Isaiah 13-14 Sunday, August 15, 2021

I. Intro

A. Let’s study 13-14 today

1. These chapters begin a series of oracles against the nations

2. An oracle is an announcement about future events

3. Isaiah is announcing that the nations of the world are under God’s judgement

B. Why is this important?

1. First — the God of a tiny little nation is claiming sovereignty over everything

a) Imagine someone claiming “the god of Havana, Fl is god over New York City”

b) *I am not claiming that Havana has a god, I’m using geography for reference

2. Second — if the nations are under judgement from God, don’t join them!

a) You will end up receiving the judgement coming their way

b) Many of the nations will end up serving your God in the end anyway!

3. Third — if God judges the nations for sin, we need to get serious about holiness

a) The next few chapters are flled with graphic depictions of war

b) God goes to war against sin, pride, and arrogance

c) If that is His response to sin, we should match that zeal in our own lives

C. I see the oracles against the nations as a call to holiness

1. The overwhelming emphasis of the New Testament is a call to personal holiness

2. 1 Peter 4:3-7 — …God is judging the world for pride, arrogance, living in sensuality,

passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry…be set apart

from that, be holy, lived self-controlled and sober minded — love one another!

3. As we read these oracles, ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart

a) “Lord, have I aligned myself with things you are going to judge?”

b) “Lord, have I made alliances that keep me from needing to trust you?”

c) “Lord, have I neglected to walk in holiness? Am I immature in sanctifcation?”

II. Text

A. Isaiah 13:1-8

1. Vs1 tells us — this is an oracle against , but Babylon is not mentioned

a) Babylon won’t be mentioned until verse 17 — What is Isaiah saying? Isaiah 13-14 Sunday, August 15, 2021

b) God is declaring war on Babylon — the spirit of Babylon and the city

2. At this point in history, Babylon was under the control of

a) But, Babylon was known for culture, technology, high society, and knowledge

b) This created pride and arrogance that was a cornerstone of Babylonian culture

c) To be Babylonian was to be proud and arrogant

3. God says, I am declaring war on this attitude

a) God raises a signal of war against it on a bare hill

b) God summons His earthly and heavenly warriors to go to war against this

(1) The ultimate fulfllment is Jesus crushing the spirit of Babylon at His return

(2) The immediate fulfllment will be God crushing Babylon in 539 BC

c) Isaiah covers both — vs 9-16 and vs 17-22 — separated by the word Behold!

B. Isaiah 13:9-16

1. Behold, the great and terrible day of the Lord

a) Great for those who have been exploited by Babylon

b) Terrible for Babylon

(1) He will chase down and root out Babylon from all corners of the earth

(2) He will punish wickedness and put evil into the grave

(3) He will hunt down sin and destroy things that help give birth to it

2. If this is how our God will handle sin and wickedness, how do we handle it?

a) If we serve a God that mounts an army against sin — do we?

b) If we serve a God that puts all wickedness, in any form, to death — do we?

c) Isaiah is painting a picture of a God who is going to war against evil

d) My question is — are we this vigilant to root out sin in our life?

3. Romans 8:13 — For if you live according to the fesh you will die, but if by the Spirit

you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

a) There is a level of zeal and vigilance required to live holy, to live in the Spirit

b) There is warrior’s attitude we must grasp about putting our fesh to death

c) It matches God’s attitude and it is laser focused on ending selfshness,

rebellion, hostility, lust, fame, power — whatever lives in the dark corners Isaiah 13-14 Sunday, August 15, 2021

C. Isaiah 13:17-22

1. God will come for the spirit of Babylon and our guarantee is He came for Babylon

a) Isaiah looked forward (200 years) and saw this, we look back and see this

b) Babylon joined forces with the and conquered Assyria in 612 BC

c) The Medes joined forces with the Persians and conquered Babylon in 539 BC

d) From 539 BC until AD 1811 Babylon was completely lost

2. God said He would destroy Babylon and He did it!

a) The glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of nations — completely gone

b) Where 200,000 people once lived, now just wild animals and demons

3. If God said He would do this, and He did — take Him seriously about His return

a) He will return to destroy the spirit of Babylon

b) Do not love it, do not align with it — put it to death in your life

D. :1-2

1. Isaiah spoke judgement on Babylon, but a few things will happen frst

2. Babylon will conquer , make them slaves, and exile them to Babylon

3. During the exile, Persia will conquer Babylon fulflling Isaiah’s oracle — Daniel 5

4. Persia will send the Israelites home and Isaiah tells them to taunt the fallen Babylon

a) On your way home, make sure you sing this song against the fallen Babylon

b) Do it to remind yourselves and your kids who is really in charge!

E. Isaiah 14:3-11

1. Here is the song to sing when God conquered Babylon

a) Your glory has been crushed, you are brought low — as low as Hell

b) You thought you were amazing and the greatest, now you are nothing

c) You are nothing more than maggot food!

2. That’s a great victory song and a great reminder

a) Don’t join forces with the one who will be maggot food

b) Make war against Babylon in your own heart because God will judge the earth!

3. This language shifts a bit in the next few verses

a) Historically seen as an account of Satan being judged for His pride Isaiah 13-14 Sunday, August 15, 2021

b) The parallel is — in the same way the king of Babylon thought he could take

God’s place, another divine being thought the same thing — Satan

c) So, vs 12-23 speak of the king of Babylon but it draws from an older story

F. Isaiah 14:12-23

1. Babylon the city, the nation, and the spirit refect an arrogance against God

a) This attitude says — I can sit in His seat, I can judge my own life, I can choose

b) This attitude says — The only person I answer to is me, I don’t bow, I’m a god

c) This attitude started in the Garden, it was alive in Babel, it lived in Babylon, it

was expressed through Babylonian kings and culture, and it thrives today

2. God has the same response today that He did 2500 years ago…

a) I will destroy any and all traces of that pride and arrogance

b) I don’t care if it’s in culture, my church, or my people — it must go!

III. Conclusion

A. We started today with three important points

1. God is king over the whole earth

2. God is waging war against sin, pride, and arrogance

3. As God’s people, we also wage war against sin, pride, and arrogance

B. As we close, my question is this:

1. Do you believe these things?

2. Do you live like you believe these things?

a) If no, it is time to begin

b) You do not want to be tied to an alliance that God is opposed to

c) You do not want Babylon living in your heart when the king returns

d) Make war against your sin — if you aren’t killing it, it is killing you (John Owens)