MOAB SUBMITTING TO JUDAH In the days of Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah gave counsel to Moab to fulfill the tax it promised to pay Judah, in the form of lambs, as Moab was known for its livestock (Numbers 32: 4). Moab, later on, also gave similar taxes to Israel (2 Kings 3: 4). Abiding to that counsel, Moab would enjoy protection, instead of becoming like “a wandering bird thrown out of the nest” (Is. 16: 2). Fearing that Moab may reject his counsel, Isaiah revealed to it its fatal wounds, that is ‘pride.’ This is an invitation offered to every soul to submit to the Lord Christ, the King coming out of the tribe of Judah, to present its life as a sacrificed lamb, for the sake of the Lord, in order to enjoy inner peace, instead of getting destroyed by denial of faith and by pride. 1. A counsel to Moab to submit to Judah 1-5. 2. Pride, the destroyer of man 6. 3. Wailing for Moab 7-14. 1. A COUNSEL TO SUBMIT TO JUDAH We have already seen how the heart of Isaiah was moved in great compassion toward Moab, making him wail for their sake. Now, he is offering them a good counsel to mend their ways, to enjoy good relations with Judah, and to enjoy peace and protection, through giving the taxes (lambs) to king Hezekiah. This is a symbol of the invitation to nations to submit to the Lord Christ, the Lion coming out of the tribe of Judah; as there would be neither peace nor eternal life without receiving Him as a King in our inner life. At the end of the previous chapter, it was said: “Lions upon him who escapes from Moab; and on the remnant of the land” (Is. 15: 9). That lion might be Hezekiah or, according to others, the Lord Christ, the Lion coming out of the tribe of Judah, to reign spiritually over nations1. The prophet himself offers to intercede on behalf of Moab, if they are ready to pay their taxes: “Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest. So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of Arnon.” (Is. 16: 1, 2) ’Sela,’ is a Hebrew name that means ‘rock,’ called by the Greeks ‘Petra,’ having the same meaning. Josephus2 tells us that among the kings of the Midianites who fell before Moses was one Rekem, king of Rekem (akre, or rekeme), the city deriving its name from its founder. This he says was the Arabic name; the Greeks called it Petra. Eusebius, Onomasticon says Petra is a city of Arabia in the land of Edom. It is called Jechthoel; but the Syrians call it Rekem. Jokteel, as we have seen, must be sought elsewhere. There can be no doubt that Josephus intended the city in Wady Musa3. It has been a fortified location on the top of a mountain in the land of Edom, to which the Edomites used to take refuge in case of emergency; as a strong undefeatable natural castle, known nowadays as Emm-El-Biara. Amaziah had subjected it (2 Kings 14:7). The emperor Hadrian named it Hadriana, as appears from a coin. It is as though the prophet is inviting the Moabites, who took refuge in Edom, 1 Cf. Bultema, p. 177. 2 Ant, IV, vii, 1. 3 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. and got fortified in Sela, to join the rest of their countrymen in the wilderness, in submission to Judah, and in sending lambs to Jerusalem ‘the mount of the daughter of Zion.’ It is an invitation to every man to refrain from leaning on natural fortifications or on human arm as refuge. His peace lies in his heading to Jerusalem, to submit his life as a sacrifice of love to the Son of David, the Lion coming out of the tribe of Judah. The Lion came as a Lamb, to be crucified out of Jerusalem, so that we, as lambs - living sacrifices - would partake of His passions to enter into His heavenly Jerusalem. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12: 1) It may be said: How could a body become a sacrifice? Let the eye refrain from seeing evil, to become a sacrifice! Let the tongue refrain from uttering uncleanness, to become a sacrifice! Let the hand refrain from committing a sinful act, to become a complete burnt offering... By that, we are in no need of a knife, an altar, or fire. We would rather need all those, yet not made by hand, to come to us from above. We need an exalted knife and fire on an altar heaven wide. If Elijah had offered a visible sacrifice, to be consumed together with all water, wood and stones, by a fire that came down from above, what would it be for you?4 St. John Chrysostom Bring along your offerings... offerings of your soul!5 St. Jerome Outside of the Lord Christ, the prophet sees the daughters of Moab crossing the river Arnon, as wandering birds, thrown out of the nest, or as scattered chickens, lacking the warmth and protection of wings (Is. 16: 2). Yet through receiving Him, we get underneath the wings of His cross, to find our comfort, peace, and our inner satisfaction. Likewise, the prophet offers a counsel to the elders of Judah, asking them to receive the outcasts of Moab who come to take refuge in their midst; to give them “shadow like the night in the middle of the day. Do not to betray him who escapes... Be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler.” (Is. 16: 3, 4) It is fitting for the men of Judah to bear a symbol of the Lord Christ, the true refuge, in opening their hearts and cities to the refugees, in receiving them with no betray. That would proclaim the kingdom of Christ, established eternally upon the throne of mercy: “In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.” (Is. 16: 5) Thus the prophet presents to us a Messianic text, proclaiming that the Church - the tabernacle of David - is the refuge, where the Messiah reigns, to draw the nations to Him, to find in Him the truth, to enjoy divine mercies, and to sing with the Psalmist: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your thron.; Mercy and truth go before Your face... For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our King to the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 89: 14, 18) 4 In Rom, hom 20. 5 On Ps, hom, 23. 2. PRIDE, THE DESTROYER OF MAN The prophet Isaiah offered good counsel to Moab, as did the prophet Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4: 27). Yet, he revealed at the same time their spiritual weakness - their pride - as a probable hindrance against receiving his counsel: “We have heard of the pride of Moab - he is very proud… of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath.” (Is. 16: 5) The prophet heard of the Moabite’s boasting and exceeding pride and empty words. Pride is a destroyer of man as well as of nations, depriving man of receiving good counsel, and enjoyment of God’s grace and mercy. 3. WAILING FOR MOAB The leaders of Moab did not listen to the voice of Isaiah, because of their pride and conceit; that is why they fell under bitter punishments, and deserved what would befall them, of which are the following: a. Occurrence of total wailing: “Therefore Moab shall wail for Moab. Everyone shall wail” (Is. 16: 7) b. Wailing covered the largest cities of Moab, like Kir Hareseth (Is. 16: 7), that was stricken; beside the fields that withered, like those of Heshbon and the vine of Sibmeh and Jazer (Is. 16: 8, 9); Covered both cities and villages, literate and illiterates, rich and poor, etc. Heshbon, Sibmeh, and Jazer, were well famed for their rich vines. c. The feasts of harvest turned into weeping and mourning. In place of the joyful shouting of the feast, bitter shouting of battle was heard (Is. 16: 10). d. The Moabites set forth to the high places, to pray to the god Chemosh, but with no avail (Is. 16: 12). e. “But now the Lord has spoken, saying, ‘Within three years... the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.” (Is. 16: 14) That will occur on the hands of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. And such would be the destiny of a proud man. He would be like Moab, wailing would prevail over his life as a whole, in all aspects, large and small; would lose inner joy and gladness of the heart; his feasts would turn into sorrow; his worship would be of no avail; would collapse day after day to lose his glory completely. Yet, amid that dark portrait, the prophet Isaiah reveals two impressive joyful sides: The first is his partaking of the troubles of Moab, even though the fruit of their sins, saying, “My heart shall resound like a harp for Moab, and my inner being for Kir Heres.” (Is. 16: 11) The second side is the presence of very small and feeble remnant (Is. 16: 14). In the past, the Moabite Ruth enjoyed salvation, having come to seek refuge under the shadow of God. And in the New Testament the Gentiles came into faith to enjoy the new life in Christ Jesus.
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