Isaiah 15:1

The burden of Moab. Because in the night, Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence. Because in the night, Ker of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence. He has gone up to Baith and to Dibon, the high places to weep. Moab shall howl over Nebo and over Mediba. On all their heads shall be baldness and every beard cut off. In their streets, they shall gird themselves with sackcloth. On the tops of their houses and in their streets, everyone shall howl, weeping abundantly.

Let's pray. Lord, as we look into Your word in this passage here in Isaiah that deals with another judgment upon another nation, we consider the reasons for their judgment and the result that came upon them after the judgment. I pray, Lord, that You would speak to us and help us in our day to make application. Help us to properly understand what it is that You were doing among the Moabites 2,800 years ago. May we be able to see that You still work in this way. You are the God that does not change; You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

So, Lord, I pray that You would continue to teach and instruct us. Stir within us, Lord, a boldness to declare the truth of the gospel to those who are remaining at this moment in darkness—those even in our own families or among our friends who have continued to walk in darkness. Would You give us boldness to declare Your praises as You have called us out of darkness and into Your marvelous light? We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen.

You can be seated. Amen. We have been witnessing in the book of Isaiah the judgment spoken by God first upon His own people in the first twelve chapters of the book. Now we are beginning to look at the judgment spoken upon the nations that surrounded the children of Israel. We considered the passage in Peter's letter where he said that the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of the Lord. We see how that judgment began with God's people, the children of Israel first, but now it is directed to those who were not His people—those who were, in reality, enemies of His people.

In our last study, we saw a heavy burden spoken upon first the Babylonians, then the Assyrians, and finally the Philistines. Now, we come to a judgment spoken upon the Moabites, the people of Moab. It is important for us to understand a little bit about the Moabites before we consider the judgment that God would speak to them. Therefore, we want to consider where they came from, even the birth of the people of Moab.

Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Genesis, specifically Genesis chapter 19, the first book of the Bible. This chapter deals with the destruction that God brought upon the five cities of the south, including Sodom and Gomorrah. It was in those cities that God was receiving a prayer; a cry was coming up from Sodom and Gomorrah. I believe that it was Lot, the nephew of Abraham, who was crying out on behalf of the terrible things occurring in those wicked cities.

In Genesis chapter 18, God came down to meet with Abraham and told him that He was going to visit the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to see if the cry coming up from them was truly justified. This hinted at the fact that He was going to judge these cities. As you know, God sent two angels into Sodom and Gomorrah, and the men of those cities were so wicked and evil that they sought to bring these angels out among them so that they could know them. The King James Version states that they wanted to know them carnally. Essentially, the men of Sodom wanted to rape the angelic beings who had come to their city. This was just one manifestation of their wickedness; it was not the only reason for their judgment, but it was certainly significant.

Before the city was judged, God was going to protect the righteous according to the promise He had made to Abraham, as Abraham had interceded on behalf of the people of Sodom. He knew that his nephew Lot was there. In chapter 18, Abraham asked, "What if there are 50 righteous in the city of Sodom? Will you spare the city for 50 righteous?" God replied that He would. Abraham then asked, "What if there are 40 or 30?" He went down the line until he reached 10 righteous. Of course, Abraham assumed that at least there must be 10 righteous in the city. However, when you study Genesis chapter 19, you see that there weren't even 10 righteous.

There was really only one righteous man, and the New Testament calls Lot a righteous man. Lot was protected; he was saved from the city. The angels actually carried him, his daughters, and his wife outside of the city by their hands. They said, "Flee, get up into the hills, get out of here." Lot responded, "Well, the hills are so far away. What if we went to the city of Zoar?" The angelic beings agreed, saying, "Fine, you can go to Zoar, but you must go quickly because we can't bring this destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah until you're gone."

We see the protection of God upon the righteous. As they fled from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and approached the city of Zoar, God began to pour out His judgment and wrath upon those cities. The scripture says that Lot's wife turned back to look upon the city. The wording in the Hebrew seems to indicate that she was longingly gazing upon it, wishing she could return to Sodom, which had become her home. As a result, she was turned into a pillar of salt. There is even a traditional area near the Dead Sea today where they have a pillar of salt that they call Lot's wife. We don't know, of course, if that really was Lot's wife, but the scripture states she was turned into salt.

When Lot saw the destruction that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah, he was so fearful that he and his daughters fled not only away from Sodom and Gomorrah to the city of Zoar, but they also fled from Zoar and went up into the hills, hiding in a cave. In Genesis chapter 19, verse 30, we read something very interesting. God did not destroy the entire world with fire at that point; He only destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, to Lot's two daughters, it seemed as if the whole world was destroyed. In reality, their whole world was bound up in that city of Sodom from which they had come.

In their fear, they devised a plan—the wisdom of man, the plan of man—to try and save the world. Isn't it interesting how man is always trying to save the world? Lot's two daughters came up with a really wicked, evil plan.

And they said, "We need to preserve seed. There's not a man in all the earth." So, what they decided to do was make their father drink wine until he was drunk. On the first night, the oldest daughter went in unto him, and then the youngest followed. They made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not even perceive when she laid down nor when she arose.

