{"id":25319,"date":"2023-02-23T22:00:14","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T05:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/isaiah-19_1-20_6-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-02-14T00:46:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T07:46:39","slug":"isaiah-21_1-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/isaiah-21_1-17\/","title":{"rendered":"What Waiting on the Lord Looks Like"},"content":{"rendered":"

Isaiah 21:1-17 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Isaiah 21:1-17.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Isaiah 21:1-10 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0A 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.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!'”
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the\u00a0LORD\u00a0Almighty, from the God of Israel.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-10:\u00a0 Scholars are quite certain that this oracle concerns Babylon (v9), which Isaiah calls the \u201cDesert by the Sea\u201d (v1).\u00a0 However, it is less certain what exact time in history Isaiah is talking about here.\u00a0\u00a0John B. Polhill in the New American Commentary on Isaiah gives a well reasoned argument for why this oracle is probably\u00a0describing the defeat of Babylon\u2019s King\u00a0Merodach-baladan\u00a0at the hands of Assyria in 689 B.C., at a time when the Medes (v2), the Elamites (v2) and even King Hezekiah of Judah (Isaiah 39) were all allied to Babylon.\u00a0 However, other scholars think this oracle is predicting the final fall of Babylon at the hands of the Persians and Medes in 586 B.C.\u00a0 Others still think this oracle is talking about Assyria defeating King\u00a0Marduk-apal-iddina \u00a0of Babylon in 702 B.C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are even those who think that Isaiah is not referring to any one defeat of Babylon but is \u201ctelescoping\u201d and putting together in one all the defeats that Babylon would experience.\u00a0 \u00a0Whichever one of Babylon\u2019s defeats Isaiah is talking about, Isaiah is shaken by this vision of Babylon\u2019s fall which he has seen (v4).<\/p>\n

While there is no consensus on which event in Babylon\u2019s history Isaiah is prophesying about here, there is wide agreement among scholars that the message of this oracle is that because Babylon is bound to fall, the people of Judah should be wary of assuming that Babylon will be of much help to them against Assyria.\u00a0 \u00a0Just as it is hard to find life in a \u201cdesert\u201d, even one that is \u201cby the sea\u201d (v1), so Isaiah is warning the people of Judah not to put their hope in Babylon.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 21:11-12 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0An oracle concerning Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 11-12:\u00a0 This two-verse oracle appears to be concerning the nation of Edom, based on the reference to \u201cSeir\u201d (v11) which is another name for Edom.\u00a0 Some scholars think \u201cDumah\u201d is a word play on the name Edom.\u00a0 Here Isaiah is pictured like a watchman who is asked how much longer until morning comes (v11), to which he replies that morning is coming, but also the night.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 While it is not clear what this oracle meant exactly to its original hearers, one general lesson we can learn is that, just as the people of Seir were looking to Isaiah the prophet for some direction and hope, so the world is looking for hope, news and guidance wherever it can find it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Similar to Isaiah the watchman, we are called to be watchmen who wait on Jesus (Matthew 24:42) and who spread the hope and warning that Jesus is coming.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>As Psalm 130:5-6 says, \u201cI wait for the\u00a0LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord\u00a0more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

What does it mean to wait on the LORD?\u00a0 Taking some clues from what watchmen do, I believe waiting on the Lord includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Looking forward to and desiring to see God and experience Him;
\n– At the same time, not being in a hurry to see God but submitting to God\u2019s timing;
\n– Dedicating generous amounts of time and energy to focus on Him and look for Him;
\n– Being ready to share with others when you see Him.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 21:13-17 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0An oracle concerning Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will come to an end.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The\u00a0LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 11-17:\u00a0 \u00a0This oracle concerns the defeat of Arabia.\u00a0 In approximately 716 B.C., Assyria under King Sargon II is said to have taken over various Arabian tribes.\u00a0 Perhaps this is the event that Isaiah is referring to.<\/p>\n

Father, like a watchperson waiting for the sunrise, I pray that I would wait faithfully and patiently for You.\u00a0 Thank You that when it\u2019s You we are waiting for, there is joy, anticipation, hope, peace, purpose and growth that come with the waiting.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Isaiah 21:1-17.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!
\n\u00a0
\nIsaiah 21:1-10 (NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
\n2\u00a0\u00a0A 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.
\n3\u00a0\u00a0At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
\n4\u00a0\u00a0My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
\n5\u00a0\u00a0They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!<\/p>\n

On verses 1-10:\u00a0 Scholars are quite certain that this oracle concerns Babylon (v9), which Isaiah calls the \u201cDesert by the Sea\u201d (v1).\u00a0 However, it is less certain what exact time in history Isaiah is talking about here.\u00a0\u00a0John B. Polhill in the New American Commentary on Isaiah gives a well reasoned argument for why this oracle is probably\u00a0describing the defeat of Babylon\u2019s King\u00a0Merodach-baladan\u00a0at the hands of Assyria in 689 B.C., at a time when the Medes (v2), the Elamites (v2) and even King Hezekiah of Judah (Isaiah 39) were all allied to Babylon.\u00a0 However, other scholars think this oracle is predicting the final fall of Babylon at the hands of the Persians and Medes in 586 B.C.\u00a0 Others still think this oracle is talking about Assyria defeating King\u00a0Marduk-apal-iddina \u00a0of Babylon in 702 B.C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are even those who think that Isaiah is not referring to any one defeat of Babylon but is \u201ctelescoping\u201d and putting together in one all the defeats that Babylon would experience.\u00a0 \u00a0Whichever one of Babylon\u2019s defeats Isaiah is talking about, Isaiah is shaken by this vision of Babylon\u2019s fall which he has seen (v4).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25319"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25322,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25319\/revisions\/25322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}