Scripture Daily

Context No. 2633 of 4322 · Isaiah

Context · Reflection

Isaiah 13:1-5: in context

1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones. 4The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! The LORD of Armies is mustering the army for the battle. 5They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

Isaiah announces the coming fall of Babylon, and the striking thing is who does the mustering. God says, I have commanded my consecrated ones; I have summoned my warriors for my anger. The LORD of hosts is gathering an army for battle, coming from a distant land, and they are called the weapons of his indignation. The foreign forces that will topple Babylon are described as God's own instruments, called and consecrated for his purpose.

Consider the claim. The soldiers who will march against Babylon do not know they are serving Israel's God; they think they are pursuing their own conquest. Yet Isaiah calls them God's consecrated ones, mustered by him, weapons in his hand. Behind the visible clash of empires, God is directing the whole thing. This is a recurring comfort and warning of the prophets, that the large forces of history, the armies and powers that seem to move on their own, are in fact instruments God can pick up and set down. What looks like the world running on its own momentum is, at a deeper level, being directed.

Do I see the large forces and events of the world as beyond God's control, or as instruments he is able to direct toward his purpose?

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