Isaiah 21:1-5
Once again Isaiah talks of Babylon before it was even a force to be reckoned with. The Wilderness of the Sea may refer to the southern part of the kingdom at the river marshes or it may refer to the desert. This vision, or burden, came to Isaiah in some fashion, like the whirlwinds through the desert. The treacherous dealer and plunderer are poetic lines:
- The treacherous dealer deals treacherously is 'boged boged'.
- The plunderer plunders is 'soded soded'
This conveys the political mess at the time; of allegiances, broken trust and switched allegiance. The people you trusted yesterday to deliver you were now your plunderer. Elam will become Persia and the Medes will join them to become a coalition that defeats Babylon in 539 B.C.
The clarity and intensity of the vision must have overwhelmed Isaiah's senses. The night Isaiah longed for may be the destruction of this ungodly nations, a deliverance. But the vision of the deliverance was a horrendous site of death and destruction, of wasted life. The picture Isaiah offers in verse 5 appears to be Belshazzar's feast of Daniel 5 where they post a watchman because they aren't worried; and proceed to have a party.
Isaiah calls for the princes to wake up, prepare for battle.
Isaiah 21:6-7
The function of the watchman was to look for trouble. This was Isaiah's function as a spiritual watchman. He calls for them to set a watch. It was the watchman's job to be constantly alert and reporting what he saw. His report from the wall was riders on horses, donkey's and camels. This may have been an army coming, but seems more of a description of those running from destruction. If so, the watchman missed the attack and has only seen the aftermath.
Isaiah 21:8-10
Other translations drop "A Lion" and read "My Lord, I stand continually….." The Hebrew says, "A lion". The watchman spots an a chariot declaring, "Babylon has fallen, has fallen". The same phrase shows up just like this in Revelation.
When the kings of Babylon conquered nations they brought the foreign gods to their god to show the foreign gods were now in subjection to theirs. They honored these gods for fear of angering them. The carved images, all the gods of the conquered nations would not slow or prevent their demise. Their worldview of idolatry was broken to the ground just like their city. No other gods would be honored or respected. Yahwey would have them broken down to rubble. This thrashing is seen in the great tribulation. It represents the violence that is coming when the good is separated from the bad. Isaiah is clear that he is just repeating the words given to him by God.
Isaiah 21:11-12
The term 'dumah' in the Hebrew (used in Ps 115:17; 94:17) refers to the silence of the underworld. Dumah is the silence of the grave; too late to speak regarding anything. Here it seems to be referring to a place in Edom, or it is used as a wordplay meaning Edom.
The inquiry came from Edom, from Seir, a mountain range in Edom. Edom was in the dark place as Assyria was crushing them. The inquirer asked about the darkness, the coming judgment. The repetition of the questions accentuates the trouble he feels. Isaiah's response is cryptic. They were in the nighttime of judgment, the morning was coming, but also the night. It appears relief is in sight, but more darkness on the horizon. This may be a brief respite from Assyrian oppression before the onslaught of Babylonian rule.
The final lines of verse twelve convey to the inquirer that it is appropriate to ask, even though a more specific answer is not available. It is essentially an encouragement to 'hang in there'.
Isaiah 21:13-17
Isaiah delivers a prophecy against Arabia. He sees the refugees of this attack fleeing and looking for refuge. The Dedananites, descendants of Abraham, are seen in Tema, along the escape route from a northern attack.
Water and bread would be needed to support them as they hide in Arabia; refugees of the war. As sure as a contract of 1 year, the pomp of Kedar will come to an end. Kedar was the second son of Ishmael. It's synonymous as Ishmaelites. Kedar is a tribe that is somewhere in the Kuwait area. Saddam Hussein came from Kedar, but more importantly Muhammad comes from Kedar, thus Islam.
©2018 Doug Ford
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