It came to pass on the morrow that the firstborn said unto the younger, "Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. Let us make him drink wine this night also. You go in unto him and lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father." They made their father drink wine that night as well, and the younger arose and lay with him. He perceived not when she laid down nor when she arose. Thus, both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.

The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab, the same as the father of the Moabites unto this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ami, the same as the father of the children of Ammon to this day. The Moabites and the Ammonites came about by this wicked union. Lot, with his two daughters, did not perceive or realize the implications of their actions. Ultimately, they brought about two descendants, two children that became the fathers of nations: the Moabites and the Ammonites.

The Moabites and the Ammonites were related to the children of Israel because Abraham, the father of the children of Israel, was Lot's uncle. Lot had these two sons by his daughters, Moab and Ammon. Because the Moabites and the Ammonites were related to the children of Israel, there was some sense of inheritance and protection upon them. However, throughout the scriptures, they would become thorns in the side of the children of Israel. They would be enemies of the children of Israel as you study through the Old Testament.

The Moabites are seen in Numbers chapter 22 as enemies of the children of Israel. When the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt and passing through the wilderness, they came through the land of Moab. They wanted to press through Moab to enter the promised land. The king of Moab, a man named Balak, during the time of Numbers chapter 22, hired a prophet named Balaam. He called upon Balaam to curse the children of Israel, wanting to do away with them. It was Balak, the king of Moab, who stirred up the women of Moab to seduce the men of Israel, causing them to fall under the curse of God in Numbers.

Not only in the Book of Numbers do we see that the Moabites were enemies of the children of Israel, but also in the Book of Judges. In Judges chapter 3, it was Eglon, the king of Moab, who harshly ruled over the children of Israel for 18 years. The scriptures say in chapter 2 of Judges that he was a very fat man. He was a wicked man who ruled over the children of Israel with a heavy hand. Ultimately, it was Ehud, the judge of Israel, who came in and took care of Eglon. The Moabites, again, are seen as enemies of the children of Israel.

Yet, they were protected because of their relationship to the children of Israel. In Deuteronomy chapter 2, verse 9, Moses told his people, the children of Israel, "Do not distress the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle, for I will not give you their land," God said, "as a possession, because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession." God says He gave this land to the Moabites, so the children of Israel were not to distress them or take their land, unlike the Canaanites in the Promised Land.

However, even though the Moabites were given this blessing and protection, throughout their history, they were really thorns in the flesh of the children of Israel. It is interesting that David, the great king of Israel and the great psalm writer, was a quarter Moabite. Remember, his grandmother was Ruth, the Moabitess. Furthermore, when we get to the New Testament, in Matthew chapter 1, verse 5, we find that Ruth, this Moabitess, is in the line of the Messiah, in the line of Jesus.

There is a clear reason why God did not want His people to destroy the Moabites. Even though He commanded them to destroy all the other peoples of the Promised Land, He said they were to allow the Moabites to remain because God had a plan. He was going to bring David and ultimately the Messiah through the line of the Moabites.

As we come to this passage in Isaiah chapter 15, we see a judgment spoken upon them. God is going to bring a burdensome judgment upon them at a certain point in their history. Ultimately, they have been widely destroyed by the Lord by this point. God comes and speaks a judgment, given in the form of a vision to Isaiah. As we have already seen in Isaiah chapters 1, 2, and 3, Isaiah saw visions of what God was going to do. We saw the same thing in Isaiah chapters 13 and 14.

He saw a vision of the judgment that God was going to bring upon the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Philistines. Now, once again, he sees this picture, this vision of judgment that is going to come upon a people group related to the children of Israel. As you study through Isaiah chapters 15 and 16, and look at other passages in the prophetic works about the destruction of Moab, you'll see that the tone of these passages is one of dread. It is not an excited tone; it is not a celebration of the destruction of enemies. Instead, it is a tone of sorrow.

When you see the destruction of Assyria or Babylon, there is almost a joyful tone, as seen in the book of Habakkuk, where the judgment upon Babylon is met with excitement. However, when Isaiah sees this vision of judgment upon the Moabites, he is filled with sorrow. In Isaiah chapter 15, verse 1, we read about the burden of Moab: "In the night, Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence." The name "Ar" means a city or a place, and it signifies the destruction of a significant location.

The name "Ker" means a wall or a fortress, and there were several cities in the nation of Moab that had "Ker" before their name, such as Ker Moab, Ker Heres, and Ker Heresheth, which we will see in other passages. There was also a city simply called Ker, a stronghold with a great wall around it. In fact, it is believed to be modern-day Kerak, a major Moabite stronghold during that period.

Isaiah sees a vision of two key strongholds, two capital cities of the nation of Moab, being destroyed in one night. It would be as if we woke up tomorrow morning, turned on the news, and saw that Washington, D.C., and New York City had been completely destroyed overnight. Imagine the national sorrow that would ensue as two great capitals of this nation, and even the world, were lost. To the Moabites, this was the same sense of devastation. Isaiah sees this vision of their main cities being destroyed, and we read that the judgment of God would come upon them quickly. "In the night, they are laid waste. In the night, they are brought to silence." This is reiterated twice in verse 1.

