Babylon falls, the LORD is exhaulted
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Good morning
We’ve been following Isaiah as the LORD proclaims Comfort and salvation to His people exiled in a foreign land.
Before we jump in today; (give big picture reminder)
We have been covering bigger sections of text than may be what is considered normal for a sermon.
But I hope you’ve been seeing that this is ongoing conversations/events that are being unfolded in a progression through-out these chapters in Isaiah.
What we cover today IS one ‘scene’ if you will, shown through comparing and contrasting, through conversations with directed to different groups, yet all pointing to same direction.
It is a very descriptive text, and we aren’t trying to look at all the details fully. Our goal is to hear bigger picture of God’s comfort for His people, the power of His salvation, the work of His hand, the Good News for all who will hear.
We encourage you to spend time through the week digging deeper into the text; pulling out those precious treasures the LORD gives us in His Word.
So, let’s dive into today’s text.
We ended last week hearing the LORD say;
“Turn to Me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other”
“To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.”
with a joyous response of praise …
“Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength;”
The LORD has proclaimed Comfort for His people, the Good News of His salvation.
We’ve heard repeated the LORD has done this. He uses a pagan king, one who doesn’t even know Him, to do this, but it is the LORD who does it.
And we’ve heard repeated there is none like YHWH, no other which can tell of the things of old, of now, nor what will come. There is no other who can save; besides Him there is no savior.
He’s done this, in His way, to make His name known and proclaimed through all the nations.
We have heard of the LORD’s using Cyrus, the Persian king, to free His people from the oppression of Babylon. And not only to set them free through the conquering of their captors, but Cyrus will also send the people of Israel home and provide for the rebuilding of the wall, the cities, and the Temple. And we’ve heard the beginning threads of the coming promised Messiah.
Today’s text begins with hearing the fuller judgement of Babylon and the Chaldeans; the oppressors of the LORD’s people.
Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts.
They stoop; they bow down together;
they cannot save the burden,
but themselves go into captivity.
(Bel bows down, Nebo stoop)
‘stage direction’; what can be seen as the hand of God moves through Cyrus and the Persians against Babylon.
Bel and Nebo; their ‘gods’
Bel - Baal - Marduk = chief god of the Babylonian kingdom
main temple in Babylon (city)
Nebo - god of science and determining destinies
(OT) associated with the name of Nebuchadnezzar, 2nd king of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylonia
Marduk’s son; became known as Hermes-Mercury
main temple in Borsippa (near Babylon)
irony - the clay Cyrus cylinder found in Babylon names these two as Cyrus’ ‘guardian gods’
That’s a little background, now onto what see in the text.
notice the action words in the text
“every knee will bow”
their ‘gods’ bow down and stoop
they are a burden which must be carried by beasts and livestock
they weary their worshipers who stoop and bow down to what cannot save
instead of salvation they only find captivity
A bleak vision of useless burdensome gods and people hopelessly wandering in the dark!
Then the LORD shows the contrast of the True One God.
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
(YHWH made, bears, carries, and saves)
instead of you carrying a useless burden, worshipping and relying on what was born to be a burden,
the One and Only true God has …
borne (formed) you
carried you from before birth and through death
YHWH, the true and only God, is a stark contrast to their false ‘gods’
Bel and Nebo, bow down, create a burden, do nothing, and lead to captivity
YHWH - creates, bears, carries, and saves
“listen, o house of Jacob”
“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be alike?
Those who lavish gold from the purse,
and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
then they fall down and worship!
They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
or save him from his trouble.
(To whom will you liken, make equal, or compare to the LORD?)
after that contrast, we again are asked; To whom will you liken, make equal, or compare to YHWH?
He says; Look at their foolishness!
spend their gold and silver (which YHWH created), to hire a workman (which YHWH gave skill), to make a god of their choosing/design
THEN they fall down and worship that thing!!!
not only that, they lift it and carry it (for it cannot walk or move on its own)
give it an honored place in their homes and cities
AND THEN IT JUST SITS THERE!
and when you cry out to it, it does nothing
Again the LORD provides contrast.
“Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.
