ISAIAH 15-16: “The Judgment Of Moab”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRO

1.1. In our last study we finished looking at the prophesied judgment and destruction that was coming against Babylon, and in looking at this see how that the Lord will eventually judge all the nations and that in the judgment and destruction of the nations we see a picture of how the Lord is going to judge all evil, including every fallen angel

1.1.1. Isaiah also revisited the judgment coming to Assyria

1.1.2. Isaiah mentioned the judgment coming to Philistia as well

1.1.3. We mentioned again that we have seen as we have gone through the book of Isaiah that the Lord will judge all of the nations on the earth because He is righteous and just and all of the nations have turned away from Him

1.2. In our study today we are going to look at the judgment and destruction which Isaiah prophesied against Moab

1.2.1. We will look at the origin of the nation of Moab

1.2.2. We will look at the effect the nation of Moab had on Israel

1.2.3. According to Josephus it was Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who actually conquered Moab. However, it is more likely that it was Shalmaneser, the Assyrian king, who conquered Moab as he conquered and overran many nations. Thus, Shalmaneser is most likely the one who is prophesied in chapter 15 and 16 as bringing judgment to Moab

1.2.4. As we considering Moab, we will consider the realities that occur as a result of the consequences of our sins we commit when we are disobedient

2. VS 15:1-4 - “1 The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined. 2 They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, even to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; Everyone’s head is bald and every beard is cut off. 3 In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; On their housetops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears. 4 Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him.” - Isaiah begins to relate to us the judgment and destruction that is coming to the nation of Moab

2.1. The nation of Moab was located east of the Jordan River and Israel.

2.2. Isaiah pronounces the ‘burden’ of Moab (translated ‘oracle’ here) which must be pronounced since to the prophet’s grief Moab is going to be judged and overthrown.

2.3. The Old Testament teaches us the origin of the nation of Moab. When Abraham and Lot had decided that it would be best for them to separate, Abraham told Lot to choose the part of the land that he wished to live in and that Abraham would live in the other part. Lot choose the most fertile green part of the land, but also the part of the land near the city of Sodom. Soon however, Lot had become a prominent citizen of the city of Sodom. Lot was one of God’s people however he had chosen to pitch his tent near the wicked city of Sodom. There were many consequences to this act of Lot’s to be greedy and desire the things of this world, the greatest of which were the consequences that occurred in his family. When the Lord decided to destroy the city of Sodom in judgment, the angels had first told Lot to get himself, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city. Lot told his sons in laws that the Lord would destroy the city and thus they must get out of it, however they thought he was joking and refused to go. Finally, the angel drove Lot, his wife, and daughters from Sodom. Lot’s wife had in disobedience to the angels looked back at the city on their way out of town and as a result the Lord had caused her to turn into a pillar of salt. Then, as Lot continued out of the city his two daughters went with him. Their husbands had stayed behind and been destroyed. As Lot and his daughters were staying up in the mountains after Sodom was destroyed, the two daughters began to feel that they were going to die as spinsters and never rear any children. Therefore, the daughters came up with a very wicked plan for them to be able to each conceive a child. In Genesis 19:36-37, we read that after the daughters of Lot got their father drunk and then had sex with him and each conceived a child, one daughter each night, and that the son born to one of his daughters through him was named Moab, “36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.37 And the first-born bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.” From this point on the sons of Moab were often found to be a pain to the children of Israel, God’s chosen people. During the period of the judges and then also throughout the period of the kings the Israelites were sometimes having to go up and fight against the Moabites.

2.3.1. Abraham took his handmaiden and tried to fulfill the promise made to him of having a son, and Ishamael was born, and to this day God’s people are having troubles due to Ishmael’s offspring. Likewise, here we see that Lot didn’t follow the Lord closely and thus his wife and daughters fell away from God, and his daughters rebellion against God brought this son into the world causing Israel to be plagued throughout the history of the judges and the kings. It is sad to see the consequences of sin in the lives of those who are God’s people and who ought to know better.

