Prophets and Kings

PROPHETS AND KINGS

LESSON 19

Day 1: Isaiah 21:1 - 22:14

1.21:1-10. We have looked at Babylon as representative of sin and evil, even the devil himself, in previous prophecies. In these verses we have another prophecy concerning Babylon that is separate from the others. Most Biblical scholars believe this to be the prophecy foretelling the literal overthrow Babylon by the Medes in 539 BC, and recorded in Daniel 5. The "Desert by the Sea" is a reference to the Persian Gulf and the nation of Babylon. Verses 1-9 are the record of the vision as Isaiah saw it, and verse 10 is his personal statement to Judah concerning this vision. As you read through this passage, note the intensity. You are welcome to read through Daniel 5, which is pretty intense itself.

Remember that Assyria is still the dominating power in the world at this time, and yet Isaiah's most intense prophecies are against Babylon. Although there are no questions on this chapter, please feel free to make note of anything here that you found to be particularly interesting or impressive.

2.21:11-12. This little prophecy is almost a hint of what is to come. It speaks of a night when someone is asking for the morning, from the direction of Seir, Edom's most prominent city. The answer isn't good: yes, the morning is coming, but also another night. We have known about Edom as Esau's descendants' settlement due east of Israel, and a constant enemy to Israel. This is a hint of Edom's destruction. No questions.

3.21:13-17. Note on Kedar: Kedar was Ishmael's second son, Genesis 25:13 and became his most powerful descendant. Kedar settled the northern Arabian Peninsula and his name became synonymous with that part of Arabia. Tema refers to a city in Northern Arabia, as does Dedan. (In Genesis 25:14 Tema is named as Ishmael's ninth son.) These two cities were along the main caravan routes to the Far East and became known for their wealth and strength. Many of Ishmael's descendants were nomadic tribes; Solomon speaks of the "tents of Kedar" in his Song of Songs 1:5.

This prophecy in Isaiah concerns that area, the northern Arabian Peninsula, predicting its destruction - and that the survivors would be few. Indeed, in 715 BC, Sargon, then King of Assyria, attacked the Northern Arabian tribes. Please read through this prophecy and note the descriptions of destruction.

Interesting Note: It is through Kedar that the Muslims trace their prophet Muhammad to Ishmael and thus to Abraham. If you do an Internet search on this passage, you will come up with all sorts of Muslim theories on how it predicts his flight from Mecca to Medina during the Battle of Badr.

4.22:1-14. Verses 1-13 are Isaiah speaking, recounting the vision that he saw. Verse 14 is a direct quote from God about the sins recounted in the vision. This oracle contrasts the siege of Jerusalem with the lifestyle of the Jews in Jerusalem, not only during the siege, but also in the time leading up to the siege. The siege referred to here is probably not just the siege by Sennacherib, during Hezekiah's reign, but also foretelling Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem during Zedekiah's reign, which was a much worse experience and ended with Judah's captivity. As you read through this, the following notes may be helpful:

a) Valley of Vision: Jerusalem, the seat of God's presence and revelations.

b) Elam: A province of Persia, located east of the Lower Tigris River. The warriors of Elam were renowned for their archery skills. Elam was subject to, as well as an ally of, Assyria when this prophecy was written. The city of Susa, from the book of Esther, is in Elam.

c) Kir: A region between the Black and Caspian Seas, around the River Kur. This was also within Assyria's control at the time of the prophecy.

d) Palace of the Forest: This was Solomon's first building project when he built his own palaces, 1st Kings 7:1-6 & 10:16-17. It became Judah's armory. It was built of cedars from the forests in Lebanon. (continued on next page.)

Read through the passage and make notes of the contrast that you find between Jerusalem's lifestyle and attitudes and the reality of this siege. Also note how God considers this from what He says in verse 14.

Note: We will be studying the siege, as recorded in 2nd Kings 18 and Isaiah 36. However the prophecies came before the siege, that's why we are going through these chapters in Isaiah before we study further in 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles.

Day 2: Isaiah 22:15-23:18

5.22:15-21. This is a personal message to Shebna, scribe and highest counselor to King Hezekiah, and yet with a prophecy for Judah included. a) First of all, what was he doing when God sent this message to him?

b) What is the message?

6.22:22-24. What else does God have to say about Eliakim? (Sounds like he will be a type of Christ, doesn't it?)

7.22:25. And yet, not even this will last in Judah. All the glory of Judah, resting on the leadership and influence of Eliakim, will fall. Although there isn't a question, please feel free to share your thoughts on this.

8.A few notes on Tyre: The ancient Phoenicians, also known as Sidonians, were a group of people who inhabited a strip of coastal land north of Israel in what is Lebanon today. Its major cities included Tripoli, Berytus (Beirut), Sidon and Tyre; of which Tyre and Sidon were the most powerful. Phoenicia was not a single state, but a collection of city-states, dominated by the most powerful cities. Tyre was the city located closest to Israel, being about 15 miles north of Palestine, and Israel's present border.

The Phoenicians founded their cities about 500 years before Abraham was called out of Ur. Tyre began as a small inland settlement with a satellite town on an island just offshore. It was soon a major sea-faring trade center and became known as "Queen of the Seas." (Sidon began as and remained a fishing center.) King Hiram, of Solomon's time, developed Tyre immensely when he filled in large areas around the coast, expanding Tyre's port capabilities, as well as filling in the sea between islets and creating a larger island city, New Tyre, offshore. Tyre expanded and founded port-cities in other countries, most notably Carthage in Northern Africa, Utica (also in Northern Africa), Tarshish in Spain, and the islands of Cyprus and Rhodes.

