This is the fourth Lesson looking at Moab, a little thirty-mile square nation east of the Dead Sea. But comprised of a people distantly related to the Jews. This “fourth lesson” idea is Isaiah’s, not mine! He has given that Country two whole chapters in his gigantic sixty-six chapter Corpus. (In an Isaianic “subset” known as the “Prophecies against the Nations.” Comprising Isaiah chapters 13 through 23.)

“Sad but true,” might be a way to categorize today’s Text. A single verse describing Moab’s religious (?) life. Or more precisely, the “futility” of idol worship!

“And 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.” Penned at Isaiah 16:12.

Look at the context, the location of the Sentence. “The high place,” where his altar is built, where he prays to his (false) god. In Hebrew this word is “bamah.” (Interestingly, the Greek word for “judgment seat” … which was simply a “high place” where the judge or umpire sat, is “bema!” But I can conclusively prove no correlation between the two words.)

Moab has gone up there (look at the verse again) “to pray.” In Hebrew, “palal,” meaning “to make supplication, to entreat,” almost “to beg” his god for something!

Note that this place of debauchery and filth … in God’s Eyes … is called by the Moabites a “sanctuary!” Basically a “holy place!” Oh how perverted, depraved, lost mankind really is!

The major god of the Moabites was “Chemosh” (meaning “one who subdues”) They though it helped them conquer their enemies! This “thing” (maybe should I say “demon”) allowed these poor people to slaughter (anyone they didn’t like) at will! Also to commit fornication and adultery and incest and (even) child sacrifice “with impunity!” (Impunity is a Latin word, derivative … meaning “without punishment or penalty.”)

And, not to forget our Text, the Moabites are worshipping this Chemosh character.  “Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.”

Praying, but “weary!” Again the Hebrew is “laah,” which can mean “to be impatient!” Exasperated with his god! This verb is further translated in the King James Version “grieved” (2 times) and “faint” (1 time). There is “no peace” offered by this god!

And Moab’s prayers “shall not prevail” either! Now the verb is “yakol,” used 195 times in the Old Testament, meaning “to overcome, to be able,” and even “to endure.”

No “strength” either, in Moab’s god!

(By the way, Isaiah dearly loves to “deride” and “make fun” of false gods and goddesses! Because, of course, he knows the One True God!)

Now, let’s close today by contrasting Moab’s god “Chemosh” with Judah’s God “Jehovah.” (The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, too!)

He (Jehovah) can give peace! He can take away weariness! (“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Spoken by Jesus, God the Son, in Matthew 11:28.)

Also He (Jehovah) can give his people “power to prevail!” (Read this testimony: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Spoken by Paul the Apostle in Philippians 4:134.)

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Well, God hates sin.

Period!

But in most of the “vice lists” (a litany of wicked deeds or attitudes) in the Bible, PRIDE is at least near the top, if not at the very top! (If you recall, Isaiah chapter 14 places “pride” as the root cause of Satan’s, Lucifer’s “fall” from heaven.)

Such (pride) is the case today as we consider (yes, again) the nation of Moab.

“We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.” Isaiah 16:6

In the King James Bible (Old Testament) the primary noun for “pride” (spelled “gaon” in Hebrew) is translated as follows: “excellency, majesty, pomp, swelling,” and twice “arrogancy.” 

And do note here that Moab is “very proud!”

The noun “wrath” (in Hebrew “ebrah”) essentially is “rage.”

And that last line, “his lies shall not be so,” simply means that the “lies” Moab has propagated will not  come to pass. Nothing he mouths is reliable! 

What “linkage!”

Pride almost always leads to lying! Because a proud man or woman feels (being so self-centered) that he or she is the final arbiter of what is true or false! (Sounds like post-modernism! The fallacy that truth is subjective, not absolute. That YOU decide what is true or right for yourself. That YOU determine your own reality!)

Yes, that’s pride.

Proverbs 6:16 and 17 … “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a PROUD look, a lying tongue …” Like I said, “at the top of the list!”

How is such pride conquered?

Proverbs 8:13 tells us. “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

The more one loves God, the more he hates pride!

The downfall of Moab, and many other nations I suspect, PRIDE!

One more verse this busy Saturday … “Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” 1st Peter 5:5

Wow!

I heard a Preacher define “pride” as: “My taking credit for something God has done in my life!” 

That one is worth remembering!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

We’re not “through” with Moab yet!

Though today we are still in Isaiah 15 … the Prophet continues his divinely inspired Jeremiad against these people throughout the next chapter as well, Isaiah 16.

But today, one more thought is dominating my heart.

But first, listen to the Moabites themselves as they cry out in pain, agony, grief. “And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.” (Isaiah 15:4, King James Version) The (Assyrian) attack against them is so fierce, so deadly! Both Heshbon and Elealeh are both places (cities) in the little country of Moab. Then add the nation’s “military.” They are afraid too! (I might add the fact that two different verbs for “crying” are used here … both “zaaq” (meaning “to cry as a group, in assembly”) and “rua” (meaning “to shout loudly, as when giving an alarm”)!

