uses the “street language” of time so that the people will know that he is speaking of an exact time period. He tells them that within three years all that he prophesied above will come to pass. The destruction will not be total as a remnant will be left but it will be small and totally ineffective in its own defense. Contrary to the destruction of Moab, the destruction of Babylon will be total, leaving no remnant. Babylon will suffer a final and full doom and judgment.

Judgment against Damascus (Syria or Aram) and Ephraim (Israel)

Isa 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. "Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city, And it will become a fallen ruin. Isa 17:2 "The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks to lie down in, And there will be no one to frighten them. Isa 17:3 "The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel," Declares the Lord of hosts.

6 Isa 17:4 Now it will come about in that day that the glory of Jacob will fade, And the fatness of his flesh will become lean. Isa 17:5 It will be even like the reaper gathering the standing grain, As his arm harvests the ears, Or it will be like one gleaning ears of grain In the valley of Rephaim. Isa 17:6 Yet gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives on the topmost bough, Four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree, Declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

Isaiah joins Damascus and Ephraim in this judgment because they were allied in their opposition to both Assyria and Judah (7:1-2). The main focus after verse 3 is Israel. The central issue for all nations opposed to God is that refusal to depend upon God is foolish and will result in destruction by the nations even though God is sovereign over them also. He is the master of all nations even if they will not admit such. Damascus was, and still is, the capital of Syria and the controlling city for caravans going from Mesopotamia to Egypt and thus was very influential. Even though it was then a very important city to the world, God was about to destroy it. Aroer was about 14 miles east of the Dead Sea and marked the southern boundary of Aram’s control. The cities in that area would become void of people so that animals rested peaceably there.

Although Damascus is not in Ephraim, it is no doubt the fortified city referred to in verse three because Ephraim had hoped Damascus would protect her from the Assyrians. Damascus will also lose its authority to rule other places (sovereignty). The remnant of Aram might be the Aramean states that had taken shelter under Syria and so they also would lose in this conflict. All of this area was going to suffer the same fate as Israel. As we know, the title of God as the Lord of Hosts is in reference to Him being in commander-in-chief of the armies of heaven and earth.

Verses 4-6 describe the downfall of both countries. Isaiah uses figures of speech to describe what will remain: one physical and two agricultural. We can, unfortunately, all picture the physique as it is transformed from sleek an muscular into thin with folds of skin hanging on it. The valley of Rephaim is southwest of Jerusalem and it was noted for its lush fields but it will be decimated with only leftovers from the reapers on the ground. The rich crop of the olive trees will be beaten so that only a few olives remain to be picked by the poor. This was required earlier to give the poor some olives but now that is all that will remain for everyone:

Deut 24:20 “When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.”

Isa 17:7 In that day man will have regard for his Maker, And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. Isa 17:8 And he will not have regard for the altars, the work of his hands, Nor will he look to that which his fingers have made, Even the Asherim and incense stands.

Now Isaiah gives the news that at least some of the people will repent of their sins and return their worship to God. The altars are probably the altars to Baal:

7 1Kings 16:32 “So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.”

2Chron 34:4 “And they tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images, and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.” (Josiah’s reign)

Asherah poles were trees or poles and incense stands dedicated to the worship of the fertility goddess Asherah, the chief Canaanite god. Recent evidence indicates that the Israelites even worshiped this god as the Lord’s consort.

Isa 17:9 In that day their strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest, Or like branches which they abandoned before the sons of Israel; And the land will be a desolation. Isa 17:10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the rock of your refuge. Therefore you plant delightful plants And set them with vine slips of a strange god. Isa 17:11 In the day that you plant it you carefully fence it in, And in the morning you bring your seed to blossom; But the harvest will be a heap In a day of sickliness and incurable pain.

Isaiah now returns to the judgment. Forsaken places in a forest grow wild and often do not even provide a walking place. When they came into the Promised Land they desolated the Canaanite cities and now their cities will also be laid waste – rather an ashes to ashes situation. He begins verse 10 with “for”, which gives us the reason for God’s judgment coming upon them. The following Deuteronomy verses are also applicable here:

Deut 8:11 “Beware lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; Deut 8:12 lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, Deut 8:13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, Deut 8:14 then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deut 8:17 "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' Deut 8:19 "And it shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God, and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish. Deut 8:20 "Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.”