During the time of the Assyrian Empire, only Tyre maintained her independence. And, after Assyria fell to Babylon, Tyre was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar for 13 years without falling. It is believed that most of Tyre's inhabitants fled to the island during that siege. It was Alexander the Great who finally conquered Tyre after a seven- month siege, destroying the mainland city and using its rubble to build a causeway to the island. Then he was able to move his siege-engines to the island to destroy the walls of that city and subjugate its citizens. It is said that Alexander was so enraged at the cost of this siege and the loss some of his soldiers during the battle that he completely destroyed the island city and either killed or sold into slavery every single person in Tyre, crucifying all the men.

Tyre was known not only for her dominance of the seas, but for purple dyes, textiles, glassworks (glass was invented by the Phoenicians) and metalwork. The Phoenicians also invented the alphabet. (continued on next page.)

Tyre's gods were Astarte and Baal and, despite all of her connections to Israel, Tyre never did accept the God of Heaven, although Hiram acknowledged Him and participated in building the first Temple in Jerusalem. He had a very strong relationship with both David and Solomon but, sadly, this never went any farther than his generosity to them. Tyre was never a hostile neighbor to Israel or Judah. It was Tyre's influence of pride and materialism that was her greatest threat to God's people. Which makes God's judgements upon her somewhat different than that of Israel's other neighbors. Her prophecy is a little different as well: please read through chapter 23 and make note of what you find.

Interesting Note: Tyre was rebuilt, and appears in the New Testament. Jesus traveled through Tyre and Sidon: we remember the story of the Phoenician woman and her faith from Matthew 15:21-28. Tyre became a notable center for Christianity in the first century AD, and remained so until it fell to the Muslims in 634 AD.

9.What have you learned about God's perspective on pride and how He deals with it from today's lessons?

Days 3 & 4: Isaiah, chapters 24 - 27

10.You may or may not have noticed, but the book of Isaiah has followed a pattern of prophecy that started with Israel as a whole, then Judah, Jerusalem followed by Assyria and Babylon - their greatest enemies and the nations who would bring them into captivity. These were then followed by prophecies against the surrounding pagan nations that had troubled Israel and/or been a threat to her. In a widening of God's pronouncements, chapters 24 through 26 are believed to be a poetic prophecy of judgement upon the whole earth. Many believe this to be God's prophecy of His final judgement; indeed the phrase "In that Day…" is repeated throughout the passage - a phrase usually reserved for prophetic utterances about the final judgment. Chapter 27, starting with verse 6 and continuing to the end, is more of a prophecy against the nations who will subjugate Israel and Judah. However we will include them because Isaiah does in his poem, and this prophecy, like many others, is probably dual in its meaning.

We have seen before that "That Day" is not only a day of judgment, but also one of deliverance. Read through the passage without stopping to make notes. After you've read through it, share your impressions about:

a) the Judgment

b) the Deliverance

11.In some modern-translation study Bibles the heading for these chapters is "God's Purpose in Judgment." Read through these chapters again and share what you find to be His purpose.

12.Finally, was there something that you read in this passage that was especially encouraging or convicting to you? If so, please share.

Days 5 & 6: Isaiah, chapters 28-31

A quick overview of these chapters:

Isaiah is still receiving visions. The one we look at today starts with Ephraim, who was the second-born of Joseph and yet received the birthright blessing from Jacob, Genesis 48:1-20. From that day on there was no tribe of Joseph among the sons of Israel, but the two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim indeed became powerful and was the strongest tribe among the 10 in the Northern Kingdom. And so "Ephraim" in chapter 28 actually refers to the whole Northern Kingdom of Israel. In the same way, Isaiah's vision continues in chapter 29 with a woe to "Ariel." Ariel is another name for Jerusalem, and this oracle is against the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Chapters 30 & 31 are woes to the "obstinate children", those who form alliances with Egypt for protection. We have seen in an earlier lesson that this, too, is Judah.

Isaiah's prophecies are filled with the most beautiful revelations of Jesus Christ, which is probably one of the reasons why he is the most quoted of all Old Testament prophets in the New Testament. Each of the prophecies for today has some of these revelations, and thus they are not only oracles against the rebellious people, but appeals - filled with promised blessings - to them. You will also notice, as you read, a few references to the demise of Assyria and Lebanon, Assyria's vassal. Again, remember their perspective: Assyria was the current dominating world power.

13.Read through chapter 28 and notice the following:

a) Ephraim's sins

b) God's warnings and judgments

c) God's appeals and promises

d) Anything else you noticed that was especially interesting

14.Read through chapter 29 and notice:

a) Judah's sins

b) God's warnings and judgments

c) God's appeals and promises

d) Anything else that you noticed that was especially interesting

15.Read through chapters 30 & 31and notice:

a) Judah's sins

b) God's warnings and judgements

c) God's promises and appeals

d) Anything especially interesting that you found

Note on Topheth: This was a place in the Valley of Ben Hinnom where fire pits were dedicated to the pagan god Molech. Human sacrifices, most often children, were offered in these pits. Hezekiah's son Manasseh sacrificed some of his children to this god.

Note on the Negev: This is a reference to the desert between Palestine and Egypt. A land that was very harsh and desolate, Deuteronomy 8:15Jeremiah 2:6. The envoys referred to here are probably those of diplomatic couriers carrying either bribes for purchasing protection from Egypt or the royal treasury to Egypt for safe-keeping - both of which would have been abominable to God.

16.It is interesting that it is in these prophecies we find the details of Judah and Israel's sins. We've studied the histories of these, God's people, in the Kings and Chronicles. But it is in the books written by the prophets that we see glimpses of the sins that were so abhorrent to God. We also see His response to those sins, His determination to rid His children of them along with the hope and healing which He desires to give them. In our reading today, was there something that you learned about God, something that you can add to your life in a practical way? If so, please share.

© 2003 pjw