ISAIAH LESSON 19


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 15:1 "The burden of Moab.
Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to
silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought
to silence;"

     We decided that "burden" probably was a prophecy speaking against
{in this case} Moab, who had been enemies of God's people on the east.
The two cities mentioned here are no longer in existence, and it is
believed that they were attacked at night and destroyed.

     Isaiah 15:2 "He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high
places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all
their heads [shall be] baldness, [and] every beard cut off."

     The high places were where they went to worship their false god
{probably Baal}. The shaving of their head, and beards was done as a
type of mourning to get their god's attention. All of this area is
located east of the Dead Sea.  They could cry to these false gods all
day, and get no help.

     Isaiah 15:3 "In their streets they shall gird themselves with
sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every
one shall howl, weeping abundantly."

     In this, we see the mourning was not just the leaders, but all in
the community. When they did not go to the high places, they would get
on top of their houses and put on sackcloth, and throw ashes on their
heads as a form of mourning. Howling shows great grief. They wept,
because no help came.

     Isaiah 15:4 "And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice
shall be heard [even] unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab
shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him."

     This just shows that the mourning and grief would even reach the
soldiers in the field. The soldiers saw how useless it was to try to
win against the army blessed of God. The cities mentioned here had
been part of Reuben's land he had inherited, when they had separated
the land by tribes.

     Isaiah 15:5 "My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives
[shall flee] unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the
mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way
of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction."

     It is unusual for a prophet to sympathize with those being
destroyed, but that is the case here. It could, possibly, be because
Moab is the country Ruth will come from. The word that was translated
"heifer", here, means a female calf. The only connection that I can
make is, possibly, that the city is as helpless as the 3 year old
heifer. The heifer has no control of her destiny, and neither does
this city.

     Isaiah 15:6 "For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the
hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing."

     This is speaking of a great drouth. Ordinarily, this water of
Nimrim is gushing forth with water from springs. The springs have been
dried up. When there is no rain and the waterway is dry, there is no
way for the land to have moisture to produce hay.  Everything requires
water to be green.

     Isaiah 15:7 "Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that
which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the
willows."

     The animals, or the people, cannot live where there is no water.
It appears the flowing waterway from the springs had provided so much
water in the past, they had an abundant crop of hay and plenty to
drink. Now with the water dried up, they have no prosperity at all.

     Isaiah 15:8 "For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab;
the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beer-
elim."

     This is just speaking of the battle being great. All of their
howling to their false god got them nothing. Though the howling is
wide spread, it is to no avail. The troops swarm down upon them and
destroy them. It appears they swept across the border, and did not
stop until they were defeated. I am saying this in the past tense,
because it is past tense to us, but to Isaiah it was future tense,
because this was prophecy.

     Isaiah 15:9 "For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for
I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab,
and upon the remnant of the land."

     This shows the severity of the battle. Dimon is the same as
Dibon. These waters would probably be from the Arnon. The blood in the
river, just shows that many will be thrust through with the sword.
There will be so much blood shed that the blood will run into the
river.

     We will continue this lesson in Isaiah 16:1 "Send ye the lamb to
the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of
the daughter of Zion."

     We will see a call for repentance and recompense in these first
few verses. In the physical sense, this is saying, send the lambs you
owe in tribute. "Selah" means rock, and many believe this place to be
Petra. Zion sometimes means Jerusalem, and other times is speaking of
the church. This then, in the spiritual, is a call for repentance.

     Isaiah 16:2 "For it shall be, [that], as a wandering bird cast
out of the nest, [so] the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of
Arnon."

     A wandering bird, cast out of the nest, has very little hope for
survival. Arnon is the largest river in Moab. If the Arnon is full of
blood, what help will that be?  Possibly, the daughters of Moab, here,
are speaking of the people of the little villages. Perhaps, they are
spoken of as daughters, because they are not strong against such an
attack.

     Isaiah 16:3 "Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as
the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not
him that wandereth."

     In Moab, the sun is very hot at noonday. Isaiah could be saying,
that they should call their council together and think about the
judgement. Perhaps, they should take more consideration for those who
have sought refuge here. Outcasts and wanderers appear, to me, to be
those who have fled their homeland seeking refuge.

     Isaiah 16:4 "Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a
covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at
an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the
land."

     In a sense, this is exactly what Moab was to Naomi, and her
husband, and sons. They had fled their homeland because of a famine in
the land. They sought and found refuge in Moab. Covert indicates
covering, or hiding place. The extortioner being at an end means that
they will not have to protect them for long.

     Isaiah 16:5 "And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he
shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and
seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness."