2.3.1.1.The consequences for a believer’s sin can run very deep. They can in fact be generational as was the case with Lot. It is not that God holds the sins of a father against his children, for the scripture is clear that each one is judged only by his own sin, rather it is the case that children follow in the footsteps of the fathers, whether they do right or wrong.

2.3.1.2.God gives His people a warning in the scriptures. The Lord may rescue His people when they fall into sin, however God’s people still suffer the consequences of their sin as Paul wrote in Col. 3:5, and the consequences can be devastating, “25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.”

2.3.1.3.Knowing that we shall suffer the consequences for our sins as believers ought to be enough to discourage us from sinning.

2.3.2. We find that in Deut. 2:8-9 that after the sons of Israel had crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land that the Lord would not let them destroy the Moabites because they were descendants of righteous Lot, and so because of the sins of Lot and his daughters the Israelites were sort of stuck with them, “8 “So we passed beyond our brothers the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road, away from Elath and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed through by the way of the wilderness of Moab.9 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.”

2.3.3. Likewise, in the third chapter of Judges we read that when the sons of Israel fell into sin that the Lord caused them to be judged by the wicked nation of Moab and their king, Eglon.

2.3.4. In Judges chapter 11, we read that the Moabites wouldn’t let the Israelites go through their territory, bringing hardship on them.

2.4. In Numbers chapter 22-24, we read about Moab. The children of Israel were wandering around in the wilderness as the Lord was guiding them. If a nation would not accommodate the children of Israel and treat them in a amicable way, the Lord would lead the Israelites to conquer them because of their wickedness. The Moabites had heard about what had happened to the Amorites, and when the children of Israel wandered near the Moabites, Balak their king began to be afraid and to scheme of a way to conquer them. We read that he sought out a rather odd man named Balam who was a prophet of the Lord but also a diviner. He tried to convince Balam to curse the children of Israel so that the Moabites could plunder them in battle. However, you know the story, every time that Balam went to curse the children of Israel he would pray to the Lord and the Lord would tell him of how that the children of Israel would be blessed by God. Balak was willing to pay good money to Balam, however all he could tell Balak was that the children of Israel would be blessed. We read however in the New Testament about how Balam is a terrible example for he was someone who used religion and the things of God for prophet. When we read on in the Old Testament we find that Balam finally figured out how that Balak and the Moabites could conquer Israel. He taught them to get their daughters to seduce the Israelite men and then to talk them into inter-marrying with them. Thus, Israel was never able to destroy the Moabites, and their influence on the children of Israel was felt all throughout Israel’s history. This was what led them into Baal worship.

2.4.1. Numbers 25:1-9 tells us about how the Moabite girls seduced the Israelite men and led them into worship of Baal and other idols, something that the nation never was rid of until Judah’s return from deportation to Babylon, “1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel.4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” 6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.9 And those who died by the plague were 24,000.”

2.5. Because of the wickedness of Moab and her defiance of the Lord, Isaiah tells us that she would be judged and brought to destruction. The destruction of these cities of the Moabites, Ar, Kir, Dibon, Nebo, Medeba, Heshbon, and Elealeh, would bring down the pride of Moab and cause great mourning of all the people of the nation. The people of Moab would be wailing and wearing sackcloth in their grief (as was the custom among the people of the middle east when grieving) and agony at the destruction of the nation. Even the people in the ‘high places’ where they worshipped their gods would cry, as would even their armed men.

2.5.1. Ar

2.5.1.1.According to Jerome the city was called in Roman Times Areopolis, or Rabbath-Moab, and the Pulpit Commentary says that modern geographers, “identify it with Rabba, a place on the old Roman road between Kerak and Arair, south of the Arnon, where there are some ancient remains.”

2.5.1.2.In Numbers 21:28 we read that Ar was one of a few cities taken from the Moabites by Sihon, king of the Amorites.