(Remember and stand firm)
we were first told to Listen; now we’re told to Remember and Stand Firm
we heard/saw the useless false gods of the nations. Now we hear/remember the true God
I am God, there is no other, there is none like me
He declares the beginning and the end; BEFORE it comes to be
His word stands, His purpose accomplished
calls birds of prey, man from afar
speaks and brings it to pass
Unlike the non-living, non-moving, non-speaking idols; the LORD plans, speaks, and acts exactly as He says He will.
What comfort that truth is for those who trust in the LORD God, Creator of the heavens and the earth!
But people who have been living in darkness struggle with trusting Him.
So again He says ‘Listen”
“Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:
I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
and my salvation will not delay;
I will put salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.”
(Listen)
Listen
I am the LORD
I WILL do as I have said
not far away or delayed, His salvation and glory have come
“Comfort, comfort for My people”
After assuring us of His might and faithfulness, and the judgement of the gods of Babylon, the LORD speaks now of the judgement of Babylon and Chaldea.
Come down and sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no more be called
tender and delicate.
Take the millstones and grind flour,
put off your veil,
strip off your robe, uncover your legs,
pass through the rivers.
Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
and your disgrace shall be seen.
I will take vengeance,
and I will spare no one.
Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—
is the Holy One of Israel.
(from the throne to the dust)
daughter of Babylon; of the Chaldeans
personified cities of power; seat of their empire
they’re driven from their rule and comfort and false assurance
FROM securely sitting elevated on their thrones, dressed in fine robes, veiled from the people, being called ‘tender and delicate’,
TO sitting in the dirt grinding flour, stripped to ‘working clothes’, uncovered before the people, now open to the ridicule of their disgrace
And it is the Holy One of Israel, the LORD of hosts, our Redeemer who does this.
this is the LORD’s judgement and wrath, not the might of the Persians or the righteousness or power of Israel
The LORD continues to declare their condemnation
Sit in silence, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans;
for you shall no more be called
the mistress of kingdoms.
I was angry with my people;
I profaned my heritage;
I gave them into your hand;
you showed them no mercy;
on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
You said, “I shall be mistress forever,”
so that you did not lay these things to heart
or remember their end.
(Sit in silence, go into darkness)
key here is ‘into darkness’
this is imagery of eternal judgement
‘in silence’ = no ‘leg to stand on’, no protest of injustice, no more time to plead your case
But why such the harsh judgement?
First, Israel was in the condition they were in because of their choices to not obey the LORD God
their sin led to God’s anger and actions
simply, they were in exile, not because of Babylon’s might, but because of the LORD’s hand
But Babylon/Chaldea’s judgement is NOT because of Israel’s actions, NOR because of the LORD’s actions concerning Israel.
Their judgement was because of their choices on the treatment of those exiled.
showed no mercy
put EXCEEDINGLY heavy yokes upon them; even on the aged
And their charge is increased because their harsh treatment of the people was motivated by a false sense of security in power.
(if none are above me, to whom am I accountable!?!)
Because of their heartlessness and arrogance, the LORD says …
Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,
who sit securely,
who say in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow
or know the loss of children”:
These two things shall come to you
in a moment, in one day;
the loss of children and widowhood
shall come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries
and the great power of your enchantments.
(Judgement has come)
the heart of the charges against Babylon and Chaldea is now revealed in clearer way
blasphemy “I am, and there is no one besides me”
what treacherous heights power can elevate one’s mind; we see this claim of ‘deity’ from many ancient cultures
what false assurance one is deceived by
They claim they will never lose their position, might, or legacy
yet the LORD says BOTH will happen. IN ONE DAY!
and this ‘in spite of your many sorceries and … enchantments.’
We read further …
You felt secure in your wickedness;
you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
But evil shall come upon you,
which you will not know how to charm away;
disaster shall fall upon you,
for which you will not be able to atone;
and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
of which you know nothing.
(Security lost)
first we hear the sin blasphemous claim, now we hear the other part
“No one sees me”
this is a lie that ‘leads you astray’
But the LORD says
evil and disaster will come suddenly
you won’t see it coming nor be able to do anything about it
“your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray”
And almost saying ‘but if you want to try …’; the LORD says …
Stand fast in your enchantments
and your many sorceries,
with which you have labored from your youth;
perhaps you may be able to succeed;
perhaps you may inspire terror.