The Moabites here are either panicking or crying (groaning, moaning) in horror, maybe with little difference existing between these two responses.

Then, something I didn’t say yesterday, notice verse 5. It is personal! Either expressing the “ethos” of Almighty God or of the Prophet Isaiah himself. “My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.” (Isaiah 15:5)

Especially that first clause … “My heart shall cry out for Moab!”

Is this concern?

Compassion?

Maybe even empathy?

Yes!

I am saying … as Moab suffered, Isaiah suffered.

Or … as Moab suffered, God suffered!

I can prove this concept (never leaving Isaiah, in fact) … at least when Israel (God’s people) suffers. “In all their affliction He (the Lord) was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:9

Wow!

But for God and His man to be “touched” with the agonies of the wicked, rebellious Moabites?

Astounding!

Here it is again, our Text today … “My heart shall cry out for Moab.”

This gracious “Feeling” is not overtly stated regarding the judgments that fall upon the other nations in Isaiah’s litany here, in chapters 13-23.

Only toward Moab!

Why?

Maybe because the Moabites were related to the Israelites!

Remember, Moab was the son of the wicked “coming together” of one of Lot’s daughters and her own Daddy! Incest for sure!

Yet, even under those circumstances … Lot was Abraham’s Nephew!

And thusly, related to him by blood!

(I started to entitle today’s Lesson “Blood is thicker than water!”)

No expressed physical affinity/kindship with the Assyrians or the Philistines or the Babylonians! But yes, with the Moabites. Hence (I think) this note of love and compassion!

Do not forget. God in Heaven right now is also “touched” with our sorrows, hardships, trials. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” Hebrews 4:15

Wow!

“My heart shall cry out for Moab.”

This Sentiment is also reiterated in Isaiah 16, in tomorrow’s Lesson. “Therefore I will bewail (the Hebrew verb ‘bakah’ = to shed tears) with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears (sounds a bit like Jeremiah, the weeping Prophet), O Heshbon, and Elealeh.” Verse 9

And once again, later in Isaiah 16 the same expression of sympathy. “Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.” Verse 11

Compassion for the family!

Even when they are wrong!

Even when they deserve what they’re enduring!

Even when God is whipping them!

Wow!

Yes, Moab as a nation seems to be destined for a place in God’s Future. Jeremiah 48:47 … “Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.” (No doubt about the Identity of the Speaker here!)

Truly … “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his COMPASSIONS fail not. They are new every morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23

What a God!

“Oh, come let us adore Him!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Sing unto Him today, “HOW GREAT THOU ART!” 

 

Actually Isaiah gives two whole chapters (15 and 16) to his denunciation of the little nation/kingdom of “Moab.” Maybe because those people were distantly related to the Israelites! (Moab was the child of that infamously incestuous relationship between one of the daughters of Lot and her own father! See Genesis 19:37 for the documentation.) Get this …  “Moab” literally means “of my father,” she freely admitting that her baby’s “dad” was her own father, Lot!

Wow!

Today we shall just notice Isaiah 15, and only part of the chapter at that! (With more to come later.)

There is (when Isaiah wrote, these predicted events were still in the future) a looming danger confronting Moab. And her devastation is miraculously described in some detail.

“The burden of Moab.” (Isaiah 15:1a) This simply means that God had placed this Sermon/Message (literally)  Heavy Load on the Prophet’s heart. And he was compelled to preach it!

Listen!

The enemy is coming. And he “annihilates” one Moabite city after another! Isaiah even names the cities, these places! I will capitalize them for you. “Because in the night AR of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night KIR of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence. He (the citizenry of Moab) is gone up to BAJITH, and to DIBON, the high places (where altars to false gods were built), to weep. Moab shall howl over NEBO, and over MEDEBA: 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, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly. And HESHBON shall cry, and ELEALEH: their voice shall be heard even unto JAHAZ: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.” Isaiah 15:1b-4 (when a verse numeration contains an “a” or “b,” it simply means the “first part” of the verse, or the “second part” of the verse. I have seen verses further labeled “c” or “d” or even “e,” if they were sufficiently long enough units of Scripture!)

City after city, fallen!

I at first thought Isaiah (or the enemy) was going from south to north. But that pattern did not hold consistent. Looks like their adversary is “all over the place!” Ravaging at random, at will!

“Ar” is mentioned 6 times in the Bible, thought to be a town way down south in Moab.

By the way … “Moab” is a little Land only about 30 miles by 30 miles (roughly square) in area! It sat east of the Dead Sea. Its western boundary basically was the Dead Sea, its eastern boundary the uninviting desert!

