God of the Nations: Pride Bows Before Him

”Look, the day of the Lord is coming — cruel, with rage and burning anger — to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners on it. Indeed, the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shine. I will bring disaster on the world, and their own iniquity, on the wicked. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and humiliate the insolence of tyrants… And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.“ (Isaiah 13:9-11, 19 HCSB)

Simple outline:

1. The fall of Babylon (national pride and political trust) – 13:1-22

2. Hope for the remnant, true Israel (Messianic rule) – 14:1-2

3. Downfall of the king of Babylon (self-pride and trust) – 14:3-23

Key verse: ”And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.“ (Isaiah 13:19 HCSB)

Devotional Thought: We were made to reflect God’s glory but sin and Satan’s temptations push us to reject His exaltation and pursue our own. We must learn to humbly bow before Him or face His judgment of all pride (physical and spiritual) that exalts itself over Him.

Babylon, that ancient city at the heart of the story of Babel. We tend to think of that story as a “tale” of how mankind was divided and began to speak different languages. But at its heart, it is a story of human pride and of God’s judgment upon it. As the city/state grew and prospered, so did their pride and ego. In fact, it grew to the point that they began to see themselves as being capable of anything, even of usurping God. They no longer needed a god, they were the god of their own lives, their own destinies and they would build a tower to the heavens to prove it. Sound familiar?

But every tale of human pride, grandiose achievement and self-exaltation ends the same way – lying dead in the dirt and being eaten by the worms. From the mightiest king to the lowliest servant, from the greatest thinkers to the simplest among us, from the wealthiest of men to the poorest of all, death taunts and pursues each of us. From the moment we’re born we begin that inevitable march towards the grave. It is inescapable, even by those who believe they can find a way to escape its clutches.

I know, it sounds a bit depressing. Trust me, I understand. I’ve spent the last few days reviewing my own life insurance plans and costs. I’ve often wondered, why is it called life insurance? Aren’t you really insuring and planning for your death? As I near my 65th birthday, my life insurance premiums have begun to increase dramatically. I’ve had this life insurance policy for over 40 years and now that I’m getting to “that age” they want to increase my rates. Sheesh, you’d think they must be expecting me to die or something.

This week, Isaiah’s focus moves from condemning king Ahaz and Judah for their lack of trust in God’s protection to a more general condemnation of the “nations” and their kings. While I’ve only cited a few verses above, you should go and read Isaiah 13:1 – 14:23. As you’ll notice, this week’s focus is on condemning Babylon and its arrogant king. As I mentioned above, Babylon is tied to that ancient story found in Genesis 11. The heart of that story is all about human pride and our tendency to exalt ourselves over God and that’s the same focus for Isaiah this week.

First, Isaiah begins with a very general pronouncement of God’s judgment on Babylon as a nation. While Babylon was NOT a source of political threat against Judah at the time of Isaiah, that does not mean this passage is out of place or written at a much later date, as some scholars believe. As I noted, the ancient condemnation of Babylon (or Babel) was about the arrogance and pride of mankind in rejecting the sovereignty of God while failing to recognize their own weakness and mortality. Isaiah’s condemnation (as well as John’s in Revelation) of Babylon and its king are really no different. Babylon has always been symbolic of all human pride and arrogance towards the God of Israel.

As such, this is the perfect lead in to the chapters that follow. Just as Babylon is symbolic of all human pride and its king symbolic of all arrogant, kingly aspirations, their judgment paves the way for Isaiah’s pronouncement of judgment upon all the nations. Nations who stand in arrogant defiance of God and rob Him of His rightful exaltation, worship and dutiful obedience to His Word and laws. Which nations? Technically, all nations because they all stand in sinful, arrogant defiance of His sovereignty. Really? All nations? Yes, even our own.

This is not just about some local, intermediate judgment of a nation that has vowed to attack and destroy Judah – thought it does include that – this is about “the day of the LORD.” This is about a time when God will judge all nations, all mankind. Are there times when He judges and gives His people intermediate justice and relief from oppression and destruction? Absolutely! But this is, ultimately, about that day when the God of Israel will prove His authority and sovereignty by judging all men and every nation. This is intended to say, the MIGHTY God that this little, insignificant nation worships is THE God over all creation. He’s not some regional, finite idol that can be defeated by a mighty warrior king. He is the LORD of lords and the KING of kings.

