Prophecy To Moab

Isaiah 15:1-16:14

“The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.  In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.  And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.” (Isaiah 15:1-4)

The people of Moab were descendants of Abraham’s nephew, Lot.  They had adopted their own religion and culture and were jealous of the way God blessed Israel, resulting to a lot of conflict over the years.  Moab was located east of the Dead Sea, in present day Jordan.   Because they have opposed Israel so many times, God will bring them into judgment.   According to Daniel 11, the Tribulation will start with an invasion of the Middle East, led by the king of the North in an attempt to settle the unrest.  This will result in a treaty with Israel and the defeat of the people around them.   The land of Moab will be one of those who are defeated. 

“My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.  For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.

Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows.  For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.  For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.   Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.  For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.” (Isaiah 15:5-16:2)

Emboldened by his success in the Middle East, the king of the North will attempt to subjugate some of the islands and will be defeated, probably by China.  Another government will be formed to establish economic security but will fail after just a short time, partly as a result of drought and climate change resulting in widespread famine.   Starving wild animals will attack people  and anarchy and starvation will cause people to accept the Antichrist’s promises of a better future and make him ruler.   Moab will be one of the regions which are especially hard hit.   It will reach a point where the Moabite people flee take refuge in Israel in hopes of surviving.

“Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.  Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.  And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.” (Isaiah16:3-5)

When the Antichrist comes to power, half way through the tribulation, he will break his treaty with Israel and force most of those who believe in God to flee.  Moab will be one of the places they go for safety.  God calls on Moab to assist them as they helped Moab earlier.  In exchange for having mercy on the Jews, God will protect Moab. 

“We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.  Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.  For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.” (Isaiah 16:6-8)

While the previous part of the prophecy dealt with what would happen far in the future, the final part deals with what would happen to Moab in the immediate future.  Though they were descendants of Lot, Moab had never followed God, convinced they could succeed without his help.   God will destroy their pride and self-confidence.  They would be overrun and subjugated by people who were not of Semetic origin, the heathen, who would destroy their agriculture and scatter their people, wiping out their established government. 

 

“Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.  And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.  Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.   And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.” (Isaiah 16:9-12)

Though they had rejected him for centuries, God still loved them and hated to see them suffer, but their rebellion has resulted in it.  They will no longer produce in abundance as they once did but will struggle to produce enough to survive.  Instead of a joyfully working their fields, it would be a hard, unrewarding chore.  When thy prayed to the gods they had chosen, it would not make any difference.   

This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.  But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.” (Isaiah 16:13-14)

God had repeatedly warned Moab of the consequences of ignoring him.  At this time he was going to do what he warned them about.  Within three years, the Assyrians would conquer them, taking away their self-government and making them an Assyrian territory.   Their huge army would amount to nothing.  History records the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy.