Isaiah

 

Isaiah Chapter 23

 

  • Isaiah 23:1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.
  • 2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
  • 3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
  • 4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
  • 5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
  • 6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

Tarshish was Spain. This indicates a judgment upon Tyre and Zidon. They were once bustling with trade and commerce but Isaiah predicts their downfall. This prophecy was literally fulfilled by the nation of Babylon. Ships were destroyed and the harbor was destroyed. Zidon was made very weak. Neither of these cities ever rose to become great again until after the seventy year captivity by Babylon.

This shows that we can never trust in a great economy or in our riches. We all live by the mercy and grace of God. Pride goes before a fall. Once King Nebuchadnezzar was lifted up in pride thinking he was the king of Babylon and built all his kingdom by his own power. Once we think that way, we are in danger of losing it all. Our only trust and hope is in the Lord. At His word a nation stands or a nation falls.  

  • Isaiah 23:7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
  • 8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
  • 9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
  • 10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength .

The city of Tyre was a joyous prosperous city, honorable and enjoyed a great reputation among the nations. They once flourished. Both the destruction by Babylon and natural disasters caused its harbors to be destroyed.

We see here part of the problem Tyre had. It was full of pride. As I mentioned above, pride is a sin. It exalts self, causes selfishness. All through the bible we see God condemning pride. Here is says that the Lord purposed this judgment. It causes people to become cruel and harmful to others. It leads to many other sins. For some reason pride opens the door to sins that end up being the very opposite of how the bible teaches us to live. This all starts by departing from God and thinking we can make it on our own without His presence in our lives.

  • Isaiah 23:11 He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.
  • 12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

God himself stretched out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms. The Lord gave the commandment against the city for destruction.

  • Isaiah 23:13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

This verse shows who God appointed to defeat Tyre. The Chaldeans were the Babylonians headed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon was once a people with no strength and mostly barbarous people lived there. Assyria ruled them for many years. They later became so great that they overthrew the Assyrians. They also were the ones God allowed to bring Judah into captivity in later years. Babylon also became great and full of pride fearing not God until the Medes and Persian Empire defeated them. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

  • Isaiah 23:14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
  • 15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
  • 16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

Tyre was later restored after 70 years under Babylon. She then enjoyed the riches that the nation once had.

  • Isaiah 23:17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

They build a new city there after they were restored but that city was taken into captivity by Alexander the Great.

  • Isaiah 23:18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

This seems to indicate that this place shall have a later day place in the Millennium when Jesus Christ will rule. Verse 17 indicates that it will be a place of prosperity and trade with the other kingdoms of the world. The word fornication though usually means evil though so this could indicate that after being restored to prosperity they became full of sin again but was later restored by repentance and the receiving turning to God in the latter days. My speculation here. 

There are other bible scholars that believe that many times the scriptures will be speaking of former things but them jump to the latter days to see their latter end. It is a picture of a sinner who is lost but finds Jesus Christ which makes all their sins vanish and the Holy Spirit enters their lives instead. Old things pass away and all things become new.

In the new testament in Revelation

  • Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
  • 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
  • 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
  • 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
  • 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

We see that God judges a place called Babylon in the latter days. This Babylon is a great nation that makes other nations rich with goods but also influences them to worship idols and reject the God of holiness and truth. Judgment comes severely to this latter day nation.

Although the future Babylon is destroyed completely, the nation of Tyre as indicated here seems to be destroyed also but is restored in the latter days under the reign of Christ. It appears to be a place that will provide sufficient clothing and provisions for all as they dwell before the Lord. The wealth will not be stored up to make only a few rich but will be distributed. This type of government will only work under the leadership of Jesus Christ and His power. Many have tried redistribution of wealth by socialism and communism but it has never worked. The reason is that they left God out and tried to enforce it by terror and force. God endorses giving willingly not by Secret Police tactics.

We have had many governments both past and present but until the Lord Jesus Himself reigns we will not have a perfect government. I look forward to that time.

Isaiah Chapter 24

Isaiah Index

 

 
 

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