Isaiah 15:1, 5-9 - Moab Bites

Isaiah 15:1, 5-9 NIV

A prophecy against Moab:

Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night!

My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction. The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left. So the wealth they have acquired and stored up they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars. Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab; their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim, their lamentation as far as Beer Elim. The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring still more upon Dimon — a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon those who remain in the land.

Isaiah 16:1-6, 12-14 NIV

Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of Daughter Zion. Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon. “Make up your mind,” Moab says. “Render a decision. Make your shadow like night— at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.”

The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it— one from the house of David— one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

We have heard of Moab’s pride— how great is her arrogance!— of her conceit, her pride and her insolence; but her boasts are empty. When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail.

This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”

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The destruction wrought by nations like Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia will come to Moab. Without consulting commentaries I don't know whether Isaiah is referring to Persia or Babylonia. Having just read about the prophecy against Babylon I might assume that it's Persia who will destroy Moab, but I must recognize that the collected oracles of the prophet are not necessarily in chronological order.

Isaiah 15-16 is a prophecy against Moab. The Moabites are descendants of Abraham's nephew Lot. You may remember in Genesis after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his daughters fled to Zoar, to high ground. The daughters feared the whole world had been destroyed and they were left with no prospect for husbands. They decided to get their father Lot drunk on wine and then to sleep with him. Their plan worked and they gave birth to Moab and Ammon. These two illegitimate children of incest gave rise to two nations to the east of the Jordan River. They became enemies of Israel. When Moses and the freed Hebrew slaves came up from Egypt, the Moabites rose to fight against them, their women perverted some Hebrew men to idolatry, and one king hired a prophet to curse Israel.

So it's not a surprise that God would be removing this enemy from Israel's borders. The during refugees of Moab will seek refuge in Jerusalem. They will bring sacrifices to the temple at Zion, but their hearts will be arrogant as they demand Israel and their God to make up their minds. That's no way to offer God a sacrifice. Humility before God is required. Moab will suffer greatly for their arrogance. As pagans they are used to manipulatinging their gods to do for them. Yahweh is the only true God and His will prevails. His worshipers seek to know and do His will. Pagans seek demigods and spirits to do their personal bidding.

There is a deep irony in the text that can only been known by those who know the whole story of the Bible. In chapter 16, God speaks of a throne established in love with a son of David.

Isaiah 16:5 NIV

In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it— one from the house of David— one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

In the midst of details on the destruction of Moab, there is this brief glimmer of hope. The irony is that David and his kingly sons are descended from Ruth, the woman from Moab who followed Naomi to Bethlehem. There Ruth cared for the elderly widow by gleaning the fields of harvesters. She met Boaz, a landowner who showed her kindness. Eventually they fell in love and Boaz married Ruth. Ruth gave birth to Obed and laid him in Naomi's lap.

Ruth 4:16-17 NIV

Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Christians believe that the prophecied king who will sit upon the throne established in love is Jesus Christ. The messiah promised by Isaiah came to offer Himself as the spotless lamb to be sacrificed at Zion to atone for the sins of the world. After being made perfect through suffering, God enthroned Jesus at God's right hand. God is placing all enemies beneath the feet of Christ. But all those enemies are forgiven for their trespasses in the blood of Christ. All are called to come to Christ for shelter.

Let the tale of Moab remind you to come to the throne of love and seek the shadow of Christ to fall over you and keep you safe within His amazing grace. Let the story of Ruth remind you that God works His plan through all kinds, even former pagans who worshiped idols. Let The word of God inspire you to trust in the Lord and His divine will at work the world. His will is that all may come to the throne established in love.

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

Therefore God exalted him (Christ Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen! So let it be!