Isaiah 18-20
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Isaiah 18-20- • The next oracle against Israel’s neighbors and foes o Still looking at an overall pattern . Babylon was a message of how the enemy and his forces go down in flames, but Israel rises from the ashes . Philistines taught that the throne of David will rise again, even if it appears to have faded, and it will crush all opposition . Moab taught that the Lord will offer refuge to a small remnant of Israel’s enemies (gentiles), who will be sheltered in Israel’s shadow and share in her kingdom • But if God is willing to offer mercy for some gentiles, He is equally willing to hold Israel accountable and will bring judgment against Ephraim o Now we look at Cush, which is the ancient name for the land of Ethiopia Is. 18:1 Alas, oh land of whirring wings Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush, Is. 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. Is. 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. Is. 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.” • Following the same pattern we’ve been using, we want to know what country first o The land beyond the rivers of Cush (and divided by rivers in v.2) . Cush is Ethiopia (Psa 68:31 uses the same Hebrew word) © 2010 – Verse By Verse Ministry of San Antonio (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Isaiah 18-20! 2 . And even though it says the land “beyond the rivers,” remember from whose perspective this scene is described - the Jewish perspective . If you were in Israel looking in Ethiopia’s direction, you look south, southwest . The first thing in your line of sight is the northeast corner of Ethiopia, where two rivers dominate the geography: the Blue Nile and the Atbara rivers • The land beyond those rivers is still Ethiopia o Verse 2 describes the people of this land . Sea-going people, on distinctive ships who sails resembled wings of an insect (v.1) . They were tall and had minimal body hair (smooth) by Jewish standards . They were powerful and feared nation • Josephus identifies Ethiopia as the kingdom Sheba, as in the Queen of Sheba • Then Isaiah says that there will be a signal, a standard raised on the mountains that every human on earth will see o For the Lord will emerge from his dwelling place...quietly . But the word shaqat also means to grant relief o The Lord appears like a dazzling hot sunshine, and like a refreshing cloud . Consider these verses Zech. 14:5 You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! Zech. 14:6 ¶ In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. Zech. 14:7 For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. Zech. 14:8 ¶ And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. © 2010 – Verse By Verse Ministry of San Antonio (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Isaiah 18-20! 3 Zech. 14:9 ¶ And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. Rev. 19:11 ¶ And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Rev. 19:12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. Rev. 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Rev. 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. o So it seems that v.3 refers to a worldwide sign, like the one referenced in Zech 14 o And v.4 talks about the Lord leaving His dwelling place to bring relief . Looking like a sun shining and a refreshing cloud (could this be the cloud of saints following after? . Or maybe a reference to the living waters that will flow after His arrival? • Ostensively, we’re talking about Ethiopia’s future judgment in return for her opposition to Israel o But Isaiah has obviously decided to take this conversation much further than just Ethiopia . Isaiah’s describing the return of the Lord • Remember the two levels of Isaiah’s teaching in this section Is. 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. Is. 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. © 2010 – Verse By Verse Ministry of San Antonio (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Isaiah 18-20! 4 Is. 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. • Now we look at timing a little o v.5 says that all of this will happen like when buds are blooming and branches are spreading . Grape flowers are blooming ready to become grapes • We know that grape vines and fig trees are consistently used in Scripture to describe the nation of Israel • So here we have Israel blooming Matt. 24:32 ¶ “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; Matt. 24:33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. o But suddenly the vine is pruned . The image is one of prematurely pruning . The events occur when it’s least expected, before anyone was ready Matt. 24:36 ¶ “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Matt. 24:37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. Matt. 24:38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, Matt. 24:39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. • Then in verse 6, Isaiah gets to the meat of the judgment it seems o “They” are left for the birds to feast on them over the entire summer © 2010 – Verse By Verse Ministry of San Antonio (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Isaiah 18-20! 5 Rev. 19:15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. Rev. 19:16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “ KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Rev. 19:17 ¶ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “ Come, assemble for the great supper of God, Rev. 19:18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” Rev.