Introduction to Isaiah 13-35

The contents of Isaiah 13-35 are very different from chapters 1-12. Those first twelve chapters address Judah’s deeply ingrained sin, King Ahaz’s faithless dependence on Assyria, and God’s promise to restore Israel through a virgin-born, Spirit-led, divine Son to be Israel’s great and final King.

But in chapter 13, God speaks to a new nation, one that had been subjugated by the Assyrian Empire along with the rest of the Middle East. Within a century, this nation, Babylon, would rise to power as the next major world empire.

Babylon is just the first nation named in a string of prophetic oracles against the Gentile nations of the world. From Isaiah 13-34, Yahweh promises judgment to multiple Gentile domains: Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Cush, Egypt, Arabia, Tyre, and Edom. 

Last, in chapter 35, after all the nations have been judged, we see new life spring up throughout the world, especially in the wilderness places of the Middle East. God’s ransomed people return to Him in Zion. There is a stunning spiritual renewal because now God is reigning on earth to make it a holy place.

From a historical perspective, we could say Isaiah 1-12 speaks of the period when King Ahaz reigned (732-715 BC), whereas Isaiah 13-35 speaks of the next period, from 715 BC and beyond, when Hezekiah reigned. This is supported by Isaiah’s references to King Ahaz’s death (14:28, 715 BC) and to Sargon II, the Assyrian King who attacked Ashdod (20:1, 711 BC).

Taken as a whole, chapters 13-35 warn Jews and Gentiles that Yahweh sees every sin. Thus, every nation, whether small or great, and its inhabitants will be judged by God. After this, a new world order will arrive with God as the only King.

This gives a beneficial warning to believers today: every nation and individual will be judged. Every sin will be punished. We might live in a relatively moral nation, but it is still desperately wicked. We might lead very moral lives, but we aren’t close to perfection. This section trains us to examine ourselves and our culture through the lens of God’s Word.

It also gives us an encouragement: depend on God all the time. Chapters 13-35 give us a continual promise from God that He is coming, He will overcome the nations, and believers will join Him in His great kingdom. So we must fix our minds on Him and His promises, not the environment around us. 

There’s a reason God tells us “In all your ways acknowledge Him” (Proverbs 3:6) and “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). There’s a reason the Psalmist writes, “Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). The same basic truth permeates these three verses: we need God. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing we will receive “mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Pastor David

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