Isaiah 15-25: God's heart for all nations

Sorry for the long silence. I've had a lot on my plate and this blog has suffered. We went through ten chapters last night and it was pretty intense.

Ch. 15-23: Judgment on the nations

• Assyria - will be destroyed and their yoke lifted
• Philistia - God will destroy them by famine and Assyria will also attack them (fulfilled under Sargon II)
• Moab - will be destroyed quickly in a night raid because of their pride; this will happen within three years.
• Damascus (Aram) - cities will be destroy and only a remnant left
• Cush (included modern Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia) - will be captured by the Egyptians and led away bare-bottomed.
• Egypt - civil war and a tyranical king (happened in the late 8th century), at some future point the Nile will be dried up; they will be given bad leadership and advisors and will also be captured by Assyria (happened in 721BC).
• Babylon - will be destroyed by Elam and Media (was fulfilled by Cyrus the Persian who was from Elam and ruled over Media). This will be a hopeful prophecy to Israel someday.
• Edom - temporary relief from oppression, but more coming.
• Arabia - Kedar (most significant Bedouin tribe) will be destroyed within a year (they were captured by Sargon II in 715BC)
• Jerusalem (how offensive would it have been to be lumped in with all these pagan nations?) - though delivered from Assyria, they will still be destroyed because of their callousness and lack of faith. Shebna and Eliakim are personal examples.
• Tyre (Phoenicia) - will be overthrown (happened in 701BC) and forbidden commerce for 70 years (happened from 700-630BC); prostitute theme prefigures whore of Babylon in Rev. 17

Ch. 24: Judgment on the whole earth

• Brings equality (1-3)
• Universally doled out - the curse is on everyone (4-13) - see Gen 3, Rom 5
• Division - some destroyed, some sing praise (14-16)
• God's judment is like water in a dam - the earth gets the overflow now, but someday it will all be released.
• Even spiritual powers will be punished and the King will reign in Zion (see Rev 20)

Ch. 15-23: Mercy to the nations

• God actually hates destroying people and nations - read 15:5, 16:7b-12 (that is definitely God speaking), 21:3, 22:4, Luke 13:34-35
• God desires to bring everyone into the blessings of his people - 14:32, 16:1-7, 17:3,7-8, 18:7, 19:18-22, 21:12 (maybe) - see Exodus 12:38 - coming out of your own kingdom and becoming part of God's - a change in nationality
• Even the bitter enemies of God and his people will turn to him and be accepted - 19:23-25
  

Ch. 25: Mercy to all peoples

• Brings equality (1-5) - God brings down the high things and protects the poor
• Universally available (6-9)
• feast for all peoples - all who will have Him
• will destroy the shroud of death and spiritual blindness
• will swallow up death and remove the curse
• Brings division (10-12) - Those who cling to their own kingdom will still be destroyed, but those who embrace Jesus and become part of God's people will avoid the judgment to be poured out (because Jesus already bore it for us).

I love the picture these chapters paint about God's love for all people and how much he hates destroying and punishing and mourns for the loss. I love that about our God.

Maps:

• The world as known to the Hebrews - from Blueletterbible.org - kind of confusing, but lots of info
• Nations mentioned in this passage: Assyria, Damascus (Aram), Cush, Babylon, Arabia, Tyre (Phoenicia), Philistia, Moab, Egypt, Edom, etc. (note: I don't necessarily agree with the theology posted on some of these sites, but they have a lot of maps)
  
• Modern Egypt/Cush , Modern Palestine (Google maps)