“Kir” (another little city) is mentioned 5 times in the Bible!

“Bajith” only here, in all God’s Word! (“Gone forever,” the archaeologist fears!)

“Dibon,” another Moabite location, means (in Hebrew) “wasting!”

“Nebo,” the area where Moses died, is named for one of the heathen deities of that day.

“Medeba” means “water of rest,” maybe an oasis?

“Bald heads and ‘cut-off’ beards?” What ancient captors did to their enemies, their “prey!” One of the less painful things! These acts were considered quite “shameful” to a man! (Much like hanging a crucifixion victim on a cross naked!)

Notice the reaction of the people, the Moabites …“howling!” Weeping loudly over their ravaged land!

Verse 3 amplifies this action even further: “In their streets they (the fleeced Moabites) shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.” 

“Heshbon” is mentioned 38 times in the Old Testament! And is at times associated with different little City/States. This place initially belonged to the Israelites, but they lost it to the Moabites prior to the Babylonian Captivity.

“Elealeh” means “God is ascending!” and is another Jewish town “appropriated” by the Moabites in some hostile action. (The Moabites were not kind to the people of Israel!)

And “Jahaz,” the last named city in today’s Text … this one being hard (if not impossible) to now locate/identify. Such a fact however does not deter our believing this account of Isaiah’s, not one little bit.

Moab under attack!  (Folks, I am right now thinking of the verse … “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Located at Numbers 32:23.)

But, who was the enemy?

He is unnamed, at least in Isaiah 11.

But in all likelihood, his identity is “Assyria.” 

She was becoming the major “bully” back at that time.

Does God KNOW, or what?

Is God in control?

Yes!

If nothing else, Passages like this should bring us to our knees, admiring the Awesome Greatness of our Lord in Heaven. The KING of all kings!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lord willing, more tomorrow about Moab. A very interesting Lesson upcoming, I believe. There is something different about this Oracle/Sermon against Moab. I’ll show you more in the morning.

 

Within the confines of Isaiah chapters 13 through 23 over a dozen nations (some small, others huge) are told of their not-so-bright futures! Individually, just as well say miraculously … impending judgment is pronounced!

And Isaiah 14 (our Bible Text for the third day now) fits into that context.

Today I’d like to show you how this amazing chapter ends. With two nations being selected by the Prophet, their dark prospects revealed. These two are “Assyria” and “Palestina.”

And surprisingly, the largest nation discussed (“Assyria”) is only the focus (the target) of Isaiah’s pen for 4 verses! While, for example “Babylon” deserved 45 verses!

Even extremely small “Palestina” (perhaps the land of the Philistines) gets 5 verses of wrath!

Truly God’s Saying in Isaiah 55:8-9 applies here: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Wow!

Now to our Text …

Assyria first. “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Isaiah 14:24-27

God is going to bring Assyria “down!”

Godless (well, she had tons of gods and goddesses, but rejected the one true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) Assyria!

(I love that opening clause where God says, “What I even think … comes to pass!” In the King James Bible: “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass.” The Ultimate Power of God’s Thoughts!

In this light, let’s stop a second and thank God for Jeremiah 29:11 … “For I know the THOUGHTS that I THINK toward you, saith the LORD, THOUGHTS of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Glory to God!

This “breaking” of Assyria literally occurred during the days of King Hezekiah, that night the angel of the Lord massacred 185,000 enemy (Assyrian) soldiers, all poised to attack Jerusalem! (Read Isaiah 37:36.)

Here … as Assyria is demeaned, God is simultaneously exalted.

Assyria must decrease; God must increase!  (I word it exactly this way in honor of John 3:30, where John the Baptist says of himself, concerning Jesus: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”)

Next comes “Palestina,” only a little sliver of land, of a nation. “In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.” Isaiah 14:28-32

History now tells us that Assyria (prior to her destruction) fulfilled the role of Palestina’s aggressor! (Essentially the land of the Biblical “Philistines.”) One Assyrian King after another attacked and sacked that land, virtually decimating its population. Tiglath-Pileser then Sargon then Sennacherib! (This proves that Isaiah is not a slave to “chronological order!” A number of his prophecies are “out of sequence.” But right on target theologically, spiritually!

And just as I commented on the opening Sentence of the Assyria Judgment, let me do so in regard to the Palestina Judgment. Read it again please: “In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina …”

This reminds me of Isaiah 6:1 … “In the year that king Uzziah died I (Isaiah) saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” 

When Uzziah (a good King) died … the Lord was apparent, God’s very Glory!

When Ahaz (a wicked King) died … Judgment was apparent, doom for the Philistines! 

I find that pleasingly ironic!

Nine little verse at the end of Isaiah chapter 14 … and doom for two nations of the earth!

What a great God we serve!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Truly … “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21:1

Equally so … “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6-7

Amen!