Babylon Will be Punished
October 24, 2022
Commentary
This passage starts off expressing Isaiah’s “burden of Babylon” (v. 1). The prophet was carrying a heavy weight because of the solemn nature of his message. He was announcing judgments that would involve the destruction of many cities and the slaughter of thousands of people. The Lord would gather a mighty host for battle, a weapon of his righteous anger (vv. 2-5). This time it would be the Babylonians who would be destroyed. The Medes and the Persians would be his chosen tool (vv. 6-13). The Babylonian’s would be utterly powerless to stop the invasion (vv. 14-16). People within the empire would try to escape the coming destruction, fleeing to their native lands. The destruction would be unrelenting in that the invaders would not be dissuaded by money, and they will have no mercy on babies (v. 16).
Isaiah speaks of the destruction of Babylon, a magnificent city, covering over 100 acres which was surrounded by a double walled system of defense. The walls were 85 feet thick and 11 miles long, with the outer walls being approximately 25 feet wide and guarded with towers of 65 feet. There were eight major city gates named after various Babylonian cities. In the midst of all of this was a tower 228 feet high, known as the Tower of Babylon. On the top of this stood a solid gold statue weighing 52,000 pounds. Isaiah describes how this city, because of her pride and godless idolatry would be overthrown by God. He likens the destruction of their great city to the time when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:19).
Even before Babylon became a world power, Isaiah prophesied that it would shine for a while but its destruction when it came would be so complete that the land would never again be inhabited. Isaiah describes this devastation (vv. 17-22). He says that it will be a place for generations where no inhabitants will dwell and no tents or flocks; but instead, owls and wild beasts will occupy the land.
Application
This passage says that God uses the wrath of men against each other to bring about His purposes. I need to praise Him for what he is doing and not fret about the things I think He should be doing.
Isaiah 13:1–22 (NET)
1 This is an oracle about Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
2 On a bare hill raise a signal flag; shout to them, wave your hand, so they might enter the gates of the princes!
3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger — my boasting, arrogant ones.
4 There is a loud noise on the mountains— it sounds like a large army! There is great commotion among the kingdoms — nations are being assembled! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is mustering forces for battle.
5 They come from a distant land, from the horizon. It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, coming to destroy the whole earth.
6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment is near; it comes with all the destructive power of the Sovereign One.
7 For this reason all hands hang limp, every human heart loses its courage.
8 They panic— cramps and pain seize hold of them like those of a woman who is straining to give birth. They look at one another in astonishment; their faces are flushed red.
9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment is coming; it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, destroying the earth and annihilating its sinners.
10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations no longer give out their light; the sun is darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon does not shine.
11 I will punish the world for its evil, and wicked people for their sin. I will put an end to the pride of the insolent, I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants.
12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold, and people more scarce than gold from Ophir.
13 So I will shake the heavens, and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, because of the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, in the day he vents his raging anger.
14 Like a frightened gazelle or a sheep with no shepherd, each will turn toward home, each will run to his homeland.
15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed; everyone who is seized will die by the sword.
16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives raped.
17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; they are not concerned about silver, nor are they interested in gold.
18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; they have no compassion on a person’s offspring; they will not look with pity on children.
19 Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, will be destroyed by God just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.
20 No one will live there again; no one will ever reside there again. No bedouin will camp there, no shepherds will rest their flocks there.
21 Wild animals will rest there, the ruined houses will be full of hyenas. Ostriches will live there, wild goats will skip among the ruins.
22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses, jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. Her time is almost up, her days will not be prolonged.
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