2.5.1.3.Ar is also mentioned in Deut. 2:9,18.

2.5.2. Kir

2.5.2.1.This city is believed to be Kerak which was located just southeast of the Dead Sea.

2.5.3. Dibon

2.5.3.1.This city is the place where the Moabite stone was found. This was evidently a city of major importance which contained some of the high places where the Moabites worshipped.

2.5.4. Nebo and Medeba

2.5.4.1.These were other ancient Moabite cities.

2.5.4.2.Medeba is mentioned in Num. 21:30 and Josh. 3:16.

2.5.5. Heshbon

2.5.5.1.This city laid directly east of the dead Sea and became the capital of the Amorite kingdom after Sihon captured it.

2.5.6. Elealeh

2.5.6.1.This city is believed to be located very close to Heshbon.

2.6. We see that the attacks on the cities come swiftly and in the surprise of night.

3. VS 15:5 - “5 My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah, For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; Surely on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their ruin.” - Isaiah tells us that the Lord’s heart cries out for Moab because of her destruction

3.1. The one who is judging Moab, the Lord, is judging her but doing so with a broken heart.

3.2. Isaiah realized that judgment was a ‘strange work’ of God (Isaiah 28:21), one that is atypical of everything else that the Lord does. The Lord does not take joy in judging the wicked, He would much rather give them grace and mercy and forgive their sins.

3.3. We see here that Isaiah tell us about those who are fleeing Moab and her judgment, trying to escape death, and yet as they go they are to be pitied in that they go weeping and crying out in ‘distress of their ruin’.

3.4. The people fleeing Moab’s destruction are trying to escape to Edom and Judah via Luhith and Horonaim.

4. VS 15:6-9 - “6 For the waters of Nimrim are desolate. Surely the grass is withered, the tender grass died out, There is no green thing. 7 Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored up They carry off over the brook of Arabim. 8 For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab, Its wail goes as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim. 9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; Surely I will bring added woes upon Dimon, A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land.” - Isaiah tells us of the distress and desolations which will happen to Moab in her destruction

4.1. According to the Pulpit Commentary, the ‘waters of Nimrim’ are the, ‘Wady of Numeira’, which is a water-course running into the Dead Sea and which is fed by six or seven springs, and, which also boasts a number of well-watered gardens along its way.

4.1.1. Isaiah tells it that these waters are ‘desolate’ or as it can also be translated, ‘desolations’.

4.2. As the people of Moab realized they were being conquered, many evidently tried to grab some of their possessions as they were fleeing, and it is these possessions that Isaiah tells us they attempted to carry across the ‘brook of Arabim’.

4.3. The ‘waters of Dimon’ are full of blood, and to top it off, so to speak, the Lord even says that he will send a ‘lion’ up those who are trying to flee Moab, so that they were eaten. The lion could be a reference to the one who was conquering them, and thus perhaps Isaiah referred to Shalmanezer as the lion.

5. VS 16:1-2 - “1 Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land, From Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. 2 Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon.” - Isaiah tells the Moabites to pay tribute to Judea so that they might be saved

5.1. This chapter is divided up into three different sections. Here in this section, Isaiah pleads or reasons with the Moabites to humble themselves and pay tribute to the nation of Judea (the northern kingdom had already gone into captivity) for this would be their only hope. This was an offer of mercy which was be received under certain conditions. However, Moab would have to humble herself in order to plead allegiance to Judea and pay this tribute.

5.2. In 2 Kings 3:3-4, we read about how the nation of Moab, under their king Mesha, used to pay a tribute of lambs and rams to Judea and king Ahab, “4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.5 But it came about, when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.”

5.2.1. Isaiah exhorts them to again pay this tribute so that they might escape the judgment that was determined by the Lord against them.