Repetition in Hebrew, especially in poetic or prophetic works, serves to emphasize a point. Here, we see a significant emphasis on the judgment of God upon two cities in the nation of Moab. As a result of this judgment, we read in verse 2 that He has gone up to Baath and to Dibon, the high places, to weep. The Moabites wake up one morning to find that two of their key strongholds have been destroyed. Their reaction to this judgment is to go up to the cities known for being centers of worship of false gods. They ascend to the high place at Dibon and the high place at Baath to weep.

Moab shall howl over Nebo and over Mediba. On all their heads shall be baldness; every beard shall be cut off. Nebo and Mediba are also cities of Moab, but Nebo is additionally the name of one of the false gods they worship. The implication is that the children of Moab, the people of this nation, awaken to find two of their great cities destroyed, while another city, Nebo and Mediba, is broken down. The people rush to their high places, to their false god-worship temples, to mourn.

We also observe that their heads are shaved, and their hair and beards are cut off. Among these people in the Middle East, hair and beards are held in high regard. Even today, among Jews who practice Judaism and many in the Islamic world, the beard is an extremely important aspect of a man. The cutting off of hair and shaving of heads signifies great sorrow among the people. They experience profound grief as they witness the devastation around them.

In verse 3, we read that in their streets, they gird themselves with sackcloth. On the tops of their houses and in their streets, everyone shall howl, weeping abundantly. This imagery conveys that the people are mourning deeply for the events that have transpired. Wearing sackcloth is a sign of sorrow, and while it can also signify repentance in other contexts, here it primarily represents mourning. Shame has come upon the people.

When we read about all the housetops, this speaks of the fullness of God's judgment. It was upon every single household among the Moabites that God has now judged the people. When we read that they are out in the streets crying out, the idea is that it is open shame. We see the very same thing mentioned in Jeremiah chapter 48.

We are going to look at Jeremiah 48 quite a bit here in a moment, so you might want to put a piece of paper in there to mark Jeremiah chapter 48 because it is a corresponding passage. In Jeremiah chapter 48, verse 38, it says very much the same thing: "There shall be lamentation upon all the housetops of Moab." This is the fullness, the completeness of God's judgment, that it covers all the housetops of Moab and the streets thereof.

God says, "For I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure." He is going to bring judgment upon the Moabites, and it is going to be a complete judgment upon them. But why? Why would God judge them in this fashion? Again, I mentioned that we are going to be in Jeremiah 48 quite a bit, so would you turn to Jeremiah 48? It gives us great insight into the destruction of Moab.

Why would God judge these people in this way? He would cause them to sorrow, to be dressed in sackcloth, to be shamed, with their beards cut off and their hair cut. Jeremiah chapter 48, verse 7, begins to answer that question for us, where we read, "For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt be taken. And Shemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together."

Shemosh was one of the key deities of the people of Moab, an abomination to God, but one of their gods that they bowed down to. God says to the people of Moab in Jeremiah chapter 48, "The reason for your judgment is because you have trusted in your works, you have trusted in your treasures, and so you and your false gods are going to be destroyed."

Also, down in Jeremiah chapter 48, verse 11, it says, "Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees. He has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he gone into captivity. Therefore, his tastes remained in him, and his scent is not changed."

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send unto him wanderers, and they shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels and break their bottles. Moab shall be ashamed of Shemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

So God says, "I'm going to come and judge the Moabites because they are a people that have been at ease since their beginning, since their youth. They've settled upon their lees." The words that are used in Jeremiah chapter 48, verse 11, are picturesque of the purifying process of winemaking. The Moabites were known for their vineyards, their wine, and they were recognized as a very fruitful region because they were located in the southern part of the nation near the Jordan River.

Remember, that's why Lot settled in that region back in the book of Genesis, specifically in Genesis chapter 14. He saw that it was a well-watered portion of land, perfect for raising his cattle. Moab was known for being a very fruitful place, particularly for their wine. God uses words that align with their industry, saying that Moab has been at ease and has settled upon their lees.

The idea is this: when purifying wine, the freshly crushed grapes, the juice, and the wine would be placed into vats or vessels and allowed to sit. As they sat, all the lees or dregs of the wine would settle to the bottom. After a period of time, they would allow it all to settle down, and then they would pour very carefully. They didn't want to churn the lees or dregs back up into the wine again. They would pour off the top part and leave the dregs in the bottom, transferring it into a new vessel.

Then, they would allow it all to settle back down again. Once it had settled, they would pour it into another vessel. Each time they poured it into a new vessel, they were purifying it more and more. If the wine was allowed to sit upon the dregs or lees for too long, it would sour and completely ruin it.

Basically, what God says here is that the people of Moab have settled upon their lees. They have never been poured out, never been refined, never been purified. Therefore, God declares, "I'm going to come in and bring in new wine purifiers in the form of these other nations to carry them away." The days will come when I will send unto him wanderers, and they shall cause them to wander. God is going to empty them out and break their foundation.

He's going to break their bottles. Essentially, God is saying that they have been ruined because they have been living at ease. He continues speaking about the reasons for judgment in verse 26 of Jeremiah chapter 48. Verse 26 says, "Make ye him drunken, for he has magnified himself against the Lord. Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision." Here, God tells us why He is going to judge the Moabites: because they have magnified themselves against the Lord.

