ISAIAH CHAPTER 13 SUMMARY I. MAIN IDEA A. Isaiah Section 1: Chapters 1-12 mark the end of the first major section of Isaiah which deals with the oracles against the nation of Judah. B. Isaiah Section 2: Chapters 13-23 describe ten oracles against the foreign nations and Jerusalem: 1 • Oracle No. 1: Babylon (13:1—14:27) • Oracle No. 2: Philistia (14:28-32) • Oracle No. 3: Moab (15:1—16:14) • Oracle No. 4: Damascus and Ephraim (17:1—18:7) • Oracle No. 5: Egypt (19:1—20:6) • Oracle No. 6: Babylon (21:1-10) • Oracle No. 7: Edom (21:11-12) • Oracle No. 8: Arabia (21:13-17) • Oracle No. 9: Jerusalem (22:1-25) • Oracle No. 10: Tyre (23:1-18) C. Isaiah 13: “Babylon” in the Bible represents a nation, an evil city and the world’s rebellion against almighty God. Figure 1 The prophecies in Isaiah 13 II. KEY POINTS A. What is God doing in Isaiah 13? • God is demonstrating his absolute sovereignty over the nations by controlling Babylon’s rise and its demise (Isaiah 13:1-5). 1 (Jackman 94-109) • God is demonstrating his absolute sovereignty by judging Babylon about 100 years after Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 13:17-19). This prophecy was fulfilled in 539 BC when Babylon fell to the Medo-Persians. • God will also demonstrate his absolute sovereignty over all evil by abolishing the evil world system referred to as Babylon at the second coming of Jesus Christ (Isa. 13:1-16; 20-22; Rev. 18).2 B. Why is he doing it? • He is showing his people, through prophecy, that he is not just another one of the many pagan gods they were worshipping (cf. Isa. 2:8) • He is also showing that he is the almighty sovereign God over all nations (Isa. 13:4; cf. 2:4) C. What does this teach us about God? • God is sovereign not only over individuals but also over all nations (Isa. 2:4; 13:1, 3-5, 17) • God will someday eliminate all evil (“Babylon”) in the world (Isa. 13:11a; Rev. 18) • God will humble the arrogant (Isa. 13:11b) III. HOW DOES THIS LESSON AFFECT MY LIFE? I am to remember that in this rebellious sinful world (“Babylon”) I have three enemies: A. My first enemy is _______________________________________________ (1 Pet. 5:8) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Pet. 5:8 NIV) B. My second enemy is ________________________________________ (Rom. 7:18-20) For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Rom. 7:18-20 NIV) C. My third enemy is __________________________________________ (1 John 2:15-16) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father1 is not in them. For everything in the world-- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-- comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 Jn. 2:15-16 NIV) 2 (Walvoord 136) .