     This has to be speaking of Jesus who will come, full of mercy.
The judgement and sitting on the throne of David appears to be
speaking of the 1000 year reign of Jesus at His second coming. The
reign of righteousness is surely the reign of Jesus as King of kings
and Lord of lords.

     Isaiah 16:6  "We have heard of the pride of Moab; [he is] very
proud: [even] of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: [but]
his lies [shall] not [be] so."

     This immediately jumps back to the near future of Moab. The pride
of Moab caused them not to receive the forgiveness needed. They would
not do what Isaiah had shown them, and they are condemned afresh.
Moab is too proud and haughty to ask for the mercy offered. They lie
to cover up their sin.

     Isaiah 16:7 "Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall
howl: for the foundations of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn; surely [they
are] stricken."

     This is a renewed warning of the great destruction, and how all
the people living in Moab will cry out in mourning for the land of
Moab.

     Isaiah 16:8 "For the fields of Heshbon languish, [and] the vine
of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal
plants thereof, they are come [even] unto Jazer, they wandered
[through] the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are
gone over the sea."

     We studied in chapter 15 about how the water had been turned to
blood.  Now we see the grape vines being torn down and destroyed. The
area mentioned here had been given to Reuben for an inheritance. It
seemed the vines were flourishing so in the past, that they had
voluntarily grown into other areas. Possibly, into the land Gad had.
It appears it was questionable whether Heshbon was actually in
Reuben's, or Gad's, inheritance. Jazer was a city of Gad.

     Isaiah 16:9  "Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer
the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and
Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is
fallen."

     This is just saying, there was no water to water the vines with.
It was so bad, Isaiah is speaking of catching his tears for water to
put on the vines. The vines had been destroyed, as well. There would
be no harvest in the early summer, as there had been in the past.

     Isaiah 16:10 "And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the
plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing,
neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine
in [their] presses; I have made [their vintage] shouting to cease."

     There had always been gladness at the harvest time of the grapes.
The grapes, many times, had been crushed and made into wine. We see
the joy being taken away from these people, because there is no
harvest of grapes. Notice, that this came upon them because they had
left God.  The punishment was from God.

     Isaiah 16:11 "Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for
Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh."

     It grieves Isaiah to tell them this. He feels for them so much
that his stomach hurts.

     Isaiah 16:12  "And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that
Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary
to pray; but he shall not prevail."

     It appears that Moab will see the error of worshipping Baal in
the high places, and return to the worship of God. The problem is,
they have waited too long to come. God will not hear them.

     Isaiah 16:13 "This [is] the word that the LORD hath spoken
concerning Moab since that time."

     Isaiah assures them that, this is not something he has decided to
say against Moab. This Word came from the LORD.

     Isaiah 16:14 "But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three
years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be
contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant [shall be]
very small [and] feeble."

     It appears from this that Moab had been very prosperous. Isaiah
is giving them a time on this prophecy. Within 3 years, this terrible
punishment from God would descend upon Moab. Not only will the
greatness of Moab cease, but their population shall be greatly
reduced. God always saves a remnant. This is no exception. He will
allow a remnant to live. They will be small and feeble.






































                          Isaiah 19 Questions


1.  What is "burden" in verse 1?
2.  What were the high places used for?
3.  Who was the false god they worshipped, probably?
4.  Why did they shave their heads and beards?
5.  In their streets they shall gird themselves with __________.
6.  What is the Scripture saying, when it uses the word "howl"?
7.  What is verse 4 saying about the soldiers?
8.  Who is Isaiah sympathizing with in verse 5?
9.  What does "heifer" mean?
10. What is verse 6 speaking of?
11. Ordinarily, this water of Nimrim is gushing forth with water from
    ___________.
12. Why is the land not producing hay?
13. Why had they had abundant crops in the past?
14. What shall the waters of Dimon be full of?
15. What is another name for Dimon?
16. What does "Selah" mean?
17. What place do many believe Selah is?
18. What does Zion mean?
19. In the spiritual, verse one of chapter 16 is a call to
    ___________.
20. What happens to a wandering bird that has been cast out of the
    nest?
21. What is the largest river in Moab?
22. Who are the daughters of Moab speaking of?
23. What should Moab take more consideration of?
24. Who is verse 5 speaking of, prophetically.
25. What caused Moab not to receive the forgiveness they needed?
26. Who will howl for Moab?
27. What happens to the grape vines in verse 8?
28. What territory is spoken of here, that had many grape vineyards?
29. What does Isaiah say, he would do to water the vines?
30. Why was there no gladness now?
31. Where had much of the worship of Baal gone on?
32. How soon after Isaiah wrote this prophecy, will it come to pass?