Isaiah 13 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson
We are now in a new section of the book of Isaiah. You will easily notice a new section beginning in chapter 13. The Bible project, which Kathy includes in the email for these devotions, divides 13-27 from 28-39. One of the commentaries I use brackets chapters 13-35. Another author uses 1-33 with minor divisions within this larger section. Still another commentator separates his commentaries into 1-18, 19-39, and 40-66. However you see the sections, you will be able to notice differences rather quickly.
Oswalt claims “one central theme runs through chs. 7-39 – the trustworthiness of God. . . . Chapters 13-23 form one of the most easily recognized units in the book of Isaiah because of the recurrence of the word massa or burden throughout” (John N. Oswalt, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Isaiah p. 297, 298). As Oswalt avers, “Without a doubt the nations never heard these words or, if so, only second-hand, but Israel heard them first-hand” (p. 298). As he states one page earlier, these chapters show that “the God of Israel is the Lord of the nations. Their fate is in his hands (chs. 13-23); he is the sovereign actor on the stage of history, not they (chs. 24-27); trusting the nations instead of the King is foolishness (chs. 28-33); the ultimate results are: trust the nations, a desert; trust God, a garden (chs. 34, 35).”
The puzzling aspect of chapter 13 is why is Isaiah beginning with Babylon who does not come on the scene for another 150 years? Assyria is the current threat, yet Assyria is never mentioned in these chapters, but smaller countries are. But is probably is because Babylon stands for not historic Babylon or the actual city. Babylon in the Bible stands for the epitome of worldliness. When we say there is tension between Wall Street and Main Street, we are not referring to the literal street in NYC that is Wall Street nor are we thinking of the main street in your town. We all know this phrase refers to big business and profits over the smaller, privately owned store or business that represents those you might find in almost any town in the U.S. Babylon represents not the country but a mindset.
Does Isaiah start with Babylon because pride has been a theme running through this entire book and Babylon represents human arrogance and pride raised up in defiance to God? We see this in I Peter 5:13; Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5: 18:2, 10, 21. Babylon refers to worldliness as we might refer to Hollywood, not the physical area in California, but the glitz, glamor, and business of making movies and living a certain lifestyle that is opposed to God and His gospel.
Worldliness is not having nice things, a big home, a new car, or nice vacations. “Worldliness is that system of values, in any given age, which has at its center our fallen human perspective, which displaces God and His truth from the world, and which makes sin look normal and righteousness seem strange. It thus gives great plausibility to what is morally wrong and, for that reason, makes what is wrong seem normal.” David F. Wells, Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral Vision(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 4.
Notice Babylon begins this section and Tyre ends it in chapter 23. Babylon is on the eastern edge of the nations and Tyre is on the western edge. “. . . along with the highly symbolic language applied to each, suggests a bracketing effect which underlies the point of the unit: all human pride and accomplishment are under God’s judgment. Thus an Israel trusting in these is without hope (22:1-25), but an Israel trusting in God has nothing to fear from the nations of mankind (14:1-4a)” (Oswalt p. 299
Notice the two sections in chapter 13: 13:1-18, God’s destruction of human pride; 13:19-22, Destruction of Babylon. We know God opposes the proud. You will see this over and over again in Isaiah. How proud Israel and Judah are! Babylon, not a world power at this time, will be used to punish God’s people. The day of the Lord will be a “cruel [day], with wrath and fierce anger” v. 9. God and cruel do not usually go together. But wrath punishment, and fierce anger, do when God’s patience runs out. Sin is cosmic treason that creates reaction in the natural world v. 10, 13. God does not let evil go unpunished. What a gracious warning to anyone who will hear. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless” v. 11.
After the Babylonians, the Medes will overcome the Babylonians which Isaiah prophesies in v. 17ff. So Isaiah can see the fall of Israel by Assyria, the fall of Judah by the Babylonians, and the fall of Babylon by the Medes. These nations are used by God to judge others and God also judges them.
Reflect on the country you live in and pray daily for this country that wants to destroy God and if not, that stuff a sock in His “mouth.” How God can be patient we may never know. But He longs to forgive (Matt 23:37) and yet so many are unwilling to hear from God.
Father, how terrible and just will be Your judgments upon all who reject You and Your words. Make me ever mindful that sin justly deserves, yes even demands, Your wrath. Wake me up from my worldly fantasies and longings. Help me to shun things, people, or possessions You have not given me. Give me contentment with where I am at this moment: my health, my income and wealth, my family (and one person is a family!), and yet make me strive to grow in grace. I pray this in the strong name of Jesus Christ. Amen.