Look down at verse 29 of Jeremiah 48. "We have heard of the pride of Moab. He is exceeding proud, his loftiness and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart." In verse 29, God is telling us that He will judge them because of their pride. Verse 26 conveys the same message; they have magnified themselves against the Lord.

Now, look down at verse 35. "Moreover, I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offers in the high places and him that burns incense to his God." God states that the reason He will judge them is because of their ease, idleness, and laziness. He will judge them for their arrogance, pride, and haughtiness, as well as their idolatry.

In verse 42, Jeremiah chapter 48 states, "And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people because he has magnified himself against the Lord." Again, their arrogance and pride are mentioned.

Now, I want you to consider why God judges them in light of our own nation. The Moabites were judged by God because of their pride, idolatry, idleness, and laziness. They had been a very wealthy people, and because of their wealth and winemaking, they were able to kick back and be idle. As a result, God says, "I'm going to judge you."

We look at our own nation and wonder if we exhibit pride, idolatry, and idleness in any way. I think we do. As a result, we should at least take notice of why God judged these people.

But then, not just the reason for God's judgment, notice also in Jeremiah chapter 48 the completeness of God's judgment. Look at verse 8. Jeremiah 48:8 states, "And the spoiler shall come."

Upon every city. Underline the word "every." No city shall escape. The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed as the Lord has spoken. God says every city, and no city shall escape.

When you read through Jeremiah 48, as well as Isaiah chapters 15 and 16, there's a list of about 15 cities. You can look at an ancient map of Moab; they're all over the internet. Just search for "Moab map," and you'll see all these different cities. Circle them, and you'll realize that all over the nation of Moab, each of their key cities is destroyed. This illustrates the completeness of God's judgment.

In Jeremiah 48:8, we see this clearly. Look at Jeremiah 48, verse 43: "Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab," saith the Lord. "He that flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare. For I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation," saith the Lord.

Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force. But fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and the flame from the midst of Sihon shall devour the corner of Moab and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

God gives us the completeness of His judgment in Jeremiah 48, verses 43 through 45. Notice that He says fear, the pit, and the snare will come upon them. He begins to describe what He means by that. All of those who flee, all of those who are trying to run away from the judgment of God because of the fear that comes upon them, will fall into the pit in verse 44. If they are able to get up out of the pit, then it says they will be taken in the snare.

Again, in verse 45, as they are fleeing, they try to hide in the city of Heshbon. However, fire is going to come forth upon them and destroy those who are able to flee to Heshbon. Heshbon was one of the main strongholds of that nation, Moab.

The exact same words given here in Jeremiah chapter 48, verses 43 and 44, are used in Isaiah chapter 24. We referenced them a couple of weeks ago. I just want to read to you from Isaiah 24, verse 17: "Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee."

O inhabitant of earth. In Isaiah 24, God is speaking to the whole earth, not just to the Moabites. Verse 18 of Isaiah 24 states, "And it shall come to pass that he who flees from the noise of fear shall fall into the pit, and he that comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare, for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake."

Isaiah 24 correlates perfectly with Jeremiah 48. Both chapters examine the judgment of the Moabites, but the judgment of the Moabites serves as a picture of the judgment that God will bring upon the whole earth. It is a foreshadowing of what God is going to bring upon all humanity. The judgment that God will bring upon the whole earth will be inescapable for those who have not repented and turned to Christ during the time that God has given us to turn to Him.

The completeness of God's judgment is evident in Jeremiah 48, verses 43 through 45, and in Isaiah 24. No one shall escape. This is very similar to the warning we read in the book of Amos. You may want to jot this down in the margin of your Bible next to the passage we are discussing. Amos chapter 5, verse 18 says, "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light, as if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him. And he went into a house, and he leaned his hand on the wall, and the serpent bit him."

I know we've referenced this before, but it is crucial to understand the completeness of God's judgment. When the day of the Lord comes—any time God reaches into the realm of humanity for judgment—there is no escape for those who try to flee from Him. It is as if a man is running from a lion, and just when he escapes the lion, a bear attacks him. If he manages to evade the bear and gets into a house, he may think he is safe. However, just when he leans against the wall, huffing and puffing, a serpent comes out and bites him, leading to his demise.

This illustrates the completeness of God's judgment and the inability to flee from it. In Jeremiah chapter 48, verse 44, at the end of the verse, it states, "I, God, will bring upon Moab the year of their visitation," saith the Lord. Just like the day of the Lord, this is the time of their visitation when God will come for judgment.

We see the reasons for God's judgment: their pride, their idleness, and their idolatry. We also see the completeness of their judgment.

In Jeremiah chapter 48, we see the result of the judgment upon the people. When God begins to judge them, we read in Jeremiah 48, several times in verses 3, 4, 5, 20, 31, 32, and 34, the words "weeping," "crying," and "howling" are mentioned. The people are filled with sorrow and weeping as the judgment of God comes.

As I mentioned last week, when we were looking at the judgment of God upon the Babylonians, if you wait until the day of the Lord to humble yourself, weeping and crying out, it is too late. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to turn to Christ in repentance. When the day of judgment comes, it will be too late. Here we see the people crying, weeping, and howling when the judgment of God comes, but it is too late. They refused to repent at the start when God was calling to them, and so it would be too late at that point in time.

