The Book Of Isaiah. Day 83, A Prophecy Against Babylon, Part One

Isaiah has been making many predictions against ancient nations that were, at times, enemies of Israel and Judah. He has been warning the people of Judah not to ally themselves with other nations against the Assyrian Empire, for the Assyrian Empire will conquer Israel but not Judah. A different nation will conquer Judah: the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In Isaiah's day this would have been difficult to imagine but in about 130 years after he speaks the words of the prophecy this will come true. 

But in time Babylon too will fall. Chapter 21 contains a prophecy against that nation, long before it has done anything against the people of Judah. In fact, in Isaiah's time a king of Judah will think the king of Babylon is his friend.

Babylon is not Judah's friend but an enemy. The Lord will someday judge this enemy though, as He reveals to Isaiah. "A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused." (Isaiah 21:1-2)

The plain upon which Babylon lay was surrounded by various lakes and marshes, plus the Babylonians installed plentiful and intricate systems of irrigation to bring water in from the Euphrates River. Many scholars believe this is why Babylon is called "the Desert by the Sea" because it would have been a barren wasteland if there had not been a number of water sources (called "seas" here) from which to bring in much-needed moisture.

Isaiah speaks of himself when he says, "A dire visions was shown to me", but I believe he is speaking in the words of the Lord when he says, "I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused". The Lord is the one who is going to bring to an end all the groaning she (Babylon) caused His people. 

The Lord will accomplish this by allowing other people to rise to power---people capable of overthrowing Babylon. Elam and Media, which were mentioned in verse 2, lay within what is modern-day Iran. They were major cities of the ancient kingdom of Persia and, as we've mentioned before and as we will study in detail when we arrive at the book of Daniel, the Neo-Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire. This is why the Lord calls for Elam to attack and Media to lay siege; that is exactly what will take place approximately 200 years after the Lord shows Isaiah this vision.

The things shown to Isaiah in the vision given him by the Lord will cause him great distress as he experiences, vicariously, the things the people of Babylon will experience when judgment falls upon them. This passage is quite long and it will take us several days to discuss it thoroughly, so we must leave off here at verse 2 and will pick up with verse 3 in our next study session.

I will close by saying that the judgment of others should always distress us, just as it will distress Isaiah. We should have a heart like the Lord's for our fellow man. We should long to see their day of repentance and redemption, not their day of destruction. We all have sinned against the Lord and are worthy of destruction and it's only by the grace of God that we are offered a means of salvation and a way to escape the judgment.