You are wearied with your many counsels;
let them stand forth and save you,
those who divide the heavens,
who gaze at the stars,
who at the new moons make known
what shall come upon you.
(To what will you hold? Who’s counsel will you trust?)
you could hold to these lies (enchantments, sorceries, man’s labor)
MAYBE (hahaha) save you
you rely on man’s counsel (wisdom and understanding)
MAYBE they can help you?
divide the heaven, gaze at stars, guess by the new moon (mysticism, astrology, divination)
But almost before they can dwell on the hollowness of their false thinking and pride, the LORD speaks bluntly …
Behold, they are like stubble;
the fire consumes them;
they cannot deliver themselves
from the power of the flame.
No coal for warming oneself is this,
no fire to sit before!
Such to you are those with whom you have labored,
who have done business with you from your youth;
they wander about, each in his own direction;
there is no one to save you.
(There is no one to save you)
these, these on which you rely, they are …
stubble consumed by fire
powerless to escape themselves, let alone deliver any one else
“you hitched your wagon to the wrong horse”
when judgement/trouble/disaster come, they will all run away
And this fire …
this consuming fire is no ordinary fire!
there is no one to save you
We can heed the warning of their arrogance and false assurance.
We can think “yeah, God, punish/destroy those pagans who oppress Your people and reject You”
But before we celebrate the judgement of Babylon too quickly, let’s hear the words of the LORD
Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel,
and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the Lord
and confess the God of Israel,
but not in truth or right.
For they call themselves after the holy city,
and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
the Lord of hosts is his name.
(but not in truth or right)
Hear … O house of Jacob
called by the name of Israel
came from Judah
swear by the name of the LORD (allegiance)
‘stay’ / rely on / trust in
“but not in truth or right”
???? isn’t this Israel? God’s people?
they claim the LORD, identify as His people, call on His hand of provision and protection, …
yet they act wickedly, trusting in and calling out to false gods of the nations
They are Israel, the people of YHWH, BUT they haven’t been living like it
So turning to those He has called by name, even though they have acted faithlessly, the LORD continues …
“The former things I declared of old;
they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Because I know that you are obstinate,
and your neck is an iron sinew
and your forehead brass,
I declared them to you from of old,
before they came to pass I announced them to you,
lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,
my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’
(Iron necks and brass foreheads)
because you are a stiff-necked, hard-headed people
I told you long ago what would happen
then I did what I said
I told you ahead of time because you are so stubborn and prideful, you would think you or your created idol accomplished this blessing
“You have heard; now see all this;
and will you not declare it?
From this time forth I announce to you new things,
hidden things that you have not known.
They are created now, not long ago;
before today you have never heard of them,
lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
You have never heard, you have never known,
from of old your ear has not been opened.
For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,
and that from before birth you were called a rebel.
(Will you not declare it?)
you’ve heard what the LORD has said
you’ve seen what the LORD has done
WILL YOU NOT TESTIFY TO IT? WILL YOU NOT DECLARE IT TO THE WORLD?
Now hear this …
the LORD is doing something NEW
something they haven’t heard nor known
the ‘hit’ we need to hear in this
even if the LORD would have laid it out clearly, they still would have rebelled
the depravity of man’s heart while enslaved to sin
We heard the judgement of Bel and Babylon, but how does the LORD deal with the people called by His name?
“For my name’s sake I defer my anger;
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.
(For My name’s sake My glory I will not give to another)
For MY name’s sake … (says this twice here)
deferred His anger
did not cut them off
refined them
not as silver
the furnace of affliction
Why would God preserve them?
think back to Moses’ pleas with the LORD when Israel was being rebellious in the wilderness
he pleaded “do not destroy them. what will the nations say; ‘He rescued them only to destroy them’
The LORD deferred His anger for His name’s sake then, and now is the same reason …
“My glory I will not give to another”
no other people, nation, or false god will take what rightly belongs to YHWH the One and Only Creator, Sovereign God.