However, there is a very interesting reference at the end of Jeremiah 48. We will get back to Isaiah here after this verse. In Jeremiah 48, verse 47, the very last verse, God says, "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days," saith the Lord. "Thus far is the judgment of Moab." God indicates that in the end, He will bring back a purified remnant for Moab. But right now, it is the day of judgment.

As I mentioned before, God's punishment is for the purpose of purification. Ultimately, a remnant, even among the Moabites, would return. But God says, "Today is a time of judgment." The reason for judgment includes their pride, haughtiness, idleness, and idolatry. God would completely judge the Moabites and pour out His wrath upon them.

Now, turn back to Isaiah chapter 15, verse 5. Isaiah says, "My heart shall cry out for Moab. His fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, a heifer of three years old. For by the mounting up of Luhith, with weeping shall they go it up."

For in the way of Horonam, they shall raise up a cry of destruction. Isaiah says that he cries out for Moab. When he sees the destruction, when he has this vision of the destruction that will come upon the Moabites—a nation that was related to the children of Israel, although they had been the enemies of the children of Israel—he cries out on behalf of them.

Just as we've already considered in Amos chapter 5, verse 18, the day of the Lord, when God brings judgment, is not a desirable day. It's not a day where we look forward to it and say, "Oh, I can't wait until the day of the Lord." When Isaiah sees a vision of the coming destruction that will befall the Moabites, he is stirred to sorrow. He cries out on behalf of the Moabites for their fugitives as they flee towards Zoar. You may want to underline in verse 5 that they flee unto Zoar, because that's exactly what Lot did when the judgment was being handed out from God upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He fled to the very same city, to Zoar.

However, as they are fleeing to Zoar, we read about a heifer of three years old, and they go up to Leweth with weeping. They take hold of an animal to sacrifice to one of their false gods. Instead of repenting and turning to God when judgment is coming, we read that they are going and worshiping their false gods, crying out to these false gods.

Verse 6 states, "For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate, for the hay is withered away, the grass fails, there is no green thing." Therefore, the abundance they have gotten and that which they have laid up shall they carry away to the brook of the willows. God says that when this judgment comes upon them, the land is going to dry up. All their fruitfulness, all the things they so desired, and all the things they trusted in the nation of Moab are going to be destroyed.

In verse 8, it says, "For the cry has gone round about the borders of Moab, the howling thereof unto Eglim, and the howling thereof unto Berylim." We read different names of cities that are mentioned throughout Moab, and throughout the entire nation, the people are crying out because the nation is being destroyed. Howling is a result of the destruction.

For the waters of Dimon, verse 9 says, "shall be full of blood, for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapes of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land." Just like we saw in Amos chapter 5, verse 19, they are fleeing, and yet as they think they have gotten away, God says, "I'm going to bring lions upon them to destroy them."

The completeness of God's judgment is illustrated in Isaiah 16:1, which states, "Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness unto the mount of the daughter of Zion." It shall be that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

In the middle of this declaration of God's judgment and destruction upon the Moabites, Isaiah, stirred by the Lord, gives counsel to the Moabites. He instructs them to send the lamb to the children of Israel, specifically to the ruler of the land from Selah. He emphasizes the importance of sending the offering to Jerusalem.

In 2 Kings 3, we learn that the Moabites had a tax they were required to pay to the children of Israel. Every year, this tax mandated that the Moabites give 100,000 lambs to the children of Israel. Many of these sheep would be used in offerings and sacrifices in Jerusalem. Additionally, the Moabites were also required to provide the wool of 100,000 goats. Thus, every single year, the Moabites had to fulfill this tax or tribute.

However, at a certain point, as noted in 2 Kings 3:4-5, the king of Moab decided to stop paying this tribute. He declared, "I'm not going to pay that anymore." In response, the counsel of Isaiah in Isaiah 16:1 is clear: "Hey, start paying the tax again. Send the lamb to Jerusalem." The reason for this advice is that the Moabites would eventually find themselves as refugees seeking help from the people of Israel. Isaiah essentially urges them to pay it forward.

The verse continues, "For it shall be that as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon." The fords of Arnon symbolize the Moabites seeking refuge among the children of Israel as the judgment of God approaches. They are preparing to cross the rivers into the land of Israel. Isaiah warns them that when God's judgment comes, they must be ready by having paid their tax to the children of Israel, as they will be seeking refuge there once again.

The implication is that they will be homeless, in a pitiful condition. Isaiah 16:3 advises, "Take counsel, execute judgment, make thy shadow as the night."

In the midst of the noonday, hide the outcasts; berate not him that wanders. In another translation, verse 3 reads, "Help us," they cry. "Defend us against our enemies. Protect us from the relentless attack. Do not betray us." Verse 3 is the call, the cry of these refugees fleeing Moab when the judgment of God is coming. They are standing at the edge of the land of Israel, crying out and saying, "Help us. Give us refuge from this relentless attack. Do not betray us."

Isaiah responds, saying that they better begin to pay that tribute, pay that tax once again. However, verse 4 presents an interesting turn, a complete 180. It is no longer the Moabites who are fleeing for refuge; now it is the children of Israel seeking refuge. Look at this: "Let mine outcasts dwell with you, Moab. Be thou a covert or a refuge to them from the face of the spoiler. For the extortioner is at an end. The spoiler ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land."

