Lesson #17

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS

ISAIAH 15 & 16
Lesson #17
THE BURDEN OF MOAB

• MEMORY VERSES: PROVERBS 24:17-18

• READ ISA 15:1-9 AND ISA 16:1-14 THE “BURDEN” OF MOAB
• WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BIBLICAL HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF MOAB AND ITS PEOPLE THAT FULFILLS ISAIAH’S PROPHECIES?
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT: SEEKING REFUGE
• GOD WOULD JUDGE MOAB HARSHLY BECAUSE OF THREE REASONS:
• GOD WOULD JUDGE MOAB BECAUSE OF THEIR CONSTANT ANTAGONISM TO ISRAEL THROUGHOUT HISTORY. (JDG 3:12-14)
• GOD WOULD JUDGE MOAB SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF ONE HISTORIC EVENT.
• READ NUM 22-24
• THE PROPHET, BALAAM, WAS A PROPHET OF GOD HIRED OUT TO ISRAEL’S ENEMY MOAB FOR PROFIT SO THAT THE MOABITES WOULD BE ABLE TO DEFEAT THE ISRAELITES IN BATTLE.
• UNABLE TO CURSE ISRAELBECAUSE OF GOD’S CONTROL, BUT DESIRING THE MONEY, BALAAM TOLD THE KING OF MOAB HOW TO DEFEAT ISRAEL.
• THE MOABITES WERE TOLD TO INTERMARRY WITH THE ISRAELITES AND INTRODUCE THEM TO THE PAGAN GODS OF MOAB. IT WAS A SCHEME OF ENTICEMENT AND COMPROMISE, AND IT WORKED.
• THROUGH HISTORY THE PEOPLE OF MOAB ALWAYS EITHER REFUSED TO ALLOW JEWISH TRAVELERS A SANCTUARY IN THEIR LAND OR THEY HASSLED THEM. (JDG 11:17)
• WITHIN THREE YEARS THIS PROPHECY OF DESTRUCTION, IT WOULD BE FULFILLED (16:14).
• THERE ARE AT LEAST 14 REFERENCES TO “LAMENTATION”.
• EVEN THOUGH THEY DECLARED A DAY OF NATIONAL REPENTANCE (15:3). ASSYRIA’S ATTACK WAS NOT STOPPED.
• IDENTIFICATION OF PLACES MENTIONED:
• KIR = KERAK, A MOUNTAIN PEAK 10 MILES FROM THE S.E. CORNER OF THE DEAD SEA.
• BAJITH = MEANS HOUSE OR TEMPLE OF THE GOD CHEMOSH
• DIBON = ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER WHERE ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND THE MOABITE STONE.
• NEBO = THE MOUNTAIN WHERE MOSES SAW THE PROMISE LAND.
• MEDEBA = A CITY GIVEN TO THE TRIBE OF REUBEN IN JOS 13:16.
• FORDS OF ARNON = A TINY STREAM NOT BIG ENOUGH TO SEPARATE MOAB FROM THE ADVANCING ASSYRIANS.
• THE ASSYRIANS WOULD DESTROY OR PLUG UP THE WATER WELLS AS THEY ADVANCED CAUSING AN EXTREME WATER SHORTAGE. (15:6-7)
• IN THE PLACES WHERE WATER EXISTED, IT WAS MIXED WITH THE BLOOD OF THE PEOPLE. (15:9)
• THE CASH CROP OF THE MOABITES WOULD BE DESTROYED (16:7-10) RESULTING IN ANNIHILATION OF THEIR “RAISIN CAKE” TRADE.
• DURING ISAIAH’S DAY, THE SWEET CAKES MADE FROM RAISINS WERE USED AS PART OF THE WORSHIP OF THE GOD CHEMOSH.
• DURING ISAIAH’S DAY, MOAB WAS A WEALTHY KINGDOM. NOW IT IS A VERY POOR, DEPRESSED AREA ECONOMICALLY.
• THE REFUSED PLACE OF REFUGE
• THE MOABITES COULD HAVE FLED TO JERUSALEM. REMEMBER IN CHAPTER TEN ISAIAH SAYS THAT AHAZ NEED NOT BE AFRAID OF THE ADVANCING ASSYRIANS BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT TAKE JERUSALEM. JERUSALEM WOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFE PLACE TO GO, BUT INSTEAD THEY FLED SOUTH, WHY?
• IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HUMILIATION TO REQUEST AID AND REFUGE FROM THEIR LONG-TIME ENEMY, ISRAEL. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO HUMBLE THEMSELVES TO THAT EXTENT.
• IT WOULD HAVE MEANT TURNING TO ISRAEL’S GOD AND GIVING UP THEIR OWN WORTHLESS IDOLS OF THE GOD CHEMOSH.
• EVEN THOUGH THEY RECOGNIZED THAT THEIR GOD WAS POWERLESS TO HELP THEM, THEY WOULD NOT FORSAKE THEIR IDOLS.
• WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN SELA (PETRA), THE CAPITAL OF EDOM, THEY WERE TOLD TO SEND A LAMB TO THE KING OF JUDAH REQUESTING SANCTUARY. (16:1)
• THIS ACT OF SENDING AN ANIMAL WAS A TOKEN SYMBOL OF PROMISED TRIBUTE TO FOLLOW OVER THE COMING YEARS. BUT IT IS ALSO A SACRIFICE TO GOD.
• MOAB REFUSED TO SEND A LAMB BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ACCEPT THE LORD. BECAUSE OF THEIR PRIDE (16:6), THEY REFUSED TO BECOME PROSELYTES OF JEHOVAH.
• THE MOABITES WERE COUNSELED NOT TO REFUSE REFUGE TO THE JEWS AS THEY HAD DONE IN THE PAST (16:3-4), OTHERWISE JESUS CHRIST WOULD HAVE TO BE THEIR JUDGE THE SECOND TIME. (16:5)
• IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE JEWS WOULD SEEK REFUGE IN THE LAND OF MOAB WHEN THEY FLED FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR
• AT THE TIME THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE TOOK OVER THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE. THE MOABITES DID NOT HELP THE JEWS, SO HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF IN A SECOND FULFILLMENT.
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
• IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE JEWS WILL FLEE THE ANTI-CHRIST’S PERSECUTION. THEY WILL FLEE TO A ROCK CITY CALLED PETRA. PETRA IS IN THE PRESENT DAY LAND OF JORDAN (WHICH WAS THE OLD LAND OF EDOM). IN FACT THE CITY TO WHERE THE MOABITES FLED WAS CALLED SELA. IT IS THE SAME CITY JUST A CHANGED NAME. IT BECAME PETRA WHEN THE NABATAENS TOOK OVER AND USED IT AS A CARAVAN OUTPOST EXTRACTING TOLL FROM TRADERS.
• NOTICE THAT THE PEOPLE OF MOAB (PRESENT-DAY JORDAN) ARE COUNSELED TO GIVE THESE 144,000 JEWISH REFUGEES A REFUGE IN PETRA, OTHERWISE JESUS CHRIST WOULD JUDGE THEM. (16:3-5)
• EVIDENTLY THEY LEARN THEIR LESSON BECAUSE REVELATION TELLS US THAT THE JEWS ARE PROTECTED IN THEIR FLIGHT. GOD PREPARES THIS PLACE OF REFUGE, FOR THE FLEEING JEWS. (REV 12:6)
• PROBABLY THIS PLACE OF REFUGE WILL BE IN PETRA IN THE OLD LAND OF EDOM,
• GOD’S ATTITUDE IN ALL OF THIS (16:9-11)
• THE PROPHET CRIES BECAUSE OF THIS PROPHECY.
• THIS ECHOES GOD’S ATTITUDE. IT DOES NOT PLEASE GOD TO BRING JUDGMENT. (EZE 33:11 PRO 24:17-18) HOWEVER, JUSTICE DEMANDS PUNISHMENT FOR SIN.
• THERE IS ANOTHER REASON WHY THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT GOD’S DISPLEASURE IN JUDGING MOAB.
• REMEMBER THAT KING DAVID HAD MOABITE BLOOD IN HIM THROUGH RUTH. RUTH WAS A MOABITE WHO CAME TO ISRAEL AS A PROSELYTE. SHE MARRIED BOAZ, AND IT IS FROM BOAZ AND RUTH THAT DAVID TRACES HIS LINEAGE. THAT MAY BE THE REASON DAVID’S THRONE IS MENTIONED IN ISA 16:5.
• MOAB TODAY:
• TODAY THE SEPARATE COUNTRY OF MOAB DOES NOT EXIST. THE ASSYRIANS PRETTY MUCH WIPED THE NATION OFF THE MAP. ONCE IT WAS A VERY WEALTHY NATION WITH AN ACTIVE TRADE. TODAY, THE KINGDOM OF JORDAN IS ONE OF THE POOREST IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