5.3. Curiously, the tribute was to be sent from Sela, the capital city of Edom. She could have been at this time so aligned with Edom that she must send the tribute from Sela, or it could be that the Sela mentioned is actually descriptive of another part of the country of Moab. There existed the plains of Moab as well as the rocky parts of the country, and these may have had a descriptive name.

5.4. Assyria, was evidently up in the northern parts ready to invade Moab, so Isaiah tells her to send the tribute down the southern route through the ‘wilderness of Judea’ to get it to Jerusalem.

5.5. If the Moabites will just pay this tribute to Judea, they will be relieved of their fear of the Assyrian army and be able to cross back over the ‘fords of the Arnon’ river into Moab.

6. VS 16:3-4 - “3 “Give us advice, make a decision; Cast your shadow like night at high noon; Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive. 4 “Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you; Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer.” For the extortioner has come to an end, destruction has ceased, Oppressors have completely disappeared from the land.” - Isaiah records the words of the Moabites themselves here

6.1. Perhaps the ambassadors of the nation were asking Judea for counsel on what they should do at this point in time, and asking for help in the process.

6.1.1. The Moabites appear to be asking Judea to be a shadow of protection to them, and also to take their refuges fleeing the nation as the Assyrian army drew near to conquer them.

6.2. The Assyrians were known for coming against a land or conquering a land and then exacting a heavy tribute, and here Moab refers to them as ‘the extortioner’. If Moab were to come under Judea’s protection, paying her tribute, then there would be no more fear of extortion, destruction, or oppression from Assyria. However, this would be hard for Moab to believe since Judea as a nation was not that powerful compared to Assyria, regardless of the stories that the Judean’s might tell them of the days that the Lord conquered all of her enemies and delivered her.

7. VS 16:5 - “5 A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness.” - Isaiah tells Moab of the Holy One who would come one day in lovingkindness and sit upon a throne of faithfulness

7.1. The Messianic hope is advanced by Isaiah in hopes that Moab might take notice of the many prophesies yet to be fulfilled that tell of the day when the Messiah shall sit upon the thone of David in Jerusalem and rule over all of the nations of the earth.

7.2. Isaiah tells Moab in effect that the reign of the Messiah shall be a reign of righteousness and justice, and one which will be a benefit to all of the nations of the earth.

8. VS 16:6-8 - “6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride; Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury; His idle boasts are false. 7 Therefore Moab shall wail; everyone of Moab shall wail. You shall moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth As those who are utterly stricken. 8 For the fields of Heshbon have withered, the vines of Sibmah as well; The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts; Its tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea.” - Isaiah tells us that because of the pride of Moab that they will be judged and end up wailing and moaning

8.1. This begins the next section of this chapter. Since Moab has rejected the offer of mercy from Judea, she is promised to be judged and overthrown as a nation.

8.2. Evidently, Isaiah delivered the offer of mercy to Moab but she refused to humble herself and rejected it because of her stubborn and ‘excessive’ pride. Now, judgment is assured from the Lord.

8.2.1. What a sad thing it is when men refuse the Lord’s offer of mercy and forgiveness of their sins through the sacrifice of Christ just because they are too proud to admit that they are sinners and in need of a savior, and because they are to proud to admit they are wrong so that they might find their way to repentance. The ‘burden’ of Moab can be looked at as a ‘woe’ upon all of those who are too proud to humble themselves before the Lord as sinners.

8.3. The refuges who escape death when the nation is overthrown by Assyria will miss all of the nice things from their life in Moab, including raisin cakes, crops and vines.

8.4. We see in the Old Testament that Sibmah was actually part of the towns belonging to the Reubenites.

8.5. The ‘lords of the nations’ probably refers to the Assyrians, for as they went across the land conquering they would destroy crops, fruit trees, vineyards, etc.