In mercy shall the throne be established, and He shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness. Now, who is the one who sits upon the throne, judging with righteousness, sitting upon the throne of David, seeking judgment and bringing righteousness? Who do you think that is a prophecy of? I heard it: Jesus.

So there in verse 5, we are reading a prophecy of the coming Messiah. In verse 4, God is saying to the Moabites, "Let my outcasts dwell with you, Moab. Be a refuge to them from the face of the spoiler." Many Bible scholars and teachers believe that this is a prophecy of the end times. There is a thought among many Bible teachers that when the Antichrist begins to focus his attention upon the children of Israel and declares war upon them, in the last days they will flee.

Many of them believe that they will flee to the city of Petra, that rock city of Petra that is in modern-day Jordan. That region of Petra was in the ancient nation of Moab. Therefore, many Bible teachers believe that what God is saying to the Moabites is, "Listen, my people are going to flee to you."

The outcasts are going to flee to you, and you are going to be a refuge for them against the face of the spoiler. The spoiler is a prophecy of the Antichrist, who will come against the children of Israel. The children of Israel will flee to Moab, just as the Moabites fled to Israel when they were under the judgment of God. They will seek refuge among the people of Moab until the spoiler ceases.

Verse 4 states that the spoiler will cease, and the oppressors will be consumed out of the land. After the Antichrist is gone, what will come? When the Antichrist is gone, the true Christ will return. He will sit upon the throne, which will be established, and He shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness.

In the midst of this distressing judgment spoken upon the people of Moab is a great prophecy of the coming of the Messiah after the destruction brought about by the spoiler when the children of Israel hide in the land of Moab.

Verse 12 says that it shall come to pass when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray, but he shall not prevail. On the hilltops, the people of Moab will pray in anguish to their false gods. In the midst of this judgment upon the Moabites, they will go to all their high places seeking the help of their idols, but these idols will do them no good. They will cry to their gods and their temples, but these false gods will not come to save them.

This is the reality that man always finds when he turns to false gods. The Psalms tell us twice that the gods of this world are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have eyes but do not see, hands but do not touch, and mouths but do not speak. The gods of this world are nothing; they have no power. Man worships them foolishly, but they ultimately cannot help. In the day of trouble, man turns to these things seeking help, but they cannot stand up to assist. They are revealed for what they truly are: nothing, an absolute foolishness. The god that you worship is ultimately the thing that you trust in. When the people of Moab are shaken and God begins to bring judgment upon them, they turn to their false gods.

But their false gods can't help. We saw the same thing back in Isaiah, I think it was chapter 13 and 14, where it says that they are going to go into the holes of the earth to seek refuge when the wrath of God comes. They will have their false gods with them, their silver and gold gods, and they will cast their false gods at the moles and the bats in the caves because they will realize that these false gods they are worshiping cannot help them. Ultimately, this judgment of God upon the Moabites revealed that their idolatry was foolishness.

This is similar to what happened when the children of Israel were judged by the Babylonians. They recognized that their idolatry and all the things they were bowing down to could not help them. So here, once again, the Moabites turned to their false gods, but they cannot be helped.

Verse 13 states, "This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning Moab since that time." God has been speaking about judging the people of Moab for a long time. Now the Lord has spoken, verse 14 says, "Within three years, as the years of a hired servant or a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be contemned with all that great multitude, and the remnant shall be very small and feeble." God says that for a long time He has been speaking about judging the people of Moab, but within three years, it will come to pass. God's judgment moves quickly when He sets out to judge. That's why it is often called the day of the Lord's wrath in the Scriptures, because it is something that comes to pass very quickly.

Jesus even spoke about this in Matthew chapter 24. When all the signs of the end times begin to come to pass, He says, "This generation will not pass till all is fulfilled." The word of the Lord will be fulfilled quickly, as He says here upon Moab.

Continuing on, Isaiah chapter 17, verse 1 states, "The burden of Damascus: behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." The cities of Arower are forsaken, and they shall be for flocks which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.

So God now directs His attention away from Moab in chapter 17, and He begins to look at Syria, specifically Damascus, the capital of Syria.

Damascus is going to be taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The interesting thing about the city of Damascus, the capital city of Syria, is that it is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Among all the cities of the world, Damascus is known for being the oldest continually inhabited city.

I had the privilege of sitting down this last Saturday with a pastor from Damascus, Syria. His church is just a couple of blocks away from the street called Straight, which, if you've studied through the Book of Acts, is the very street that Saul of Tarsus stayed at after his conversion on the road to Damascus. The church that this man came out of is right near the street called Straight in Damascus.

In Isaiah chapter 17, we read a very interesting prophecy: Damascus is going to be taken away from being a city; it shall be a ruinous heap. This has never happened. Damascus has been sacked and attacked; it has been besieged. The Assyrians almost destroyed the city of Damascus, but it was never completely destroyed. It has never been a ruinous heap that has never been inhabited, and it will never be inhabited. When we read Isaiah chapter 17, verse 1, we are reading a prophecy that is yet to come to pass, and I believe that it is one of the next prophecies that will come to pass.

