by Larry Ferrell | March 16, 2018
From Philistia to the west of Judah we now pass to Moab in the east, beyond the Dead Sea. The general background is the same, although this time no specific date is given. According to Assyrian records Moab was another nation which was invited to join the revolt in 715 BC. The implication of this oracle is that it did, and suffered the same fate as Philistia. The three years of verse 14 probably refers to the length of the revolt, from its inception until it was finally crushed by Sargon.

The lament (15:1-9): There is a crescendo of horror in this lament, from wailing (vv. 1-4) to flight (vv. 5-8) to death (v.9). Verse 9 is clearly climatic. Here the place name Dibon, which first occurs in verse2, is changed to Dimon to echo dam, the Hebrew word for blood. This is the ultimate horror, to which the wailing and the flight are despairing, futile responses: bloody slaughter from which there is no escape. Those who manage to evade the sword will be devoured by wild beasts. Running away will prove, in the end to be as futile as remaining. The tone of this lament is a lot different from that of 14:3-23, an important reminder that it is possible to rejoice at God’s victory over evil without taking pleasure in the death of any individual or nation. Moab was a nation with close ancestral ties with Israel. In this lament, delivered by Isaiah as the Lord’s mouthpiece, we see God executing judgment with tears in his eyes. It should remind us sharply that there is no conflict between loving people and warning them of judgment to come; the one is a necessary consequence of the other.

The appeal (16:1-5): The appeal itself is in verses 3-5; the preceding two verses give the background to it. The gifts of verse 1 are intended to encourage a favorable response, and are presumably sent by the fugitives of 15:9 or their representatives. The helpless women of verse 2 epitomize the defenseless, panic-stricken state of the refugees as a whole. The long range background is hinted at by the reference to the house of David in verse 5, at the very climax of the appeal. By seeking shelter in the house of David these Moabite refugees acknowledge that their only hope is in Israel’s God, who’s chosen king rules in Zion. That hope has both an immediate and long-term aspect. What they hope for immediately is shelter from the oppressor who is presently ravaging their homeland (vv. 3-4a). What they hope for in the long term (presumably for their descendants) is a share in the ideal situation to emerge in the future when an ideal king reigns in Judah (vv. 4b-5). This appeal then has a messianic ring to it, and what the Moabites do here anticipates what people of all nations will finally do, as foreseen in chapter 2:2-4.

The reflection (16:6-11): In verses 6-7 Isaiah speaks on behalf of all his countrymen (we have heard); in verses 8-11 he speaks for himself alone (I weep, 9a). Verses 6-7 are a reflection on the pride of Moab; verses 8-11 are a lament over her because of the ruin to which she has come. Just how Moab’s famed pride and arrogance was expressed we don’t know. She certainly was not in a position to dominate other nations as some could. Perhaps her pride was tied up with her agricultural wealth, as verses 8-11 suggest. In any case verse 6 is a reminder that the spirit of Babel is not confined to the giants of this world. Moab was just as infected with it as Assyria and Babylon, and it is this for which she is judged. In a moment Moab has plunged from the heights of proud boasting to the depths of utter destitution. It’s a lesson from history, a foretaste of that terrible day of the Lord which will finally come upon all the proud (2:12-21). All nations will find security only as they align themselves, at last, with the God who rules in Zion. The same principle of course, still holds true today. The saints will reign with Christ! How foolish then for us, as His people, to seek security in the things the world worships as its gods.

Isaiah 15:1-16:14 Reflection Questions:
What were Moab’s close ancestral ties with Israel?
What are some of the things the world worships as its gods?
What are you putting your security in? What are you proud of?
What does Jesus say about the proud?

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