By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 21

CONCERNING BABYLON, EDOM AND ARABIA

   The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth, Go up, 0 Elam: besiege, 0 Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth; I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed; And he cried, A lion; My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. 0 my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

    1. Though most commentators see in this passage a reference to the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians (as described in Daniel 5), it may refer to an earlier defeat by Sargon, the Assyrian (with whom Elam and Media were allied) about 710 B.C. Whereas the fall of Babylon, under Cyrus, was a cause of great joy for Judah; the prophet is here filled with pain, anxiety, gloom, consternation, terror and utter despair for his beloved people. There seemed nothing they could do to stop the despised Assyrian!
    2. Like an irresistible whirlwind from the South, the prophet sees the approach of Babylon's enemy from the land of terror, (vs. 1).
    3. It is a terrible vision that he sees - involving treachery and destruction, (vs. 2).
    4. Edom is commanded to "Go up!" and Media to "Lay siege!"
    5. In verses 3-4 Isaiah describes his own feelings - resulting from the terrible vision: anguish, pain, dismay, fear and trembling.
    6. So swiftly and unexpectantly did the enemy appear that Babylon was taken unaware: in fact, she was preparing for a celebration when the cry came: "Arise, ye princes! Anoint your shields!" (vs. 5)
    7. The prophet shrank from beholding what was to come upon Babylon, but, at the command of the Lord, went to his watchtower (vs. 6).
    8. Faithful as a watchman, he observed carefully and then cried as a lion: "Behold! a troop of men; horsemen in pairs! Babylon is fallen! The images of her gods are shattered to the ground!" (vs. 9).
    9. It was with tenderness that the prophet addressed his afflicted people as "my threshing - son of the threshing floor" and assured them that he had only declared to them what he had heard from "the Lord of hosts", (vs. 10).
    10. They must not put their trust in Babylon; but lean on the strong arm of their God! He alone can save them!

The burden of Dumah. He called to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

    1. A region of Edom, near Mt. Seir, Dumah was inhabited by the descendants of Esau - perpetual enemies of Israel.
    2. In this brief passage Dumah is pictured as dwelling in darkness (night) and as being anxious about the future. (Let it be noted that "night" is used as a symbol of: trouble, trial, struggle, sorrow and death.)
    3. The question they direct to the watchman is: "What time (period) of the night is it?" It seemed to this people that the night was exceedingly long and they were wondering about the future.
    4. The reply of the prophet is a bit indefinite: there are signs of both morning and night.
      a. It may be that he saw "morning" for Judah, but "night" for Edom, or
      b. He may mean to imply that, by her own attitude and choice, Edom will determine which it will be, (Josh. 24:15).
    5. In tender compassion, however, the prophet, in essence, says to Edom: "If you are sincere, then turn from your idols and come to the light of morning!"
    6. But, she rejected that gracious invitation and passed into age -long night.

   The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, 0 ye traveling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

    1. The wandering tribes of Arabia will be greatly affected by the constant warfare between Egypt and Assyria; their trading caravans must hide in the thickets of the desert, (vs. 13).
    2. The inhabitants of Tema (capital of the Ishmaelitish district north of Dedan) are to relieve the severity of their hardship by providing bread and water for them, (vs. 14-15).
    3. But, within one year, the glory of Kedar (the tribes of North Arabia) will have faded - few of their heroic warriors left, (vs. 16-17a).
    4. When this comes to pass Judah may surely know that God has again spoken by the prophet (vs. 17b); his call for Judah to cast her burden fully upon Jehovah must not fall on deaf ears.