About 15 years ago, or actually if we go back to the early 1990s, you'll remember that during the Gulf War over in Iraq, one of the key cities that Saddam Hussein was firing Scud missiles at was Jerusalem in Israel. They wanted to fire their Scud missiles at Jerusalem. As a result, from that point on, the children of Israel, the people in the nation of Israel, said that Baghdad was their first strike option.

It is now believed that the nation of Israel has nuclear capability and that they possess nuclear weapons. Of course, this has never been fully revealed, but it is assumed that they have them. If Israel says they are going to attack Baghdad, it would likely mean that they would fire nuclear weapons at them and destroy Baghdad. That was their first strike option until about eight years ago, and then something changed.

Saddam Hussein is no longer the president of Iraq, and Baghdad is no longer a problem for the children of Israel. So now you know what city is Israel's first strike option: Damascus, Syria. There are a lot of things happening in the Middle East today, and even for the last several years, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has been seeking to build nuclear weapons. It is very clear that the entire world community knows he is seeking to enrich uranium to the point where they can build nuclear weapons. He has made it very clear that he intends to strike against the children of Israel, against Jerusalem. He wants to destroy and wipe the children of Israel off the face of the earth.

If that comes to pass, it would be pretty phenomenal. In the last year, especially, the nation of Israel has made it very clear that they plan to try to stop Iran from making nuclear weapons and from enriching uranium to the point of weapons-grade uranium. They have several different plans of attack, and it seems, especially in the last three or four months, that they are getting to the point where they very likely could attack.

Now, if they attack, one of Iran's closest allies is Syria, and Syria has already made it known that if Israel attacks Iran, Syria will respond. If Syria responds, Israel has already made it clear that they will first strike Damascus. We could very possibly see Isaiah 17:1 come to pass very soon. The scripture says it will be a ruinous heap; it will be taken away from being a city. That has never happened.

Isaiah 17:1 definitely has fulfillment in the last days, but the whole chapter was primarily fulfilled when the Assyrians destroyed the Syrians. I know it can become very confusing when you are studying through the book of Isaiah and looking at the Syrians, the Assyrians, the nation of Israel, the Ephraimites, and the people of Judah. All these different names can become very confusing. However, we have already been studying how the children of Israel in the south, among Judah and Benjamin, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, were being attacked by the northern ten tribes in an alliance with the Syrians in Isaiah chapter 7.

God promised Ahaz, who was the king of Judah. I know this is confusing, so try to follow me here. In Isaiah chapter 7, He promised him that He would protect the city of Jerusalem and that God would destroy the northern ten tribes and the Syrians. Then, in Isaiah chapter 10, He told us which nation He was going to use to destroy the northern ten tribes and the Syrians: He would use the Assyrians.

When we read in Isaiah chapter 17 about the destruction of Assyria and Ephraim, we are talking about the judgment that God would bring upon them in the 700s BC, during the 8th century BC, at the hand of the Assyrians. It says in verse 2, "The cities of Aror are forsaken, and they shall be for flocks; they shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid." The cities of Aror refer to the cities of the Syrians, which are going to be destroyed.

Not only the Syrians, but we also read in verse 3, "The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim," referring to the northern ten tribes. One very important application we should make from this is that it is extremely important who you make covenants with and who you form partnerships with. In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

Of course, in that passage, he is speaking about a marriage covenant, but you could also apply it to a business partnership or an alliance as a nation. The northern ten tribes were unequally yoked with the Syrians, and as a result, they were going to be destroyed when the Syrians were destroyed. Bad company corrupts good morals. If you yoke yourself with the wrong people, it could be devastatingly bad.

Here, the people of the northern ten tribes yoked themselves together with the Syrians, and the Syrians were going to be destroyed by the Assyrians, which would flow down into the northern ten tribes. In verse 3, it continues, "The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria shall be as the glory of the children of Israel," saith the Lord of hosts.

In that day, verse 4 states, "It shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean."

We know Jacob is a reference to Israel, and God is speaking about a judgment that will come upon the northern ten tribes and the nation of Syria. It shall be as when the harvestman gathers the corn and reaps the ears with his arm. It shall be as when he gathers the ears of the valley of Rephaim.

Now, verse 5 speaks about the completeness of God's judgment. When God judges the Syrians and the northern ten tribes, it's like when the harvesters go through the wheat fields or the barley fields to gather all the fruit of the land. If you go through the barley fields or the wheat fields one day before harvest, they are full of wheat. However, you go there the next day after the harvest, and there is hardly anything left; everything has been harvested, just a little bit here and a little bit there. So, He says when I come with judgment, it's going to look like after the field has been harvested.

In verse 6, He says, "Yet the gleaning of grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree: two or three berries or two or three olives at the top of the uttermost branch, four or five in the outermost fruitful branches thereof," saith the Lord God of Israel. Verses 5 and 6 speak about the completeness of God's judgment, using the pictures of the harvester. When God judges the Syrians and the northern ten tribes, it will be like when the harvester goes through the barley fields or the wheat fields. After the harvest, there is nothing left, or when the harvester goes and harvests the olive tree, there are just a few olives left here and there. Even the most fruitful branch has just a few left over.

