Seder 53: Isaiah 21-22---The Folly of Trusting in Babylon

 Isaiah prophesied to the kings and people of Judah in the late 8th century BC, when Judah faced the threat of the Assyrian Empire.  He emphasized that Judah should turn to God and trust in him for protection from the Assyrians rather than relying on political alliances with Egypt or Babylon.  

The prophecies in Isaiah 21-22 are part of that overall message.  In Isaiah 21:1-10, Isaiah looks ahead to the fall of Babylon, which came almost two centuries after Isaiah in 539 BC.  In verse 2, he sees allies Elam and Media turning against Babylon.  

In verses 3-4, Isaiah speaks of the anguish he experiences because of what is coming in the future.  Perhaps he laments for those in Judah who are putting their trust in Babylon.  He may see the grief of those who will be taken into captivity in Babylon in 606-586 BC

Commentator John Oswalt notes that verse 5 reminds us of the scene in Daniel 5, when Babylonian royalty feasts while attackers wait outside their gates.  They make frantic preparations for war, "oiling their shields," but it is too late.  The handwriting is on the wall.  

In verses 6-9 we see the prophet as watchman, warning Judah of the consequences of continuing to disobey God.  The horsemen he sees may be part of Babylon's defeated army fleeing.  If the Babylonians ultimately will not be able to save themselves in the 6th century, how can they be of help to Judah in the 8th century?  

Isaiah's next oracle in 21:11-12 comes to Dumah.  There are a couple of different possibilities for the identity of Dumah.  The LXX has "Idumea" (Edom) here, Seir in verse 11 is another name for Edom, and "Dumah" is an anagram of "Edom."  So this could be a message for Edom.  

On the other hand, Dumah is the name of an Arabian oasis at the intersection of two trade routes, so the oracle may be directed to this location.  Certainly Edom and Arabia both would be interested in what to expect from the Assyrians and Babylonians.  They might even ask Judah's watchman what he sees.

The watchman's words are cryptic:  "Morning comes, and also the night."  Oswalt proposes that Isaiah may be saying that the Assyrian "night" will end, but it will be replaced by a Babylonian "night."  Or perhaps he is saying that Sennacherib will be defeated when he tries to take Jerusalem in 701 BC, but then Assyria would go on to defeat Babylon in 689 BC.  

There is an oracle to Arabia in 21:13-17.  Oswalt explains that Tema is another oasis about 200 miles south of Dumah on the road to the Red Sea, while Dedan is about 90 miles south of Tema.  All of these sites are part of Kedar (v 16).  The fugitives in verse 14 may be fleeing Babylon or heading south from Dumah.  In any case, Kedar will not be safe by allying itself with Babylon.  It will fall along with Babylon.  

In chapter 22 Isaiah has a message for Jerusalem.  Oswalt proposes that the setting may be a time when Judah is temporarily rejoicing after being spared from an Assyrian attack.  One possibility is 711 BC, when the Assyrians took the Philistine city of Azekah but then withdrew.  Judah moved to shore up Israel's defenses (verses 8-11), but its best defense would be to turn to God in repentance (verse 12).  They would not be forgiven if they did not humble themselves (verse 14).  

Isaiah illustrates right and wrong approaches in the rest of chapter 22.  Shebna, a high official who should have been working to serve the nation, is preoccupied with his own legacy by supervising the construction of a tomb for himself (verses 15-19).  Shebna would be removed from office and replaced by Eliakim (verse 20), who would serve faithfully (verses 21-23).  Sadly, Eliakim would not be able to stand up under the strain of burdens placed upon him by his family (verses 24-25).  Still, he had the right priorities.

Oswalt observes that these prophecies in Isa 21-22 teach us about 

• the sovereignty of God.
• the folly of trusting human power.
• the fickleness of human promises.

The only hope for Judah (and for us) is to trust in God.

Seder 53: MIdnight Deliverance---Exod 12-13; 2 Kings 19:35-37; Ps 119:57-64; Acts 12

 In the middle of the night on the first Passover, the firstborn of the Egyptians died (Exod 12:29).  Egypt was the leading nation in the region at that point, and the death toll was significant.  In a sermonette at Church of the Messiah on April 24, 2021, Frank Fenton noted the great cost of Israel's redemption and asked us to reflect on the cost of our own redemption.  

That first Passover night begins a motif of "midnight deliverance" that runs through Scripture.  Another example is God's deliverance of the kingdom of Judah from the attack of the Assyrians under Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35-37).  One midrash (Exodus Rabbah 18) associates the rescues of Hezekiah; Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego (Dan 3) and Daniel (Dan 6) with Passover night.

This theme continues in the New Testament.   A notable example is the deliverance of Peter from prison at the time of Passover (Acts 12:1-19).

Another biblical passage associated with Passover vigils and midnight deliverance is Ps 119:57-64.  Kyle Kettering addressed this passage in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on April 24, 2021.    

The Jewish midrashic tradition says that while most kings caroused at night, David rose at night to commune with God.  According to tradition he had a sort of alarm clock set up.  He hung a harp over his bed, and the wind came through at midnight and plucked the strings, 

Kyle asked us to consider Ps 119:57-64 from several perspectives.  First, we can imagine an Israelite speaking these words on the first Passover.  From this perspective verse 63 ("I am a companion of those who fear you, of those who keep your precepts") is a reference to the "mixed multitude" of Exod 12:38.

He also asked us to think of Jesus saying these words at Gethsemane on the eve of his crucifixion.  Jesus was committed at that time to doing God's will. 

Then he asked to read these verses in light of our own faith journeys. We can think of ourselves as being on a night vigil, being prepared for the end of the age (Mark 13:32-37).