
Isaiah 16
Isaiah 16 is a continuation of the prophecy against Moab, focusing on the aftermath of their destruction and their request for refuge from Judah. The chapter calls for mercy on Moab, speaks of the pride that led to their downfall, and predicts the eventual restoration of the throne of David. This chapter also emphasizes God's justice and the consequences of pride.
Isaiah 16:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
2 For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; so shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
3 "Take counsel, execute judgment; make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day; hide the outcasts, do not betray him who escapes.
4 Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler. For the extortioner is at an end, devastation ceases, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
5 In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness."
Moab is instructed to send tribute (a lamb) to Judah, symbolizing submission in the face of their coming destruction. Moab's people are compared to birds cast from their nest, scattered and vulnerable. The passage then advises Moab to take in the outcasts and show mercy, as their oppressors will soon be eliminated. Verse 5 offers hope, promising the establishment of a righteous ruler on David’s throne, a messianic prophecy of justice and mercy.
Isaiah 16:6-10 (NKJV)
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath; but his lies shall not be so.
7 Therefore Moab shall wail for Moab; everyone shall wail. For the foundations of Kir Hareseth you shall mourn; surely they are stricken.
8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah; the lords of the nations have broken down its choice plants, which have reached to Jazer and wandered through the wilderness. Her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.
9 Therefore I will bewail the vine of Sibmah, with the weeping of Jazer; I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for battle cries have fallen over your summer fruits and your harvest.
10 Gladness is taken away, and joy from the plentiful field; in the vineyards there will be no singing, nor will there be shouting; no treaders will tread out wine in the presses; I have made their shouting cease.
Moab’s pride is highlighted as the cause of their downfall. Despite their arrogance, their lies and wrath will not save them. The land of Moab, particularly its cities and fields, will face devastation. The once-prosperous vineyards and fields of Heshbon and Sibmah will be ruined, and their joy will turn to mourning. The absence of gladness and songs in the vineyards symbolizes the complete desolation of the land, as war and destruction take their toll.
Isaiah 16:11-14 (NKJV)
11 Therefore my heart shall resound like a harp for Moab, and my inner being for Kir Heres.
12 And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he will come to his sanctuary to pray; but he will not prevail.
13 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning Moab since that time.
14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised, with all that great multitude; and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”
God expresses compassion for Moab, yet their fate is sealed. Moab will seek refuge and pray in their high places and sanctuaries, but it will be in vain. Their religious rituals will not save them from judgment. In three years, Moab’s once-proud glory will be reduced to nothing, and only a small, weak remnant will remain. This prophecy serves as a final confirmation of Moab’s impending doom, and the timeline emphasizes the certainty and imminence of their fall.