Isaiah 12-17

Chapter 12 is a moment of praising God for having restored and delivered a remnant of Israel. Just like Miriam sang a song of praise and joy, so Isaiah delivers a song to Jehovah. The song was for Isaiah’s day, and also fit for Christians in our day. Just as God has made a plan to deliver the captive Jews, so Jehovah has made a plan to deliver captive sinners (12:3). Those souls in our day who find the joy of salvation of God are like those who draw water out of the wells of salvation (12:3). I think of the lady of Samaria who found salvation in Christ that day by the well (John 4).

Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known and all the earth. (12:5)

Surely the world knows this, creation itself is a great wondrous thing.

Chapter 13. From chapters 13 through 23, Isaiah speaks concerning foreign nations. Chapter 13 is concerning the Lord’s handling of Babylon (13:1). The Lord has prepared Babylon’s doom by the hands of another nation, the Medes and Persians (13:4,17). This punishment is severe but is just to the crimes of Babylon (13:9,11). Babylon will be turned into a desolation to the point no man will ever inhabit the lands again. This prophecy was literally fulfilled and remains a desolation to this day (13:20).

Chapter 14. The beginning of chapter 14 begins with a movement of praise for Israel’s salvation from Babylon (that has not come yet in time) (14:1-4). The majority of the passage is judgement not just on Babylon but especially it’s king. He was blasphemous, prideful and arrogant. Even so much to the point he became a type of anti-Christ or of the devil that will make himself out to be God. Verse 12 is where the name “Lucifer” has been interpreted by many to be the name of Satan, but for the sake of understanding the immediate passage, one must realize Isaiah is specifically speaking of the Babylonian king. It is fair to say that this kings arrogance and pride does serve as a type of Satan or anti-Christ, but it may not true that Satan’s actual name is Lucifer. Lucifer itself could be a name, or yet a title given to this extremely arrogant king who has exalted himself “above the stars”. Isaiah is constantly taking poetic license such as this to paint prophetic pictures of God’s rightful judgement on excessive arrogance.

Chapter 15 opens up in Isaiah’s vision concerning Moab and their judgement. Isaiah profoundly pronounces this prophecy in tears over their misery (15:5).

Chapter 16. Isaiah recommends the remnant of Moab to seek refute with tribute to Judah (16:1). Isaiah recommends to Moab to be a refuge for any wandering Israelites that are being oppressed and have escaped into their land (16:3). In three years however the LORD would have passed judgement onto Moab, and will have left a small remnant of the Moabites.

Chapter 17 speaks of Isaiah’s vision against Damascus and their alliance with northern Israel, of which Judah refused to join. Northern Israel had been carried away into captivity and now only the poorest of the land are left in Israel, like the few berries on top of the highest boughs of a tree not worth the effort in getting (17:6). Because of this destruction however, Israel would have learned that trusting in high towers and strong armies, even coalitions with foreign nations will fail. God wants His people that has been separated unto his name to trust in him alone, set apart from how the rest of the world thinks and works. The rest of the world does not know our God, and we should love the opportunity to show them what their missing. This destruction originally came to Israel because their lack of trust in God for gods of other nations and human strength (17:10).