• APPLICATION AND SIGNIFICANCE:
• HERE IN THIS CHAPTER WE HAVE A PEOPLE WHO HAD NO SYMPATHY FOR PEOPLE WHO NEEDED HELP. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THEY THEMSELVES NEEDED HELP WOULD THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IT FELT TO BE AT A DISADVANTAGE.
• WHEN TROUBLE COMES INTO A PERSON’S LIFE, MANY PEOPLE THEN SEEK GOD, BUT THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHO, OUT OF PRIDE, WILL NOT HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND TURN TO GOD. (RUTH IS THE EXCEPTION).
• THE KINGDOM OF MOAB SPIRITUALLY REPRESENTS PEOPLE WHO PRETEND TO BE BELIEVERS BUT ARE NOT.
• READ 2TIM 3:5
• DISCUSSION

: FROM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT MOAB’S HISTORY, WHY DO YOU THINK THEY ADEQUATELY REPRESENT THE “PRETENDING CHRISTIAN”?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DANGER OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE WHO PRETEND TO BE CHRISTIANS?

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 17 & 18
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISAIAH 15 & 16
• WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF YOUR LIFE? ARE YOU ONE OF THE MOABITES THAT SEEK TO CAUSE SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANS TO FALL THROUGH COMPROMISE WITH WORLDLINESS?

• IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES, REPENT AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU FOR TRYING TO CORRUPT THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF CHRISTIANS.

• WHAT CAN YOU DO THIS WEEK TO ENCOURAGE HOLINESS IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS RATHER THAN TO ENCOURAGE WORLDLINESS?

• PREPARATION FOR ISA 17 & 18
• READ ISA 17:1-14 THE BURDEN OF DAMASCUS, SYRIA AND EPHRAIM, THE NORTHERN KINGDOM
• THE DESTRUCTION IS DESCRIBED WITH 7 DESCRIPTIVE METAPHORS (A DESCRIPTIVE WORD PICTURE).
• CAN YOU FIND ALL SEVEN? — WRITE DOWN THE 7 YOU FIND.

• READ ISA 18:1-7 THE BURDEN OF CUSH (ETHIOPIA)
• THIS CHAPTER IS OFTEN USED TO REFER TO THE UNITED STATES. WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS CHOSEN TO REFER TO THE UNITED STATES?
• WHY IS THIS A MIS-APPLICATION OF SCRIPTURE?

• WHEN IS THE SECOND FULFILLMENT? (REV 14:14-20; 19:17-21)

MEMORY VERSE: REV 2:26