”I will bring disaster on the world, and their own iniquity, on the wicked. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and humiliate the insolence of tyrants.“ (Isaiah 13:11 HCSB)

Listen, God is not opposed to our patriotism and national pride as long as it is held in proper deference to Him and His Kingdom. We are to be first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God and subject to His commands and laws and, secondly, citizens of earthly kingdoms. We are to obey those earthly kings, but only as they are obedient to Him. When their laws contradict His, we bow only to Him and not to them (see Acts 4, Rom. 13). But even with that, those earthly kingdoms will fail and fall because they are riddled with human sin, arrogance and pride. It is inevitable for all of them.

”Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle — is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.“ (1 John 2:15-17 HCSB)

Next, Isaiah gives a word of encouragement and hope for the people of Israel. “For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will choose Israel again. He will settle them on their own land. The foreigner will join them and be united with the house of Jacob.” Before you jump to conclusions and see this as being fulfilled in our own day, you should recognize this as beginning to be fulfilled during the days and through the work of Jesus and, ultimately, it will be completed upon His return.

Yes, we are His people by birth, but it is a second birth – a spiritual birth: ”Jesus replied, ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ‘But how can anyone be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked Him. ‘Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.’“ (John 3:3-6 HCSB) Remember, the people of God are not His people based on their human DNA but based on their spiritual DNA. Yes, we are the people of God by blood but it is the blood of the Lamb and not the blood of Abraham.

Finally, we reach the culmination of the condemnation of Babylonian pride as He judges the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:3-23. While God does hold nations responsible for their actions and He does use nations to judge other nations, ultimately His judgment falls upon the individuals who rebel against Him and try to stand in sinful arrogance before Him. Isaiah says that when the LORD has given us rest from our pain, torment and hard labor then we will sing a song of contempt about the king of Babylon. The verses that follow are considered to be one of the most beautiful poems written in Hebrew. However, I’m not sure we fully understand or appreciate the beauty or meaning of it.

Many scholars feel the language of this poem is SO grandiose and lofty, it could not possibly be referring to the king of Babylon that Isaiah knows. That kind of king over Babylon simply didn’t exist in Isaiah’s day. So, they see it as a song of contempt for that ultimate king of hubris, the deceiver of men and the enemy of God, Satan. There are several things in the song that strongly hint at that kind of interpretation for this passage.

First, those who are a part of God’s kingdom will sing this song of contempt but only after the LORD has given us rest from our pain, torment and hard labor. The writer of Hebrews tells us that “while the promise to enter His rest remains, let us fear that none of you should miss it.“ (Hebrews 4:1 HCSB) The rest that we are promised is a rest from our “labor” or efforts to save ourselves. Like Isaiah’s king of Babylon, we too will face death and God’s judgment and cannot do anything to prevent it. Just as I said about the judgment of the nations, it is inevitable. We will die and we will face God’s judgment.

While I doubt I will get much argument about the fact that we are all going to die, I know some might question the judgment of God. Let me simply say, we are not being judged on our moral goodness as compared to other men and women but judged on our holiness in comparison to Jesus. We may be “as good” as many other men or women that we know but we all fail the comparison to Jesus and stand as egregious sinners in comparison to Him. But this song is being sung by those who know what it means to bow humbly before God, confess their sin and repent from them while finding forgiveness and redemption in God’s savior, Jesus. Listen to their song…

Second, they sing of God’s judgment falling upon human pride and specifically upon this wicked and oppressive ruler, as all the earth is calm and at rest and the people shout with a ringing cry. Even the earth or the natural world, as voiced by the cypress trees and cedars of Lebanon, rejoices in God’s judgment on human pride that breeds evil. Paul echoes these same sentiments in Romans 8:22, “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now…” as it eagerly anticipates the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

Third, as the “king of Babylon” descends into Sheol (the place of the dead), all the dead kings of the nations rise from their thrones (among the dead) and respond, “you too have become weak as we are; you have become like us!” In other words, this arrogant king isn’t as powerful and fearsome as they thought. He’s no different than they are. He has fallen before God’s sovereign judgment and into death, just as they did. They go on to point out that his “splendor” and even the music played by his royal harpist has been brought down to Sheol with him. Instead of being seated on splendor and robed in majesty, he is now seated on maggots and covered with worms. Lovely image, isn’t it?