Biblically, forgetting and remembering have slightly different meanings than that used in everyday language. Forgetting is exemplified by not acting on what used to be known. Remembering something implies an action on that being remembered. Thus in Scripture we sometimes read that God remembers something and that does not mean He actually forgot it like in our daily language. It means that at that time God chose to act upon what is denoted as

8 remembered. Similarly, when we read that God forgets something we interpret that as meaning that He has chosen not to act upon it. In verse 10 we read that Israel forgot God and that means that they ceased to obey and worship Him only. The Deuteronomy verses above speak directly to the verses in Isaiah. They had become proud in their works and did not acknowledge God as their true source. Thus they will perish as did their enemies. If I do not act upon what I have learned about God then the knowledge is without significance. We should all examine what we have forgotten.

Matt 16:25 “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.”

Isa 17:12 Alas, the uproar of many peoples Who roar like the roaring of the seas, And the rumbling of nations Who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters! Isa 17:13 The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters, But He will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind, Or like whirling dust before a gale. Isa 17:14 At evening time, behold, there is terror! Before morning they are no more. Such will be the portion of those who plunder us, And the lot of those who pillage us.

I have heard the light roaring of waves against the shore but I have never heard loud roaring like would be heard from a tsunami or waves from the winds of a vast hurricane. I have heard such on TV so that gives me a bit of a basis for this comparison. The sound is fierce and unrelenting and that will be the sound of the approaching army. The word “alas” is like “woe” and expresses the lack of hope for the people against the impending forces of the army. Even these fierce armies are nothing from God’s perspective for He can rebuke any army. In our history we have seen some of God’s perspective. In 1942 we witnessed the fierce armies of Germany and Japan as they were ruling about half of the globe, but in three more years they were gone as such forces. We need to attempt to have God’s perspective but without a helpless attitude for we are in God’s plan. Just like the wind can blow away chaff and dust, God can blow away the armies of the world if He so chooses to do so. Verse 14 concludes this comparison as the great army is a terror at dusk but before dawn they are no more. Treading of God’s people may invite disaster upon those seeking to destroy them. God uses His peoples’ enemies for chastisement but He always saves a remnant and perfect justice will be done at the end.

Judgment Against Ethiopia

Isa 18:1 Alas, oh land of whirring wings Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush, Isa 18:2 Which sends envoys by the sea, Even in papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, To a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide. Isa 18:3 All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, As soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it, And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it. Isa 18:4 For thus the Lord has told me, "I will look from My dwelling place quietly Like dazzling heat in the sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

9 Isa 18:5 For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms And the flower becomes a ripening grape, Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives And remove and cut away the spreading branches. Isa 18:6 They will be left together for mountain birds of prey, And for the beasts of the earth; And the birds of prey will spend the summer feeding on them, And all the beasts of the earth will spend harvest time on them. Isa 18:7 At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts From a people tall and smooth, Even from a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation, Whose land the rivers divide-- To the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, even Mount Zion.”

Biblical Cush is often translated Ethiopia but it is best to leave the word as Cush for this area was much larger than modern Ethiopia. Cush included modern Ethiopia, the Sudan, and Somalia and was one of the limits of normal the normal biblical world. Cush was used as a metaphor for the ends of the earth. Isaiah refers to the land as the land of whirring wings because of the huge number of insects in the Nile valley. He may also have been referring to their ships that whizzed up and down the river like insects. Most sailors also referred to their sails as wings. Their papyrus boats were easy to portal and so they could travel by water, by land, and then by water again. They sent envoys attempting to obtain aid against their enemy. From reading all of these verses it seems that God is talking to the entire world. Cush might be the land of the tall and smooth and Assyria might be the powerful land with the dividing Euphrates River. Such an interpretation seems warranted from verse three.

No matter where people dwell when the Lord raises a standard all will see it and when the trumpet is blown all will hear it. In verse four we read that God never gets flustered about any worldly situation. He is always calm for He is always in plan A. In verse five we read how He will be doing His pruning. A farmer waits until he sees the fruit coming and then prunes away the plant not producing so that a better harvest will be obtained. God will also do His pruning and remove those vines that do not produce fruit. The parable of the tares (Matt 13:24-30) is similar in thought. In verse six Isaiah returns to the literal as he tells how vast will be the bodies of those people slain. We see similar statements in Rev 14:12-20; 19:17-21 and Isa 37:36.

This chapter ends with a mighty tribute to the Lord. All the people of the world will come to Jerusalem to pay homage to God.

Isa 60:1 "Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isa 60:2 "For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you. Isa 60:3 "And nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Isa 60:4 ¶ "Lift up your eyes round about, and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms. Isa 60:5 "Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you. Isa 60:6 "A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.

10 Isa 60:7 "All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.”

A great way to end this week’s study!

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