Yahweh as Lord of the Nations
Just thought I'd warn you: these chapters are tough reading! It starts off with some horrific images:
- Infants dashed to pieces (13:16)
- young men slaughtered (13:18)
- goat-demons dancing (13:21)
In between are a number of "oracles" concerning the nations around Israel and Judah. One of the most helpful things to do this week might be to familiarize yourself with the political geography of the Ancient Near East. Read Dr. Bo Lim's commentary - it explains a lot! For those of you who missed Dr. Bo Lim's lecture at NCPC yesterday, here's a graphic that helps to put Isaiah in its historical and political context. "ANE" stands for "Ancient Near East."
Do some research about Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Find out about the impact of their violent military campaigns. That's what is being described by Isaiah in these chapters. Sometimes God is working through the violence of these "big bullies" in order to bring judgment upon His people; at other times God is teaching these same bullies a lesson.
Give this reading your best shot, and hang in there! If you're looking for some hope-filled words in these chapters, they'll be hard to find. Here's my favorite phrase that I'm hanging on to: Isaiah 14:1 "But the Lord will have compassion."
Four Daily Readings
- Isaiah 13-14
- Isaiah 15-16
- Isaiah 17-18
- Isaiah 19-20
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