Isaiah 14: 16-19

¹⁶ “Those who see you will gaze at you,
They will ponder over you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
¹⁷ Who made the world like a wilderness
And overthrew its cities,
Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’
¹⁸ “All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
Each in his own tomb.
¹⁹ “But you have been cast out of your tomb
Like a rejected branch,
Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit
Like a trampled corpse.

The Sheol serenade continues this week, its residents dumbfounded at the appearance of the King of Babylon. Even though they are surprised, the chant they sing takes a mocking turn. They recognize that, even though in Sheol, they received a king's burial. Not so this newcomer, who is "cast out of your tomb" and buried "like a trampled corpse." (vs 19) [More on the significance of this final treatment next post.]

Our text today isn't particularly challenging from a study standpoint. What makes this so interesting for me, though, is something my Canadian bloggy friend intimated in comments after last week's post. This week in particular--see if you agree with me, Carmen--contrast this description of the King of Babylon with what Scripture says about God or Jesus Christ. Pretty remarkable contrast....


King of Babylon:
"'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms...." (vs. 16)
Jesus Christ: 
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

King of Babylon:
"Who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities...." (vs. 17)
God: 
"You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years...." (Deuteronomy 8:2a)

King of Babylon:
"Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'...." (vs. 17)
Jesus Christ: 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed...." (Luke 4:18, Jesus speaking from Isaiah 61) 

King of Babylon:
“All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb." (vs. 18)
Jesus Christ:
"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.... 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him....' Jesus said to her, 'Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God."'" (John 20: 1 and 2; 17)

King of Babylon:
"But you have been cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch...." (vs. 19)
Jesus Christ:
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." (John 15: 5 and 6)

King of Babylon:
"Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword...." (vs. 19)
Jesus Christ:
"To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen." (Revelation 1: 5b-7)

King of Babylon:
"Who go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse." (vs. 19)
"Bless the Lord, O my soul....":

"Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion...." (Psalm 103:4)

For me, regardless of to whom "King of Babylon" refers, the text makes no doubt that he is as far from Jesus as one could be.

 

The dirge is done in a couple more verses, but the Chapter continues.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo:hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu

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Next week: Isaiah 14: 16-19
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).