June 8
Reading: Isaiah 15
1 An oracle concerning Moab.
Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone;
because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone.
2 He has gone up to the temple, and to Dibon, to the high places to weep;
over Nebo and over Medeba Moab wails.
On every head is baldness; every beard is shorn;
3 in the streets they wear sackcloth;
on the housetops and in the squares
everyone wails and melts in tears.
4 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;
their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;
therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;
his soul trembles.
5 My heart cries out for Moab;
her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah.
For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping;
on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction;
6 the waters of Nimrim are a desolation;
the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,
the greenery is no more.
7 Therefore the abundance they have gained and what they have laid up
they carry away over the Brook of the Willows.
8 For a cry has gone around the land of Moab;
her wailing reaches to Eglaim; her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.
9 For the waters of Dibon are full of blood;
for I will bring upon Dibon even more,
a lion for those of Moab who escape, for the remnant of the land.
King Ahaz is now dead (Isaiah 14:28). Though not mentioned yet, Hezekiah is now King in Jerusalem.
We continue Isaiah’s oracles against the nations now with the oracle against Moab. An oracle is a prophesy predicting the future.
Moab has often been friendly to God’s people. The oracle against Moab begins with devastation and grief. In verse 5 we discover that the Lord joins them in their grief. The Lord sees that all their cities and lands have been destroyed. The chapter paints a difficult picture. Moab is filled with grief. The Lord is grieving. And yet, according to verse 9, the Lord is the one bringing the difficulties and destruction upon them.
What are we to make of this?
Well, we know that the Lord is sovereign over all the nations and all creation. Nothing happens outside of His sovereign control. Sometimes He issues decrees. Sometimes He sends agents to do His will. Sometimes He shows up personally to do His will. Sometimes He answers prayer. Sometimes He allows tragedy. Sometimes He executes judgment. Sometimes He sends evil spirits to do their work within boundaries that He determines. But we discover that He is not emotionally distant, as if He doesn’t care. No. In fact, He is often filled with grief even as He determines that terrible events take place.
Never forget that when you are suffering, three things are true. First, God is in control. Second, God sees your struggle and grieves. Third, God wants you to trust Him and be saved through or out of your struggle. This all may be confusing. But, of course, there are many things about God that are difficult to understand.