May 25, by Bibianna Yeo. This is the last of the oracles in this series from Isaiah , on lessons from the nations. This series has included ten oracles to the nations, that all revolve around the ongoing rise of Assyria in this part of the world: from chapter 13 to 20 in which, Isaiah speaks oracles of how God rules decisively over the nations including the big boys in the region, Babylon, Assyria, and over Philistia, Moab, Samaria, Cush and Egypt.
From these oracles, we learn important spiritual lessons about: the God who intervenes over history, the One who will have the last laugh, who works His will in the world, who holds out good news, who hates pride, who is worthy of full attention even in the Assyrian crisis, who dictates the news of the day, and rules over geopolitical powers refer to our website for details.
From chapter 21 to 23 Isaiah makes five shorter, starker declarations directed at the anti-Assyrian players of the day Egypt, Babylon not to be confused with later superpower Babylon, Edom, Arabia and now Tyre. It is slightly odd that Tyre follows the oracle to Jerusalem, which blindly celebrates superficial gains and successes without spiritual insight. It is possible that with the appointment of Eliakim as the royal steward by God Himself, the prophet circles back to the final unmentioned anti-Assyrian nation, and reveals the word of the Lord to Tyre.
Who is Tyre? They are viewed by Israel as the spiritual source of temptation and corruption via materialism and trade and commerce for they are a city by the sea.
Recall how Solomon took Phoenician wives synonymous with Tyre and imported the culture of Sidonian Ashtoreth, a Sidonian goddess in 1 Kings , 5. The high places he built for the idol remained in 2 Kings and they were not removed. Moreover, in this specific timeframe, we also learn that Tyre, Babylon and Egypt Isa were all in opposition to Assyria Ias It would have been odd for Isaiah to leave out Tyre, a major commercial power and enemy of Assyria together with Babylon and Egypt in the oracles in the face of the rise of Assyria.
