As we conclude Chapter 21 we find Isaiah issuing a prophecy against Arabia, meaning the general area southeast of Canaan. Exactly why disaster is going to fall upon that region is not outlined for us here but most scholars believe that the disaster was brought about by the forces of the Assyrian army. The reason the Lord allowed the area to fall under the onslaught of the advancing Assyrian Empire may have been due to idolatry, for although many of the people of Arabia were descended from Abraham, like others who were kinsmen of the Israelites they probably fell into idolatry over the centuries.
"A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia, bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives. They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle." (Isaiah 21:13-15) Dedan was the son of Abraham's concubine, Keturah, and it is believed that the Dedanites were the descendants of Dedan.
We find the Dedanites fleeing from the Assyrian army and the destruction wrought by that army. The Dedanites were apparently gypsies or traveling tradesmen. At the time Isaiah gives his pronouncement against Arabia, the Assyrian Empire appears to be the main threat against his own nation of Judah. It is already attacking and conquering all of Judah's neighbors, including those whom he references as the Arabians.
The peoples mentioned in the remainder of today's text were also kinsmen of the Israelites through Abraham. Tema and Kedar were descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son through Hagar. "This is what the Lord says to me: 'Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.' The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken." (Isaiah 21:16-17)
Isaiah assures his listeners that this word is from the Lord and that it is certain to come true. Not only is it certain to come true, but it will come true within a specific timeframe. If the prophecy did not come true and if it did not come true when Isaiah said it would, then nothing he said should have been trusted; that was the rule regarding prophets. If a prophet could not accurately predict an event in the near future, then the people were to disregard anything he said about the far future. But the things Isaiah predicted against Israel's and Judah's neighbors did come true exactly as he said they would and by this his people should have known to trust everything he said. They should have obeyed everything the Lord said to them through him.
Isaiah is making predictions that will come true during the lifetime of his listeners. He will also make predictions for a farther off time: when the Messiah would be born. As we move on through the book we will be able to clearly see that the things he said about the Messiah line up perfectly with the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment