DBG - August 3 - Isaiah 19-23

In this chapter we see the destruction of Egypt.

vs. 1-15 – Why was Egypt not the focus of Chapter 18?  The reason is because they were ruled by a non-Egyptian pharaoh at that time.  That is in part a fulfillment of what we read here.  Egypt was very divided in the centuries after Isaiah.  They would have rulers over the north and rulers of the south.  They would have Egyptian pharaohs and foreign pharaohs.  Sometimes all at the same time!  The 25^th Dynasty had Ethiopian (Nubian) rulers.  The 26^th Dynasty that briefly overlapped it had Egyptian rulers.  The 27^th Dynasty contains the foreign rulers of Persia.  The 28^th, 29^th, and 30^th Dynasties were short lived independent, local rulers until Persia reconquered them, setting up their rulers as the 31^st Dynasty.  The 32^nd Dynasty was created by Alexander the Great,  establishing Greek rule over Egypt.  The 33^rd Dynasty is the Greek Ptolemies who ruled until Rome absorbed  Egypt in 30 B.C.  I’ll stop boring you with their history at that point.  Which ruler is the “cruel lord” of vs. 4 is debated because there are many worthy choices.  The failure of Egyptian leadership and its effects is described in vs. 5-15.

vs. 16-25 – This section jumps to the End Times with many descriptions of what occurs “in that day”.  The ancient roles are reversed as Israel is the great power and Egypt the weak slaves.  God will deliver Egypt from their bondage (to the Antichrist?) and they will in thankfulness turn to Him and worship Him.  Assyria and Egypt, those two ancient rivals and persecutors of Israel, become allies with Israel in the Millennial Kingdom.

In this chapter the soon defeat of Egypt and Ethiopia is seen in an object lesson.

vs. 1-6 – In 713 B.C. the Philistine city of Ashdod rebelled against Assyria. Sargon II of Assyria sent his army (under Tartan, which is either a name or rank) against it and subjugated it.  It rebelled again in 712 B.C. and was again subjugated.  Which of these is the setting of this chapter has little consequence.  Isaiah is to walk about without his garment of sackcloth or shoes to represent the downfall of Egypt and Ethiopia.  He is described as “naked”, but he was not completely unclothed.  Matthew Poole describes him as “not wholly naked, which had been indecent and scandalous, and withal very dangerous, at least to do so for three years, as he did, Isaiah 20:3; but without his upper garment, as slaves and prisoners used to do, whose posture he was to represent, Isaiah 20:4.”  This object lesson was not meant for Egypt or Ethiopia, who did indeed fall to Esarhaddon and the Assyrians in 680 B.C., but to the people of Judah who hoped to form an alliance with them against Assyria. 

In this chapter we have prophecies against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia.

vs. 1-10 – The “desert of the sea” refers to the plains of Babylon.  The union of Elamites (Persia) and the Medes are identified as the instruments of Babylon’s destruction, when Cyrus the Great captured Babylon in 539 B.C.  The astonishing fall of the mighty capital is pictured in great detail.  The princes are feasting as a watchman sees the enemy at the gates.  He reports on chariots of messengers that say the empire has fallen.  He tells also of “a lion”, probably describing the fierceness of Cyrus.  Jeremiah 51:31-33 largely repeats the information in vs. 8-10.

vs. 11-12 – Dumah is Edom because of the mention of Mount Seir. It is created by dropping the first letter from Edom.  It means “silence” and is a play on words to describe the desolation of the kingdom.  The report of the watchmen in the darkness of judgment is that days of brightness will return but also darkness of night.  The idea is that they cannot escape judgment to come.  The Babylonians destroyed Edom, driving the survivors northwest where they settled in southern Judah.  The region became known as Idumea to the Greeks and Romans.

vs. 13-17 – This passage speaks of the judgment against the nomadic tribes of Arabia.  This is believed to have been accomplished shortly after this prophecy by the Assyrians under Sargon II.

In this chapter the coming siege of Jerusalem is described.

vs. 1-4 – The “valley of vision” refers to Jerusalem, which is surrounded by valleys and home to the prophets.  Jerusalem is seen as a bustling city that is now under siege.  People die not in battle but because of starvation and other effects of the siege.  The elites have abandoned them to only be caught.  It is a heartbreaking sight.  The particular siege this refers to is debated.  It seems to refer best to the Assyrian siege in 701 B.C.  Others say it is the Babylonian Siege in 586 B.C. or a combination of the two.  Still others think it may even contain hints at a siege during the Tribulation period.

vs. 5-7 – The destruction of the city and the besieging army is seen.  The army has Persians (Elam) and Medes (Kir) in it, but this is not under the Medo-Persian empire. 

vs. 8-14 – The hasty preparations for defense are seen as Jerusalem is caught unprepared.  They hasten to seal holes in the walls.  They look to the Pool of Siloam to supply water.  Houses are destroyed to get material to build defenses.  Water is drained from the old pool outside the walls into a makeshift cistern.  All of these preparations by human hand yet none lifted their hearts toward God.  God wanted them to repent and turn to Him, instead they reveled in their lusts because they thought they would die.

vs. 15-25 – The prideful Shebna (“vigor”) is removed from his office as treasurer under Hezekiah. Eliakim (“raised by God”) replaces him.  Eliakim is mentioned also in II Kings 18:18,26,37 and Isaiah 36:3.

In this chapter we see the destruction of Tyre described.

vs. 1-5 – Tyre was one of the great cities of the ancient Phoenicians who ruled the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.  Zidon is another nearby Phoenician city.  Here is described the reaction as the news spreads over the sea waves of its fall.  Tarshish is believed to be Spain.  Chittim is Cyprus and is the “isle” of vs. 2.  Sihor is in Egypt.

vs. 6-14 – The destruction of Tyre is further described as judgment by the hand of God.  Babylon is identified as the one that destroyed Tyre.  Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city in 586 B.C. and after 13 years it finally capitulated.  The siege and its effects greatly diminished the once-thriving city.

vs. 15-17 – Tyre is restored to its former glory after 70 years as the Persians employed them in shipbuilding.  That period of desolation seems to mirror the 70-year captivity of the Jews.

vs. 18 – This final verse has only one plausible correlation to history that I am aware of.  It speaks of the wealth of Tyre being dedicated to God.  The official currency used in the Second Temple was the Tyrian shekel or tetradrachm.  These silver coins were what the money changers converted other currency into for use in the Temple.  These coins were chosen because the rabbis declared them the correct size and purity while also disregarding the pagan imagery on them.  If this does not refer to these coins, this must be something related to the Millennial Kingdom.

One of the greatest challenges I have had is determining how much of these prophecies were fulfilled in history and which will be fulfilled in the End Times.  Sometimes the distinction is not clear.  I am not joking when I say that often every commentary I reference says something different about a passage or detail.  I have done my best to sort through it all, but at the end of the day I can only marvel at the greatness of God’s Word.  Whether it was fulfilled 2,700 years ago or will yet be fulfilled, the remarkable accuracy of these prophecies astound me.  I have loved every hour of study that has gone into this section. 

Our hymn today is “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night”, written in 1825 by John Bowring.  It takes the language of 21:11-12 but turns it from being about judgment instead to the birth of Christ.

Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o’er yon mountain’s height,
See that glory beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray
Aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes—it brings the day,
Promised day of Israel.

Watchman, tell us of the night;
Higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light,
Peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own;
See, it bursts o’er all the earth.

Watchman, tell us of the night,
For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, darkness takes its flight,
Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, let thy wanderings cease;
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveler, lo! the Prince of Peace,
Lo! the Son of God is come!