In our study of Isaiah chapter fifteen, we look at God's judgment on the Moabites and are reminded that almost doesn't count when we are talking about a right relationship with God.
** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.
For a deep dive discussion of this chapter, you can listen to The Olive Grove Podcast on Youtube.
This is a prophecy about Mo'av: The night 'Ar is sacked, Mo'av is ruined. The night Kir is sacked, Mo'av is ruined.
As we have seen in the last couple of chapters, God is dealing with Israel's neighbors and, here, He turns to the Moabites. Lot, the nephew of Avraham, had a son with his oldest daughter after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 19). This son's name was Moab and the land of Moab is what we call Jordan today. Ar and Kir were the two strongholds of the land and we see, here, a prophecy that they will be destroyed in a single night. In our world today, we do not even wonder about the fact that a city can be destroyed in a night. But, at the time of Isaiah, they did not have the weapons of mass destruction that we have and so the only way that this would be possible is by the very power of God.
He went up to the temple, to Dibon and to the high places, to weep. On N'vo and Meidva Mo'av is howling, every head shaved bald, every beard cut off. In the streets they wear sackcloth; on their roofs and in their squares, everyone howls and weeps profusely. Heshbon and El'aleh cry out, they are heard as far as Yachatz. Mo'av's best troops cry aloud, as their courage faints away.
We see the widespread destruction of the cities and the fact that the people cry out to their idols. We see that they shave their heads and beards as well as wearing sackcloth which were things that the Israelites did as signs of repentance. We see that the Moabites were going through the motions but did not worship God. They had inherited this from Lot as he had been close to faith in God as he traveled with Avram but had missed out when he made the choice to settle among the people of Sodom. Much the same type of thing is happening today as many will go and sit in a pew and go through the motions but they do not have a true faith in God. This is what many call the "almost persuaded" as they are so close to the kingdom of God but fall short of putting their trust in Yeshua Messiah. They, like the Moabites, are destined to be judged and this will be rapid just as is foretold here.
My heart cries out for Mo'av! Its fugitives flee to Tzo'ar, a calf three years old. They ascend the slope of Luchit, weeping as they go; on their way to Horonayim, they utter heartrending cries.
Here, we see that the people fled instead of repenting and turning to God. We see how much God cares for them as his heart cries out for them. The same is true for the almost persuaded of today as God's heart cries out each and every Sunday as they are so close to the kingdom and yet so far. They, like the Moabites, will attempt to flee the coming judgment of God.
The waters of Nimrim are desolate, the grass is dried up, the new growth fails, nothing green is left. Therefore they carry away their wealth, everything they have put aside, across the Vadi of the Willows. For the cry has circulated throughout Mo'av's territory - its howling has reached Eglayim, its howling has reached Be'er-Elim.
God judged the land of Moab and the people fled. We are reminded that storing up wealth on this earth is a waste of time. The "almost persuaded" will put in their time in a church service but the majority of their time is focused on building their legacy or their bank accounts.
For the waters of Dimon are full of blood, yet I have worse in store for Dimon - a lion for those who escape from Mo'av and for those who remain in its land.
The water for the city of Dibon was turned to blood and they fled but still more judgment was to follow. Just as the blood was a sign for Pharaoh to repent and let Israel go, God was still calling them to repent before the coming final judgment. This pattern continues as we see waters turned to blood during the Great Tribulation period before the coming final judgment by Yeshua Messiah (the Lion of the tribe of Judah). The "almost persuaded" will not escape the coming judgment!
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