Isaiah 13:1-14:27 "The Oracle concerning Babylon"

Isaiah 13-27 consists of a series of oracles against the nations (13-23),

followed by a meditation on the Day of the Lord (24-27).

Since the oracles against the nations all follow a fairly similar pattern,

we should be able to cover this in four weeks.

Chapters 6-12 presented a vision of history with Zion at the center.

Now chapters 13-23 will move to the periphery.

Isaiah takes Judah on a tour of the nations,

in order to demonstrate that Yahweh is indeed the sovereign God of history,

who governs all things according to the counsel of his holy will.

We have heard that God's purpose is to use Assyria to chasten Judah and Jerusalem.

But now in chapters 13-27 God explains his purposes for the nations.

While Zion is still at the center of history,

here we learn that God's purposes include the whole earth.

13:1 title

13:2-16 the purposes of God: the destruction of Babylon as the day of the LORD

13:17-22 the details of the destruction of Babylon

14:1-2 the future restoration of Jacob

14:3-23 the details of God's plan: the mockery of Babylon in its humiation

14:24-27 the purposes of God: Babylon as the agent of the destruction of Assyria

So while the oracle is concerning Babylon,

it is connected to chapters 7-12 because it is prophesying Babylon's role in the judgment

that God will bring against Assyria.

We do not know at what point in his ministry Isaiah became aware

of Babylon's role in God's purposes.

Isaiah's prophecy is not arranged chronologically,

but topically.

Chapter 12 concluded with a song of praise of the Anointed King,

reminiscent of the song of Moses from Exodus 15.

The destruction of Assyria will be like the destruction of Egypt at the Red Sea.

Now Chapter 13 starts with a description of the Day of the Lord.

The Day of the LORD is a common prophetic theme,

which appears to have originated with Amos a century before Isaiah's time.

The Day of the LORD is a day of darkness, and not light.

But after verse 1, nothing specifically about Babylon is mentioned again until verse 17

Babylon is being portrayed as the godless city of man that characterizes "the world."

The picture of the day of the LORD begins with the mustering of the armies, (2-5)

followed by a description of the terror of that day (6-8)

even the heavens will not give their light (9-10)

At the heart of this message is God's declaration of his purpose (11-12)

Isaiah then points out that it is God who will shake the heavens and the earth (13)

then he returns to the theme of the terror of those "like a hunted gazelle" (14)

and concludes with the desolation wrought by the armies of verses 2-5 (15-16)

Remember Psalm 137,

and how it concludes with the phrase, "blessed is the one who takes Babylon's little ones

and dashes them against the rock"?

Psalm 137 echoes Isaiah.

Isaiah had promised that "their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes."

This oracle is spoken against Babylon.

But it speaks of more than just Babylon.

This speaks of God's purposes against rebellious humanity.

The city of man will be laid low.

All that is dear to mankind-whether possessions, children, wife, or life itself,

will be removed in the day of the Lord.

Those who oppress you will receive the same judgment that they brought against you.

But if God merely said, "someday I will destroy those who oppress you,"

then why should we believe him?

If God claims to be the God of the end of history,

but never does anything in the middle of history,

then there would be no reason to believe

that he is capable of doing anything at the end of history.

But God gives his people a clear picture of what will happen to Babylon:

The Medes will be raised up against them.

The revived neo-Babylonian Empire will last only 150 years,

before it too will fall.

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,

will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

God promises that Babylon will be a desolation.

Never again will it be rebuilt.

And it never has been.

For nearly 2,500 years it has never again returned to prominence in the world.

When it says that "wild goats" will dance there (v21),

the phrase is literally "goat demons."

Those who were here when we looked at Leviticus 17 may remember the goat demons

of Leviticus 17:7.

"They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore."

This is the same word.

Babylon will become the abode of goat demons.

In other words, it will be so unfit for human habitation

that only the strangest of creatures will dwell there.

We come then to the center of this passage-the center of the oracle concerning Babylon.

And here we learn that the oracle concerning Babylon is really about Israel,

which is not surprising.

Read 14:1-2

God will again choose Israel.

And God's elect will rule the nations.

Isaiah has told us about the Son who will restore the throne of David.

And the Psalms had promised that the son of David would rule the nations,

so Isaiah promises that when God against elects Israel,

sojourners will join them,

and the peoples will united themselves to Israel.

This didn't happen in the restoration after the Exile.

The restoration from Exile was only partial.

But Jesus Christ is the elect one.

He is the true Israel who rules over the nations,

and as we have seen in John's gospel,

all the world flocks to Jesus.

14:3-23 consists of a parable about the king of Babylon

Some translations say a "taunt," but this is a mashal-a proverb.

And once again it is a chiasm that begins and ends with God's action.

God's action in breaking his power (4-6)

the earth is at rest because of the downfall of this king (7-8)

Sheol (the grave) greets him with derision (9-11)

Contrast between heaven and the grave (12-17)

No tomb is given him (18-19) [the one who chopped branches is now a rotten branch-19]

No offspring will continue his line on earth (20-21)

the LORD's action in cutting of posterity (22-23)

The earth rejoices at the destruction of Babylon.

And even the shades of Sheol greet him with mockery. (10)

Some have tried to say that this passage is about Satan (especially 12-15),

but that would wrench this section out of context.

Of course, the King of Babylon is a type of Satan,

but the language of verses 12-15 is not too exalted for the kings of Babylon.

Remember, after all the original Babel.

It sought to reach to heaven,

and Babylon has tried to do the same ever since.

Daniel would speak of the pride and arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar,

and later of Belshazzar.

Verses 18-21 then mock him for his failure to have a tomb or heirs.

Elaborate tombs and a royal dynasty are the hopes of the great kings of the middle east.

But he will have neither. (Tomb in verse 18 is a mausoleum)

He will have an unmarked grave, and people will trample him underfoot.

There will be no inheritance for Babylon.

If in chapters 9-12 God spoke of Assyria as an axe in his hand to chop down the forests of Israel,

now God comes after Babylon with a broom!

You gotta love Isaiah's use of imagery!

The God of heaven comes with the broom of destruction!

To sweep away the dust and chaff-like Babylon.

Here is the greatest and most glorious kingdom of the ancient world,

and it doesn't even warrant getting chopped down with an axe.

It is not a great forest-it is but dust that is swept away by the cleaning wenches.

Verses 24-25 then assure Judah that this is God's plan for the destruction of Assyria.

After all, the immediate threat in Isaiah's day is not Babylon,

but Assyria.

But God tells Isaiah that his purposes are so well planned,

that he already has the judgment of Assyria's destroyer planned.

And if God has Babylon's downfall planned,

then you may be certain that Assyria's fate is sealed.

Then verses 26-27 emphasize that this is God's plan for the whole earth.

While Assyria thinks that their hand is stretched out over the nations,

truly it is God's hand!