So, He says to them …
“Listen to me, O Jacob,
and Israel, whom I called!
I am he; I am the first,
and I am the last.
My hand laid the foundation of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I call to them,
they stand forth together.
(I AM He)
I AM HE…
First and Last
Creator
Sovereign
the LORD calls and they assemble
obedience
So, He continues …
“Assemble, all of you, and listen!
Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him;
he shall perform his purpose on Babylon,
and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
I, even I, have spoken and called him;
I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way.
Draw near to me, hear this:
from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
from the time it came to be I have been there.”
And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.
Assemble … Draw near … Listen!
we get a recap of what the LORD has said and what He WILL do
according to His purpose
Draw near … hear!
the LORD has NOT spoken in secret, but proclaimed His plans from the beginning
the LORD is not far, nor has He forsaken, but He is and has always been there
and the LORD has sent His messenger to proclaim it
Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you to profit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!
Then your peace would have been like a river,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;
your offspring would have been like the sand,
and your descendants like its grains;
their name would never be cut off
or destroyed from before me.”
(I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.)
Thus says the LORD
I am the LORD your God
who teaches and leads for your benefit/profit
if the LORD’s leading and teaching is profitable, what happened?
v18 “oh that you had paid attention to My commandments!”
they rested on their own knowledge, understanding, and wisdom
they relied on their own desires and thinking instead of listening to the LORD.
had they listened they would have peace and righteousness, they would have flourished and not been cut off or destroyed
Oh, that we would pay attention to the LORD’s command in our lives today!
So the LORD tells them …
Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea,
declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it,
send it out to the end of the earth;
say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow for them from the rock;
he split the rock and the water gushed out.
“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
(The LORD is faithful)
Go out from them (go out from the world)
NOT IN SECRET; not sneaking away, worried of being caught or punished for escaping
The LORD has redeemed!
declare this / shout it with joy from the mountain tops and to the ends of the earth
this is not a secret exodus, this is a triumphal exit going home.
Assurance?
didn’t the LORD protect and provide for His people before?
key : to those who were faithful
for this peace is NOT for the wicked
this is for those who call upon the name of the LORD, who repent from trusting in their own wisdom or the shallow power of kings or the emptiness of idols
We continue hearing this announcement of YHWH through His servant …
Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”
(the Servant of the LORD)
listen!
speaking to the nations
the servant of the LORD
called and named from the womb
who’s words are like a sharp sword
(Moses or Jesus???)
a servant purposed to proclaim freedom for the captives, one who would bring glory to God
“I have labored in vain”
Israel came out of bondage in Egypt, delivered to the Promised Land, yet here they are again in exile in a foreign nation being led by a pagan king
it would be easy to feel like your work was in vain
BUT, in spite of man’s faithlessness, the servant of the LORD …
trusts in Him; being led/guided by the LORD
trusting in Him for the fruit/recompense/reward/benefit
the Servant of the LORD continues …
And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
(blank)
and YHWH, who is my strength, says …
(turned to Cyrus??)
too light a thing
this whole plan for the LORD is but a light thing to accomplish
(this in contrast to the effort put into the inactive false gods of the nations)
through the actions of the LORD, His servant will become as a light for the nations
proclaiming to the nations it is the LORD Almighty, Creator who has done this
and they will see and proclaim that YHWH is truly God
and He will be glorified to the ends of the earth
the LORD has done this
So, …
Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
(Kings and princes shall prostrate themselves)
thus says the LORD
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, servant of rulers
could be Israel, but more likely a foreshadowing of the Messiah, of whom we will hear “was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,”
because of the LORD, the kings and princes of this world will prostrate themselves before His Servant
Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
Behold, these shall come from afar,
and behold, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.”
(the LORD has answered and helped you)
time of favor - the LORD’s timing is perfect; “at just the right time …”
“I have helped you”
keep you
make a covenant with you
establish you
set you free from darkness
provide for you (physically and spiritually)
guide you
Come out, Appear!
In the light of His mighty and gracious hand, in light of His love and salvation for His people,
the people lift up shouts of praise …
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.
(leave verse slide)
the LORD has comforted His people!!
and has compassion on His afflicted.
conclusion ?
prayer