9. VS 16:10-11 - “10 And gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting, No treader treads out wine in the presses, For I have made the shouting to cease. 11 Therefore my heart intones like a harp for Moab, And my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth.” - Isaiah tells us that gladness and joy are taken away from the fields of the Moabites

9.1. The time of treading upon the grapes, the fruit of the long sought for harvest, was considered a very joyful time since all of the work for producing the grapes was now out of the way. A wine-press was typically located in or near a vineyard, with two vats, one on top of the other. The grapes were placed in the upper vat and the juice would flow down into the lower vat. The workers would tread upon the grapes of the upper vat in their bare feet and all the while shouting and singing joyful songs about their harvest. However, no with the overthrow of Moab by Assyria and the destruction of their crops their joy would be taken away.

9.2. The Lord speaks through Isaiah and says that He has ‘made the shouting to cease’, or taken away their joyful singing and revelry.

9.3. As David played the harp which took away the sorrow and depression of king Saul, so the Lord says that His heart is like a harp that plays for Moab, as He is wishing to be able to take away their sorrow if they were just willing to turn to the Lord for their help and hope.

9.3.1. God wants all of His children to cast their burdens upon Him for He wants to carry them, however too often we needlessly carry the weight of them around with us.

9.4. The KJV has an intriguing translation of verse 11, ‘my bowels shall sound like an harp’. Lest any be confused, the ‘bowels’ of which Isaiah refers are, of course, not what we might refer to but the inner emotions of the Lord’s heart.

9.5. The Lord has great empathy for those who perish because of their ignorance and pride, as conveyed here by Isaiah.

10. VS 16:12 - “12 So it will come about when Moab presents himself, When he wearies himself upon his high place, And comes to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not prevail.” - Isaiah tells us that Moab will not prevail in prayer when in desperation he seeks the Lord in his crisis

10.1. Proud Moab will eventually come and pray for deliverance from her enemies, however it is too late and there is no where else to turn. The Moabites had their high places, the Old Testament tells us about them, and they will finally go there to pray, but the Lord says that He will not be found by her.

10.2. It is important for a person to find the Lord when He can be found and not wait until he is on his deathbed, as would be the case for Moab when this judgment falls upon her.

10.2.1.Those who reject the Lord and His leading all throughout their life may when they are on their deathbed not be able to reach Him and prevail. Why should the Lord listen to the desperation prayers of those who have refused to listen to Him speak to them throughout their lives?

10.2.2.Some people find God upon their deathbeds, but most who finally seek Him at that time have spent their lives hardening their heart to Him and thus aren’t able to humble themselves and come to repentance when it is the last resort. If they think to pray, their prayers aren’t sincere nor filled with faith and thus bounce of the ceiling.

10.3. The heathen thought that their gods might hear them if they prayed loud and repetitiously, and thus Isaiah writes here that the Moabites will go to their high places are weary themselves. However, as Jesus taught us in Matt. 6:7-8, the heathens pray this way in vain but we are not to pray this way, “7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.8 “Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.”

11. VS 16:13-14 - “13 This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab.14 But now the Lord speaks, saying, “Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent.”” - Isaiah tells us that the Lord had given him this prophesy earlier, but that its fulfillment would now occur within three years

11.1. This is now the third section of this chapter. In this section Isaiah tells us the date of when this prophesy is to occur, within three years of his giving the prophesy.

11.2. Many prophesies that people have given are very vague either in the specifics of what is to occur or in the timeframe for their occurrence. This is a very wise thing to do if you are a false prophet, for in that way no one will ever be able to pin you down. However, we see here that Isaiah puts his reputation on the line by declaring this.

11.2.1. I have been amazed at how many people keep bringing up the prophesies of Nostradamus when calamities have occurred, and say that a particular calamity was a fulfillment of one of his prophesies. However, because his prophesies are so vague I have never known of an incident where anyone predicted a major event in history before it happened based upon his prophesies.

11.2.2. Many people have prophesied to the day the second coming of Christ, however having done that they have subsequently lost much credibility. Isaiah knew his calling was from the Lord and knew when God spoke to him, therefore he was willing to tell with precision when this prophesy would come to pass.

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