Isaiah 16A

Moabites refused to trust in the LORD verse 1-5

Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness
unto the mount of the daughter of Zion
for it shall be – that – as a wandering bird cast out of the nest
so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon
Take counsel – execute judgment
make your shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday
hide the outcasts – betray not him that wanders
Let mine outcasts dwell with you – Moab
be you a covert to them from the face of the spoiler
for the extortioner is at an end – the spoiler ceases
the oppressors are consumed out of the land
AND in mercy shall the throne be established
AND HE shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David
judging – and seeking judgment – and hasting righteousness

Moabites were conceited in their independence verse 6- 8

We have heard of the pride of Moab – he is very proud
even of his haughtiness – and his pride – and his wrath
but his lies shall not be so
THEREFORE shall Moab howl for Moab – every one shall howl
for the foundations of Kir-hareseth shall you mourn
surely they are striken
For the fields of Heshbon languish – and the vine of Sibmah
the lords of the heathen have broken down
the principal plants thereof
they are come even unto Jazer
they wandered through the wilderness
her branches are stretched out
they are gone over the sea

Isaiah weeps that Moabites refuse to trust in the LORD verse 9- 12

THEREFORE I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah
I will water you with my tears – O Heshbon – and Elealeh
for the shouting for thy summer fruits
and for your harvest is fallen
And gladness is taken away – and joy out of the plentiful field
and in the vineyards there shall be no singing
neither shall there be shouting
the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses
I have made their vintage shouting to cease
WHEREFORE my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab
and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh
And it shall come to pass – when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place
that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray
BUT he shall not prevail

Moabites given three years before destruction verse 13- 14

This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab
since that time
BUT now the LORD hath spoken – saying
Within three years – as the year of the hireling
and the glory of Moab shall be contemned
with all that great multitude
and the remnant shall be very small and feeble

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

:2 “For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Devotion: How often we want God to work in our lives according to our demands and desires instead of according to His directives. We think that we have all the avenues figured out and that if the Lord will bless our attempts everything will be fine. The Moabites thought that, they attempted to ask Israel to help them and deliver them from the Assyrian assault. God had promised that Jerusalem would be spared but instead of going there the Moabites determined to go their way! Then when the attack from Assyria came they cried for help!
When God makes a direction clear it is foolish to try to do it our own way. Like the Moabites we can think our old systems of doing things will work but it is destined to failure. We can depend on resources or people and the result is defeat.
Running to the fortress of Petra may look good but if it is not where God desires you it is wrong.
Today as you make decisions and plans don’t go with the acceptable or traditional, if God is leading you differently. Trust Him and He will not lead you astray!
Application: It is better to trust the Lord than to depend on practices that have worked well in the past! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment, and hastingrighteousness. (4106 “hasting” [mahir] means well versed, expeditious, quick, experienced, prompt, diligent, ready, or skilled.
DEVOTION: This chapter begins with Isaiah informing the Moabites that they need to flee to Jerusalem instead of to Edom. They are running in the wrong direction. The LORD is going to spare Jerusalem from the Assyrian invasion.
However, they will not listen to a prophet from Israel. God has promised HIS “hesed” toward Jerusalem. There is a coming time for someone from the seed of David to reign in Jerusalem again. This is a prophecy to Christ’s reign on this earth during the Millennium. HE is the only truly and wholly righteous ONE who will come from heaven to rule. HE will judge righteously. HE will be quick. HE will be skilled. HE is well versed in the commands of heaven.
We live in an age when our system is not looking to God for guidance. There are many judges who are not judging righteously. Many are judging to please people. Many are only concerned about their future and not righteousness. Christ will judge righteously and all these judges will face HIM one day.
We are declared righteous, on the basis of HIS blood, because HE has never sinned. We will be able to reign during HIS reign if we have become followers of HIM as our personal Savior. That will be the only time when this world will be ruled with godly righteousness. That will be the only time TRUTH with always be stated.
It is a warning to Moab to treat Israel right or there will be future consequences for them after their captivity. Praise HIS name. God judges HIS people righteously but HE also promises to restore a remnant in the future. HE never gives up on HIS people.
CHALLENGE: With judgment recorded throughout the Word of God we need to warn those in our nation and the nations around us of their need to establish a proper relationship to the LORD.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 10 And gladnessis taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease. (8057 “gladness” [simchah] means joy, mirth, rejoice, mirth, gaiety, or loving pleasure.
DEVOTION: We know that the Bible teaches that whatever we sow we will reap. Sometimes we reap what we sow in this life and sometimes the LORD waits for final judgment. Individuals pay the consequences to their actions. Nations are a different story. Usually the LORD doesn’t wait until eternity to judge them.
Remember that each nation has a good angel and a bad angel. There are battles going on in second heaven that we know nothing about. Daniel gives us insight into these battles. As a side note we know that Paul visited the third heaven where the throne of God is located. It is thought that the angels dwell in the second heaven. We dwell in the first heaven.
Here we find Isaiah receiving a message from the LORD regarding the nation of Moab. He didn’t like delivering this message. He cried while delivering it. It is sad to see people who have a chance to become followers of the LORD and they reject the message. Not only do they reject the message but they thought their false god could save them. They didn’t want the help of the LORD.
Once they rejected the LORD, the LORD caused a famine in their land. There was not going to be any harvest of grapes. There would be no singing while they were trampling out the grapes to make wine. The LORD caused their joy to leave. They had nothing to sing about.
If our nation rejects the message of the LORD there could be the same consequences here. The LORD blesses the nations that serve HIM. HE brings judgment on those that don’t. Moab was being judged for their rejection of the LORD and their treatment of Israel.
CHALLENGE: Take the lessons given in the Bible to heart and preach them to those around you. Pray for a revival. God can still send one to our nation. There should be weeping over the conditions of our families, churches, schools and government. Rejection of the LORD has consequences.)

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Heathen pray but to no avail verse 12

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 13, 14

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

Messiah will reign on the
throne of David in the future verse 5
Judge verse 5
Righteous verse 5

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sela verse 1
Moab verse 2, 4, 6, 7,
11- 14
Fords of Arnon verse 2
Outcasts verse 3, 4
Wanderers verse 3
Kirhareseth verse 7, 11
Heshbon verse 8, 9
Sibmah verse 8, 9
Lords of the heathen verse 8
Jazer verse 8, 9
Elealeh verse 9

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Extortioner verse 4
Spoiler verse 4
Oppressors verse 4
Pride verse 6
Proud verse 6
Haughtiness verse 6
Wrath verse 6
Lies verse 6
Heathen verse 8
High places (worship of false gods) verse 12

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Counsel verse 3
Execute judgement verse 3
Mercy verse 5
Truth verse 5
Righteousness verse 5
Gladness verse 10
Joy verse 10
Singing verse 10
Shouting verse 10

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Zion verse 1
Tabernacle of David verse 5

Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)