Exposition by Max A Forsythe
If you have ever admired the beauty of the oriental carpets which come from the Middle and Far East, there is something you ought to know about the designs woven into each carpet. These designs usually originate in New York City, of all places. There the assorted designs are calculated for maximum profits in the various western markets of Europe and America. So too are some designs for imported baskets and various assorted faddish items for worldly consumers half a world away from the workers. Such are the nature of the manipulated fads that popular items are quickly sold out at high prices, and both consumer and producer may easily be gouged because they are worlds apart.
One carpet salesman would very much like to make a trip through the rug producing areas and break the monopoly of the economic queen on the Hudson. In the process of paying fair prices at one end and charging fair prices at the other, he believes that the consumers here in America can finance his Christian witness in those Moslem areas of the world where regular missionaries are not able to go. Of course, any challenge of the undisputed corporate control of any such artistic markets will be at the very least economically risky.
In the absence of any ongoing military conflicts in our day, economic wars have continued unabated. Reigning as queens over these market conflicts are the international trade centers in New York, Tokyo, London and Hong Kong. Empires are being built and economic wars are being waged by less violent means than in the past; however, the fact of their existence should show us that we have not progressed much since Ancient times. There is ample evidence that one of the earliest trade wars was between the Trojans and the Mycenaean Greeks which was recorded in the poetic songs of Homer. One of the Greek Kings in that conflict kept thousands of captured female slaves and children to weave and dye cloth. One particularly small Mediterranean Sea creature was even hunted to extinction to provide dye for the royal purple cloth so desired by the rich and mighty of that era.
Besides the Mycenaean, there were other “corporate” raiders as well. Egyptian, Philistine, Assyrian and Babylonian kingdoms looted the wealth of lesser neighbors all over the Mid-East. Babylon in particular has come down to us as the leading example of this kind of economic exploitation. From early on in human history, this city has represented the worst aspects of domination and exploitation. It is not without reason that the Apostle John records the red queen from Babylon as the representative image of the worldly at their worst. Now why should Babylon be held up as the very worst of a very common type? From the first book of the Bible, the Babylonians had presented themselves as something more than mere commercial giants. The very name of Babel, given to their tower, means “Heaven’s Gate”. And in opposition to the God of the Hebrews you could always count on the Babylonians to be their worst. Certainly God allowed the Babylonians to take His own people captive to wean them finally from idolatry.
But in the fullness of time, the Babylonians too, like all of the wicked would be dealt with. This coming punishment is seen and recorded through the Spirit by Isaiah in the chapter before us. Here, except for verse four, God speaks directly to the coming destruction of Babylon. Certain destruction is coming and the Babylonian empire will be no more. No more will Babylon be queen of the kingdoms.
Let us consider carefully the prophetic warnings to the Babylon which would oppose the Hebrew God who was and is and will be the ruler and judge of the nations! At the time of this writing, the walls of Babylon had not been breached and the fortress city was secure. for this reason our commentators apply the virgin title to the city instead of to the people. From her lofty throne this daughter of Babylon will be called down. The delicate hands of traders and accountants must be turned to the menial labor of hand grinding flour. The common dress of slaves will be left after the finery of affluence is removed. Travels will not be over bridges any more; instead the virgin daughter in her ruin will have to wade through the streams. Can you imagine the difficulty of making our way around this state if many of the bridges were suddenly destroyed in a military conflict? The Babylonians will have to get down off their high horse and get dirty. What a proper punishment for the high and mighty!
In verse four we find an echo of the joy at the fall of Babylon the Great in Revelation. Into this judgment Isaiah interjects His praise of our God, who will cause the fall of His own enemies, all of those who would dare to oppose our God and His Kingdom. Judgment, fair and true will be applied very often in this life and finally at the end of the age! God has further words for the Babylonians in the rest of this chapter.
In verse five the God of heaven commands silence as the Daughter of Babylon wanders off into darkness. Then in verse six the Lord explains His anger with His own people as He allows them to fall into the hands of the Babylonians. Yet, the Babylonians will enjoy their obligation too much and will show no mercy as they work their new found slaves into the dust Here we may understand that like, many captured prison of war guards, those who would treat their charges brutally will be tried and destroyed.
But worse things are charged against Babylon’s queen. The Apostate nation is viewed here as the opposite power of the Almighty God. The nation of Babylon has taken to itself, and its rulers, the very words that mock the declaration that the Lord is the only God. Here in verse seven we see that the Babylonian queen believes that her reign is to be forever as her power is proclaimed over the whole middle eastern region. A vivid warning is issued in verse eight for takings God’s words as her own. In fact widowhood and childlessness will come upon the wanton nation in a single day. And this will happen in spite of a multitude of incantations and working of magic.
In three verses, the God of heaven promises that the disaster is certain. So in verse twelve He encourages them to continue in their theological perversity. Call out your stargazers and let them promise a pleasant future, the Lord thunders! A couple years ago a group of drug runners worked themselves into wicked incantations. In order to render themselves and their automobile invisible they brewed up a formula and tossed in the sacrificed body of a double agent. As they attempted to sneak across the border in broad daylight under the influence of their product, they were incredulous when the Border Patrol observed them and gave chase. Providentially, they died a fiery death when their protected automobile crashed.
So will be the end of all of those who are like the stubble in verse fourteen. With their magic they cannot even save themselves. In the Babylonian religion there is no warmth for a hungry heart. Though they worship and labor in the errors of their ways, there is no hope. The God of heaven has determined destruction for them, and it will come to be in His own good time. This whole chapter should show us where the wicked will end - all of those who are so completely opposite of our Creator God. In their apostasy, there is no hope; their rebellion is guaranteed to fail. Everyone who puts his hope in such human institutions will be disappointed.
Every worldly government which takes to itself the ministry of God and declares it can deliver peace, security and economic blessing is only fooling the credulous who want to believe in empty promises. How much better off we will be to believe in Isaiah’s God, so that when the vain institutions of the world finally fall, then like Isaiah in verse four, we can praise the God of heaven as the only One who can deliver on His eternal prophecies and promises. But this is a hard lesson to learn; the vanity of this world is so alluring that we might rather believe in what we see than in what we cannot. That is why the prophecies of the Old Testament are so vitally important for our eternal security. As we read through the prophets, especially Isaiah in this season of the year, it is good to set the historic record straight. God set forth His plan ahead of time for the very purpose of showing us that He is in control. There is no other. And any other who promises the things that only God can deliver is the very opposite of God. Who will we believe in, our Great Society and the New Deal, New Frontier and entitlement programs? Or will we put our faith in the God of heaven alone? May the Spirit show you the wisdom to find your way from the kingdom of the world and bring you into the eternal Kingdom of Christ. Amen.
Resources Used:
Ellis, Charles..
The Wells of Salvation.
Thomas, Derek..
Welwyn Commentary Series: God Delivers.
Young, Edward J.
The Book of Isaiah.
Youngblood, Ronald F. The Book of Isaiah: An
Introductory Commentary.
The Holy Bible.
New International Version (1984 Edition)
NOTE: I am not able to automatically
recommend any future editions.
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America) -
Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213
(c) 2001
24 September 1994
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.