Next, we are told who this king really is: the morning star, the day star or son of the dawn and, oh, how he has fallen from the heavens! This is really where many see these words of judgment and condemnation as being directed at the destroyer of nations and the source of all evil, Satan. Isaiah ascribes these words to him: “You said to yourself: ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the god’s assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

Isaiah goes on to say that instead of elevating himself above God, this “king” will be brought down to Sheol and placed into the deepest regions of the pit of hell. Those who see him will look closely, even stare at him and ask: “Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble, who shook the kingdoms, who turned the world into a wilderness, who destroyed its cities and would not release the prisoners to return home?” The kings of the earth lie in magnificent tombs, but this king will be tossed aside like a worthless branch, covered by those slain with the sword and dumped into a pit like a trampled corpse. He will not have a glorious burial and magnificent tomb because he destroyed the land and slaughtered the people. His destruction will be complete and final, no heir will rise up to take his place.

Oh, you need to let that settle into your thoughts and understand the implications. If these scholars are correct and this isn’t an actual king of Babylon but IS Satan, then this scene is huge in theological terms! This signifies that Satan stands judged, defeated and receives the same condemnation as these earthly kings who believed his lies, lived arrogantly before God and destroyed His creation and His people.

Isaiah ends with a declaration of God’s judgment upon the “king” and includes the nation in these final words: “‘I will rise up against them [the king and his descendants]’ – this is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts – ‘and I will cut off from Babylon her reputation, remnant, offspring, and posterity’ – this is the LORD’s declaration.” That means, those who believe the king’s lies and follow in his example of living in prideful rebellion and arrogant defiance of God’s sovereign rule will suffer the same fate.

So, let me summarize the poem: God will show compassion on a remnant of Israel, those who trust in His salvation. He will give them rest (sabbath) from their pain, torment and hard labor (or efforts) at securing their own salvation by destroying the king of Babylon. The joy of their salvation will elicit a song of contempt upon their enemy, Satan – the morning star who has fallen from heaven, who is portrayed here as the ruthless and arrogant king of Babylon. Why will they sing? Because the LORD has broken his staff which he used to oppress and persecute the nations. Not only are the people calm, but even the earth (as expressed by the cypress and cedars of Lebanon) joins in singing with us at his destruction.

As the king dies, Sheol grows eager to welcome him and stirs up all of the dead kings to come and watch his entrance. They taunt him because they now see him as he is, weak and subject to God’s wrath and judgment just as they had been. His human splendor has been replaced with maggots and worms. The one who bragged that he would ascend to the heavens and reign over all of God’s creation has been brought down to Sheol and tossed into the deepest pit. Those who see him only stare in disbelief and ask, “this is the one who caused all of earth to tremble? Is this the one who destroyed so much and so many? Earthly kings lie in magnificent tombs, but this one is tossed aside without even a grave, like a worthless branch or a trampled corpse. This is the LORD’s declaration, “I will rise up against all his children and I will cut them off and sweep them away like a broom of destruction.”

Isaiah wants us to clearly see the outcome of a life lived in arrogant defiance of the LORD of Hosts. He wants us to recognize that the remnant, those who trust in the LORD for their salvation, will sing a song of contempt against Satan, the king of Babylon whose arrogant defiance seeks to destroy God’s perfect creation. Those who are inhabited by God’s Spirit, seek to put to death the deeds of the flesh, the pride that leads them astray, and seek to live in humble obedience to Him (see Rom. 8). That’s not an option, that’s an expectation.

But let me state this very, very clearly. You don’t need to get your life straightened out in order to come to Jesus. Just come to Him as you are and let Him do the straightening out. He loves you, but He loves you too much to leave you in a mess. He places His Spirit within those who believe Him and His Spirit begins the work of restoring the image of God in us. As He does so, our desires begin to be replaced by His desires. Our wills begin to conform to the shape of His will. Our thoughts are transformed by His thoughts. We don’t look like Him immediately, but His presence immediately begins to have its effect upon us and it continues throughout our lives.

One last thought… this song of contempt is not just a song of contempt at what Satan has done but it is also a song of contempt against his greatest and most effective tool, human pride and arrogance. When God’s Spirit takes up residence within us it immediately clashes with our sense pride and our arrogant nature and sense of independence. For the church to be effective in the hands of our God, we must die to self and crucify our pride at the foot of the cross. We must not live independent lives but we must live in absolute and total dependence upon Him and in fellowship with each other.

If Jesus came to serve then the greatest calling we have is to serve alongside Him. So sing with me a song of contempt at self and pride and kneel with me in service with Him.