I am currently preaching (one recorded CD Sermon per month) through the Book of Hosea. And I have been forcefully impressed with his usage of geography in his preaching. The man was a scholar when it comes to Bible History! I mean not only what happened years ago … but WHERE it happened as well!
Then, upon further reflection, I am remembering how many of the Old Testament Prophets had this skill, this knowledge. (I do realize that the Holy Spirit is the True Author all ALL Scripture. But again I too believe that the Spirit used men and their personalities to deliver their specific Messages.)
Now these two (foregoing) introductory short paragraphs lead to today’s Subject, today’s Text, from (again) Isaiah chapter 9. Pure history indeed!
Let me show you an example or two of Isaiah the geographer in action!
Let’s just notice the first verse there … “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.” Look at the specific locations!
“Zebulun, Naphtali,” two of the northern Tribes of Israel, of Ephraim, of Samaria.
Next the little phrase “by the way of the sea” is used, meaning a major highway of Isaiah’s day, the equivalent of today’s Interstate system! Again, pure geography! And probably the reason the north (Israel) drifted from God so much more quickly than he south (Judah) did! So much constant foreign (heathen) influx and influence! This is the Mediterranean Sea, by the way.
Then “Jordan,” the River.
And “Galilee of the nations?” That’s to the northeast … into the area known in Jesus’ time as “Decapolis,” meaning “ten cities.” (Where our Lord cast all those demons out of “Legion!”) Mentioned twice by Matthew and once by Mark … “Decapolis.”
Wow!
In a single verse Isaiah has referenced points north, south, east and west!
Geography!
And look at verse 4, still in Isaiah 9 … “For thou (Lord) hast broken the yoke of his (the enemy) burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.” Midian, the nation Gideon defeated with his “faithful few!” Another case of history/geography! Midian, down south in the Arabian desert!
Then verses 8 and 9 … “The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart ….” Ephraim and Samaria, just renaming the Ten Tribes of Israel! Ephraim being at that time the most dominant of the group. And Samaria being her (wicked) capital City!
Geography!
Verse 12 … “The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” Essentially from front to back, from every direction! (Syria and Philistia, two of Israel’s national enemies!)
Even chapter 9’s last verse … “Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against JUDAH. For all this his (God’s) anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out (in fury) still.” Now, civil war! But Isaiah could not have decried this pitiful situation had he not possessed a grasp of the locations of these armies, both geographically and theologically!
(And I have only alluded to one single chapter in Isaiah today, our current chapter. Through tomorrow we shall journey into chapter 10, the Lord willing.)
The whole Book (basically all of Isaiah’s 66 chapters, though some more than others) is full of such specific geographical inferences!
Look, leaving chapter 9, and without further comment from me … “Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field ….” (Isaiah 6:3) Really, to have found this exact place … Isaiah certainly had to know the City, didn’t he, Jerusalem? “Upper pool, conduit, fuller’s field!”
Wow!
No wonder a great Bible Study tool to have at hand is … an ATLAS of the Ancient Near East (often abbreviated ANE by the scholars). Study those maps of Bible happenings! You will be handsomely rewarded for doing so.
Geography!
God sure had an interest in the Land, didn’t He?
— Dr. Mike Bagwell