Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 16

Verses 1-5

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 16

ORACLE CONCERNING MOAB - Continued

Verse 1-5: MOAB TO SUBMIT TO THE THRONE OF DAVID

1. Seiss renders verse 1 far differently than most commentators: "Send ye (or, I will send) the Lamb, the Ruler of the land, from Sela of the wilderness unto the mount of the daughter of Zion" - making the passage allude to Messiah, the anointed king of Israel, (Seiss, Apoc. sec. 10; p. 282 footnote).

a. This surely harmonizes with numerous other passages which indicate an appearance of the Messiah "in the wilderness" where He deals "face to face" with a remnant of His people whom He gathers there - protecting them from the fierceness and wrath of the Man of Sin, (Ezekiel 20:33-39; Revelation 12:13-17).

b. Here Messiah will also lay the foundation (assigning roles of authority and responsibility) for the righteous rule to be established when, with His saints, He marches toward Jerusalem (resisted by Anti-christ and his forces), stands on the Mt of Olives, vanquishes His foes and raises up the fallen throne of His father, David, to rule thereon for 1,000 glorious years! (Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:3-4; Amos 9:11; Acts 15:15-17).

2. Moab is commanded to hide the "outcasts" of Israel, believed to be in Petra, who have taken refuge among them, until the time arrives for the destruction of the Man of Sin, (comp. Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 32:2).

3. As Moab provides a sanctuary for His people in Petra, so, the Lord will protect Moab from the destroyer in the last days.

4. Verse 5 clearly refers to the coming kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all; His throne is established:

a. In loving-kindness ("hesed", fidelity to His covenant promise) - one of the highest and greatest concepts set forth in the Old Testament, (Isaiah 54:8; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Hosea 6:6; comp. Matthew 9:10-13; Matthew 12:7; Hosea 2:20).

b. In justice and righteousness, (Psalms 103:6; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 32:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:5).

Verses 6-14

Verse 6-14: THE DEVASTATION OF MOAB

1. Moab is charged with pride, arrogance, wrath and boastings which are lies, (Verse 6; Jeremiah 48:29-30).

2. Deep humiliation awaits him; the joyful shout and song of his vineyards will be exchanged for mourning, (Verse 7-8).

a. His grapes are withered - being unattended.

b. And his choice vines are destroyed by the lords of the nations, (Amos 2:1; Obadiah 1:3-4; Zephaniah 2:8-10).

3. Likening his own feelings to the sad notes of a harp, the prophet is deeply moved at the intensity of Moab’s distress - his heart broken for a guilty, unrepentant people upon whom he must pronounce the calamity of divine wrath, (Verse 9, 11; Jeremiah 48:32-35).

4. Desperately appealing to his idols to deliver him from impending ruin, Moab finds them powerless, (Verse 12; Psalms 115:4-7; Jeremiah 10:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 1 Corinthians 10:20).

5. The reference (Verse 13) to what the Lord spoke "concerning Moab of old" may look clear back to the time of Balak, who attempted to hire Balaam to curse the .people of God.

6. The calamity of Moab is now imminent; within three years everything in which he glorified will be. disgraced - that which remains being small and of little value, (Isaiah 25:10-12; Jeremiah 48:42-44).