Day 123: Isaiah 21- WATch

The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. 
As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land. 2 A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O Elam; lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end. 3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. 4 My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling. 5 They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield!

6 For thus the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. 7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently.” 8 Then he who saw cried out: “Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights. 9 And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!” And he answered,  “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods  he has shattered to the ground.” 10 O my threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you.

11 The oracle concerning Dumah. One is calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, what time of the night? Watchman, what time of the night?” 12 The watchman says: “Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again.”
13 The oracle concerning Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites. 14 To the thirsty bring water; meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema. 15 For they have fled from the swords,  from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the press of battle.

16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”

Meditation
This week a friend of mine was laid off- he did not see it coming, another casualty of the COVID19 crisis.  Wouldn’t you love to see around the corner, seeing what will happen next, so that you can feel prepared? Or is there something more stable to watch for?

Isaiah is called to be “a watchman” for God’s people, a prophet who receives Divine revelation concerning what will happen next. But Isaiah sees more than the future. Babylon, a power pushing for prominence in the region, would soon rise to the top- but their power would not sustain. Like other political and economic empires, Babylon will fall and Isaiah sees the folly of trusting in Babylon for hope. 

Understanding how the word “watchman” is used in the OT helps us understand we need to see more than the future. We need to see the One ordering our future:
Deuteronomy 7:9 The Lord watches, or keeps, His covenant in faithfulness.
1 Samuel 17:20 The Shepherd watches, or keeps, his sheep as the Lord watches His people. (Psalm 34:20)
1 Kings 8:23; Nehemiah 1:5; Daniel 9:4 The Steadfast love of the Lord watches, or keeps, His covenant.

Isaiah’s message focuses on where God’s people should watch in uncertain times. The only thing certain is that nothing is certain and everything changes. What is unchanging is our God who watches over us, keeping His covenant in faithfulness. Our eyes should be watching Him rather than the wind and waves of our circumstances. 

Richly Dwelling
-Would you rather see around the corner, knowing what will happen next OR have a deeper faith in our unchanging God? Why?

-“Morning comes, and also the night.” How does knowing God is unchanging in the midst of ever-changing days strengthen you for tomorrow?

-What do you need to stop watching in order to focus more on our God who is watching over you? He sees around the corner, and you can trust Him!

Key Verse
6 For thus the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees.