Isaiah 13:6-10

Rachel Workman: 6 Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—

    the time for the Almighty to destroy.
7 Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
    Every heart melts,
8     and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
    like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
    their faces aflame with fear.

9 For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
    the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
    and all the sinners destroyed with it.
10 The heavens will be black above them;
    the stars will give no light.
The sun will be dark when it rises,
    and the moon will provide no light.

I'm pretty sure this is a picture that most American's can't fathom this picture. In a time of more me than I've ever seen, it's disturbing to watch.

The city of Babylon was completely destroyed in 689 BC by Sennacherib and the Assyrian army, but it was rebuilt by Sennacherib’s son. In 539 BC, Darius the Mede captured the city, but he did not destroy it. In the centuries that followed, Babylon had its “shining moments,” but after the death of its last great conqueror, Alexander the Great, the city declined and soon was no more. Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled, for the city was not rebuilt. But it is clear that Isaiah’s prophecy describes something more significant than the ups and downs of an ancient city. The prophets often began a message by focusing on local events, but then enlarged their vision to reveal something greater. Isaiah saw in the fall of Babylon a picture of “the day of the Lord”, that time when God will pour out His wrath on the whole world.

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John Burnett:  ⁶ Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;
    as destruction from the Almighty^[a] it will come!
⁷ Therefore all hands will be feeble,
    and every human heart will melt.
⁸ They will be dismayed:
    pangs and agony will seize them;
    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.
They will look aghast at one another;
    their faces will be aflame.

⁹ Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
    and to destroy its sinners from it.
¹⁰ For the stars of the heavens and their constellations
    will not give their light;
the sun will be dark at its rising,
    and the moon will not shed its light.  This passage refers to the coming day of the LORD where God judges the people on earth for their sins.  Jesus uses the same language in Matthew 24 when He is describing the end of the age to the disciples on the Mount of Olives.  In Matthew, Jesus warns of false teachers, and then the end will come.  Isaiah prophesies about the end here as does Jesus in the passage in Matthew 24.  These verses should make us look up as the things taking place in our time now, are making these prophesy’s fulfillment, possible to be fulfilled very soon.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Isaiah 13:11-16

“I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil
    and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
    and humble the pride of the mighty.
¹² I will make people scarcer than gold—
    more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.
¹³ For I will shake the heavens.
    The earth will move from its place
when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath
    in the day of his fierce anger.”

¹⁴ Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd.
They will try to find their own people
    and flee to their own land.
¹⁵ Anyone who is captured will be cut down—
    run through with a sword.
¹⁶ Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes.
    Their homes will be sacked, and their wives will be raped.

Isaiah 13:1-5

Rachel Workman: 13 Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:

² “Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop.
    Call up an army against Babylon.
Wave your hand to encourage them
    as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
³ I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task.
    Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger,
    and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”

⁴ Hear the noise on the mountains!
    Listen, as the vast armies march!
It is the noise and shouting of many nations.
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.
⁵ They come from distant countries,
    from beyond the farthest horizons.
They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger.
    With them he will destroy the whole land.

The word Babel means “gateway to a god” and sounds like the Hebrew word balal, which means “confusion” (Gen. 10:8–10; 11:1–9). In Scripture, Babylon symbolizes the world system man has built in defiance of God. Jerusalem and Babylon are contrasting cities: One is the chosen city of God, the other the wicked city of man. The city of God will last forever, but the rebellious city of man will ultimately be destroyed (Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17–18). God is sovereign. He is able to call any army He desires, to accomplish any task He assigns. He can summon them with a whistle (7:18) or by using leaders to raise a banner, shout, and beckon to the soldiers (13:2). In this case, God is mustering the army of the Medes (v. 17; 21:2), and He calls them “my sanctified ones.” Even though they did not believe in Jehovah God, the Medes were set apart by God to do His holy work.

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John Burnett:  13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

² On a bare hill raise a signal;
    cry aloud to them;
wave the hand for them to enter
    the gates of the nobles.
³ I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,
    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,
    my proudly exulting ones.^[a]

⁴ The sound of a tumult is on the mountains
    as of a great multitude!
The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,
    of nations gathering together!
The Lord of hosts is mustering
    a host for battle.
⁵ They come from a distant land,
    from the end of the heavens,
the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,
    to destroy the whole land.^[b]  

Babylon was going to be judged for what it was going to do to Israel.  This is a foreshadowing of what will happen in the future to Mystery Babylon, which many believe to be the coming one world religion that the Pope is currently organizing, and the New World Order government run by Antichrist.  The New World Order will come against Israel but Jesus Christ himself will destroy them with words from His Mouth.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Isaiah 13:6-10

⁶ Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
    the time for the Almighty to destroy.
⁷ Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
    Every heart melts,
⁸     and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
    like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
    their faces aflame with fear.

Isaiah 12:1-6

Rachel Workman: In that day you will sing:
    “I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
    Now you comfort me.
² See, God has come to save me.
    I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
    he has given me victory.”
³ With joy you will drink deeply
    from the fountain of salvation!
⁴ In that wonderful day you will sing:
    “Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
    Let them know how mighty he is!
⁵ Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
    Make known his praise around the world.
⁶ Let all the people of Jerusalem^[a] shout his praise with joy!
    For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

Isaiah’s name means “Jehovah is salvation,” and “salvation” is a key theme in this song. “In that day” refers to the day of Israel’s regathering and reunion and the righteous reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Jewish remnant will have come through the time of tribulation on earth (“the time of Jacob’s trouble,” Jer. 30:7), seen their Messiah, repented, and received Him by faith (Zech. 12:10–13:1; 14:4–11).  Cleansed and established in their promised kingdom, the nation will praise the Lord and extol Him among the Gentiles.

The Lord will never forsake His people. No matter how difficult the days may be, or how long the nights, for the people of God, the best is yet to come. To me this is very comforting.

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John Burnett:  12 You^[a] will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
    for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
    that you might comfort me.  Mercy is God’s greatest attribute in my opinion.  With His mercy being shown to us, we would all be going to hell for the sins we have committed.

² “Behold, God is my salvation;
    I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God^[b] is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation.”  God saves through grace alone, by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.  There is no ailse we can walk, prayer we can pray, or deed we can do to deserve this salvation.  It is all God’s doing.  By His grace, He shows us mercy and gives us a saving faith.

³ With joy you^[c] will draw water from the wells of salvation. ⁴ And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
    proclaim that his name is exalted.  He is the only God worthy of our praise.

⁵ “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
    let this be made known^[d] in all the earth.
⁶ Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
    for great in your^[e] midst is the Holy One of Israel.”  Israel has lots to be thankful for as it is now back in the promised land and God is blessing them with riches like no other nation. 

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Tomorrow’s reading for Isaiah 13:1-5

13 Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:

² “Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop.
    Call up an army against Babylon.
Wave your hand to encourage them
    as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
³ I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task.
    Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger,
    and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”

⁴ Hear the noise on the mountains!
    Listen, as the vast armies march!
It is the noise and shouting of many nations.
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.
⁵ They come from distant countries,
    from beyond the farthest horizons.
They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger.
    With them he will destroy the whole land.