The idea is the completeness of God's judgment. As we saw last week in chapters 13 and 14, man will be more rare than fine gold, the gold of Ophir.

In verse 7, it says, "In that day shall a man look to his maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel." Would you circle verse 7? God's punishment is for the purpose of purification. Here we see that God is going to judge, and for the most part, that judgment is complete, but there is just a small remnant left. The remnant that is left over shall look to their maker and shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. They shall not look to the altars, the work of their hands, nor shall they respect that which their fingers have made, either the groves or the images. When God judges His people, He is going to remove their idolatry.

Verse 8 discusses the punishment for the purpose of purification. The people will no longer look to the work of their hands or have respect for the creations of their fingers. They will no longer worship the groves, which were places dedicated to the false god Asherah, or their images. On that day, His strong cities will be forsaken, along with the forsaken branch and the uppermost branch that they left behind because of the children of Israel. There shall be desolation.

God declares that He will destroy and judge. Why? Because they have forsaken the God of their salvation and have not been mindful of the Rock of their strength. Therefore, they will plant pleasant plants and set them in strange slips. God says that because they have not trusted in Him or looked to Him, they will plant pleasant plants in foreign lands. This is exactly what happened to the children of Israel in the northern ten tribes.

The Assyrians had an interesting strategy known as the Assyrian relocation plan. When they invaded a land to destroy it, they would take all their prisoners of war and relocate them to other parts of the Assyrian Empire. We will see this same tactic in Isaiah when the commander of the Assyrian army tells the people of Jerusalem to come out and make a treaty with him. He promises that they can all go home that night to eat the fruit of their own vine, and everything will be fine. However, he will return and take them to a land just like their own, but they will have to be relocated.

Here, God says that judgment will come upon them by the hand of the Assyrians. When it does, they will be taken into a strange land, and they will plant their crops elsewhere. In verse 11, it states that on that day, they will make their plants grow, and in the morning, their seeds will flourish. However, the harvest will be a heap of grief and desperate sorrow. God indicates that they will plant, but their crops will yield hardly anything because they have not sought the Lord. All their work and toil will be in vain; they will labor for nothing. This is essentially what God says to His people.

The same message is echoed through the prophet Amos, who states that it will be like gathering into a bag with holes—everything will be lost because they have not sought the Lord.

Woe.

To the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters, the nation shall rush like the rushing of many waters. But God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the wind.

Verses 12 through 14 speak about the judgment that will come upon the Assyrians. The Assyrians would come and destroy the Syrians and the northern ten tribes, but ultimately, the Assyrians would be destroyed in one night. At evening trouble, when the people would go down to sleep, in Isaiah chapter 37, they would look outside their windows at the city of Jerusalem. But before the morning, God will destroy them in one night. Woe to the multitude of many people! Woe to those Assyrians that come seeking to destroy, because God will judge them as well.

As we see here in Isaiah chapters 15 through 17, God is judging the Moabites for their pride, their idolatry, and their laziness. He says that He is going to destroy Damascus, which we know has not yet fully been fulfilled. In the destruction of the Syrians, God will also destroy their allies, the people of Ephraim. In the midst of that destruction, God would bring forth for Himself a small remnant, and ultimately, they would be a purified people who would no longer worship their false gods but would look to their Maker, the Holy One of Israel.

After God would use the Assyrians to judge the northern ten tribes and the people of Syria, verses 12 through 14 of Isaiah chapter 17 state that He will also judge the Assyrians. As we are seeing here in these chapters, Isaiah chapters 13 through 23 depict the judgment and wrath of God, the day of the Lord. Every single one of these burdens, whether it is against them or the Moabites, is a minor day of the Lord, and they are all leading up to that.

The great and terrible day of the Lord is described in Isaiah chapter 24. Ultimately, the lesson we see here is that the judgment of God will come. When it comes, it will come with speed, and it will be the wrong time to repent because it will be too late. Today is the day of salvation.

May we recognize and learn from the nations spoken of in the book of Isaiah. These nations were destroyed for their idolatry, arrogance, pride, and laziness. We, in February 2010, are also in a nation filled with idolatry, idleness, pride, and haughtiness. The Scriptures declare that judgment will come.

As children of God, we have a ministry given to us by God to go into this world and proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. There is an opportunity to find refuge from the destruction that will come, and that refuge is only found in Christ. Amen.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, I thank You for Your Word. I pray that You would cause us this week to consider these things and meditate upon them. As we have gone through these three chapters tonight, I pray that You would stir our hearts to investigate these things more fully tomorrow and the next day.

Lord, stir us up that we would be like Bereans who go and search the Scriptures to see if these things be so. I pray that we would recognize, just as Paul prayed for the church at Thessalonica, that this is Your Word. This is not man's opinion, wisdom, or idea; it is Your Word given that we might know You, the only true God.

Would You give us boldness by Your Holy Spirit to be witnesses in this dark world? For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. In the Bible, we see many instances where the name of God is invoked for protection and strength. Jesus Christ taught us the importance of calling upon His name in times of trouble.

When we face challenges, we can find solace in prayer, seeking refuge in the name of the Lord. It is a reminder that we are never alone; we have a powerful ally who is always there to support us.

Let us remember to honor and respect the name of God, for it carries great significance and power in our lives.