No Honor, No Hope in Death

Isaiah 14:1-21

You will not find the book of Isaiah in chronological order, but you will see a theme in the first 39 chapters of events leading up to captivity.  You will also see a people without hope moving to hope in chapter 14, for they are looking to a time of returning from captivity, and verses 4-21 is a song they will sing.

“For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.”  (Isaiah 14:1-2 ESV)  You were a prisoner of foreign power, we were born into its control and so as followers of Christ we should identify with chapter 14.  The one Jesus refers to as the thief or the devil no longer has control over us, sin is now a choice and as it was with these.

Out of the fall of Babylon came the anticipating of God’s people to be restored, it has not happened in reality but to Isaiah and the people it is a done deal, for God has spoken.  History is such a great thing; the people can look back and remember Egypt and what God has done before.  They are looking for God to do in Mesopotamia what He did in Egypt.  When they were captive they were lead out of the promise land by their captives, and when they return it will be the same, but it will be a reversal, now the nations will serve God’s people.

After a time of rest and healing the people of Israel will sing a song of contempt, it will be 

directed at the king of Babylon.  This is the song they will sing: “How the oppressor has 

ceased, the insolent fury ceased! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter 

of rulers, that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in 

anger with unrelenting persecution. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth i

nto singing. The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were 

laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.’ Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you 

when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it 

raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. All of them will answer and say 

to you: ‘You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!’ Your pomp is 

brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, 

and worms are your covers. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! 

How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!  You said in your heart, 

‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on 

the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of 

the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to 

the far reaches of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is 

this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world 

like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ All the kings 

of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; but you are cast out, away from your grave, 

like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to t

he stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. You will not be joined with them 

in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. “May the 

offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the 

guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world 

with cities.”  (Isaiah 14:4-21 ESV)

Not the kind of song we sing in church, but the song is telling a story of the king’s power being broken, but then we see that creation also is rejoicing over the king’s defeat.  When we see the word Sheol it is in reference to the grave, and it seems the underworld is greeting the king.  It seems that the kings that departed earlier are telling this new arrival he has lost all power.  When we see shining morning star, it is often referred to as Satan, but it seems clear it is referring to the Babylonian king.  It matters not what title one has on earth, it is a foolish person who attempts to take the place of God.  It seems that the Babylonian king would die on the battlefield and be surrounded by dead bodies.  In life he was powerful in death, no honor, no hope, and his sons will not become king.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice