September 21, Isaiah 14
The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have
planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed,
so shall it stand." - Isaiah 14:24
By the time we reach mature adulthood, we
have learned that our plans are tentative and
our purposes must be somewhat flexible to
accommodate the unforeseen obstacles. We
accept it as part of life. We need flexibility to
deal with other people and events beyond our
control.
Only God can make, mean and carry out a
statement like our text verse for Chapter 24. But
God is the sovereign ruler over all things and
people. He turns the hearts of kings, even
enemy ones, to do his will. Mighty armies may
be under the command of some general, but
ultimately their military power is at the direction
and control of God.
Because God is sovereign over all, his will
cannot be thwarted. He has the power to
accomplish any purpose. This chapter reveals
more about Babylon, and also addresses
Assyria and Philistia. These perennial enemies
of God's people were alike in their haughty pride and ungodliness. God would use them for his purposes, and then he would take them down never to rise again.
God judged the Babylonians because of their
pride. They had gloated over laying the nations
around them low. Now they themselves would
be cut down to the ground. Babylonian kings
aspired to ascend to the heavens and make
themselves like the Most High God. But they
were on their way to the pits of Sheol (the realm
of the dead). Their contemporaries would see
their ruin and wonder at how such mighty ones
could fall. Isaiah used a haunting image to
describe their abasement in death — the fallen
kings of the past would welcome them and taunt the once mighty Babylonians now that they were as weak and undone as the rest of the
fallen wicked in the grave. But the Babylonians
would not even have the dignity of a decent
burial as punishment for their violent abuse of
people the LORD had given into their hands.
The same sort of fall would bring Assyria down.
Fierce, brutal Assyria would collapse into death
and ruin when God so purposed it to happen.
God would break them and trample them under
foot after they fulfilled his purpose for them.
Cruel Philistia would also fall, but God's people
would return and find a refuge in Zion or
Jerusalem.
I believe this refuge or rest for Israelites of the
faithful remnant was finally realized in Christ.
God is unchanging. He hated a proud look in
Old Testament days and he still rejects those
who exalt themselves today. Our hearts need to
heed the Lord's call to humble and deny
ourselves in genuine submission to him. It is in
our own best interest to learn from the tragic
examples of once mighty Babylon, hateful
Assyria and cruel Philistia. We will not be the
exception to the warning that Ged rejects the
proud and humbles them. We can confidently
trust and wait on the Lord. He will keep his
promise to exalt the humble. It's easier to
humble ourselves when we trust God and trust
his promises. We must trust his perfect
judgment and his perfect timing. God is still in
control of this world, as surely as he was in the
days when these kingdoms rose and fell by his
power and control. Does that submissive
respect for Ged's will color everything about our
lives? Do we resist the Lord’s will about any
area of our lives? If we understand why these
nations fell, we ought to be able to apply the
lesson to our own lives.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—September 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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