Isaiah 15:1
1 The burden [massa'] of Moab [Mow'ab]. Because in the night [layil] Ar [`Ar] of Moab [Mow'ab] is laid waste [shadad], and
brought to silence [damah]; because in the
night [layil] Kir [Qiyr] of Moab [Mow'ab] is laid
waste [shadad], and brought to silence [damah]; KJV-Interlinear
1 The oracle concerning Moab. Surely
in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; Surely in a night Kir of Moab
is devastated and ruined. NASB
This chapter continues
the series of prophecies that began in chapter 13 and continue until chapter
twenty-three.
All are connected with
the word, 'massa,' usually translated burden, but it also means prophecy,
utterance, doom, heavy weight as in a burden too heavy to carry.
This prophecy is
intended to convey the idea of extremely important information that carries
with it the heavy burden of truth, the burden of conveying the information, and
certainly the burden on the target of the information, which in this chapter
happens to be Moab.
Moab is the region to
the east of Judah. Its western boundary
is the Dead Sea and the Jordon River and its eastern boundary is the Arabian
Desert. Its northern boundary was Ammon
and its southern boundary was Edom.
Moab was named after
one of the two sons of Lot, Moab and Ammon, both of who were the result of an incestuous
relationship between Lot and his two daughters.
This relationship occurred after they fled the destruction of Sodom. Lots wife died by being turned into a pillar
of salt, during the destruction of Sodom, as they fled Sodom.
Isaiah’s prophecy now turns
to the east of Judah, and upon Moab, having finished the previous prophecy
against Philistia, which was to the west of Judah.
Two ancient cities are
mentioned here, Ar and Kir.
The location of Ar is
uncertain. It is mentioned in Num. 21,
and may have been a capital of Moab at one time, also called Rabbath, but that
is not certain as far as archeology is concerned.
Kir means fortress and
is thought to have been located on a mountain to the south of the country where
it would have had good fortifications.
Both cities have long
since been destroyed. Isaiah mentions
them since they were once important cities, but now are gone.
In the night, refers to
a time when most people are at rest and not necessarily expecting anything to
happen to them. However, this also means
that people can look to themselves in confidence and presume that nothing bad,
certainly their own destruction, would never occur.
And that is the meaning
taken on here.
Moab represents a
people that have become content with their existence as it is, despite the
destruction that is occurring all around them, as would be the case in the
final days of history, during the Tribulation.
And as they are no longer
around in history or even questionable in archeology, so too, when those final
days of history arrive, these people and many like them, who have become
acclimated to the ways of life, difficult at they will be during the Tribulation,
will again be wiped away from history, to their utter surprise.
And the emphasis here
is on their surprise when they should not have been surprised.
In the night, paints
the picture of a people that do not see their own destruction coming and do not
believe that their own destruction will come.
Now remember that when
the Tribulation begins, with the Rapture ending our current dispensation, there
will be a huge population of people, all unbelievers, remaining on this earth.
The restraint on sin will
be lifted and the world will be left to run itself free as it pleases.
The first action of the
world will be to take on a world leader who we call the anti-christ. That will come at the hand of violence and
then life will deteriorate rapidly from there.
During the first half
of those seven years, or the first, three-and-a-half years, of the Tribulation,
literally half of the worlds population will die from starvation, disease, and
extraordinary violence of every kind imaginable.
That statistic alone
should tell someone that things are not right.
But here we have Moab
as the example of a people who simply do not see all of the destruction of the
world, as applying to them.
And so, surprise,
surprise, in the night, which is not necessarily in the literal night, but can be,
but at a time when you do not expect something, then it does rapidly come to
visit you and overtake you.
And you are shocked by
this?
In the night also
refers to a rapid destruction.
Their destruction will occur
fast, and it will be thorough. So
thorough that there will be hardly enough time to even know that you are being
destroyed, and, as the night is accompanied with darkness so that you cannot
see it coming, then the destruction will be totally confusing like being caught
up in a whirlwind, disoriented during the whole destructive process.
What happened? Where did that come from? These will be the attitude and response.
Confusion, terror,
destruction and death is all around and you do not have the time to figure it
all out it is all so rapid, and unexpected.
And such is the destiny
of Moab, which is the description of the destiny of all evil peoples everywhere,
who have looked to their world leader, for answers and help, but no help or
answers will be there, ever, except that which they will have been witnessing
for the seven years during the whole of the Tribulation, but have refused to
see.
