Isaiah 14:4-20 – Death of the King
God is going kind of in a reverse order here in this chapter. He deals with far off enemies first, not far off in physical distance, but in time. For in the time that Isaiah lived, Babylon was not a threat, but somewhat of an ally of Judah. At the time that Isaiah was living, the danger was a different country, and that was Assyria. Before that the great enemy had been the Philistines.
First, we will look at the death of the king. We don’t know if this is talking particularly about the last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, or if we are dealing with the whole institution of the royal family of Babylon. But it doesn’t make much difference. In verses 4-6, we see the character of the king. He is not a protector, he is not a just man. No, he is a dictator. He is an oppressor. He is a tyrant.
In verses 7 and 8, the whole earth is at rest and quiet. The kings of Babylon were seeking to get everything. What would happen to the poor trees? They’d be cut down to be used, perhaps as weapons, or just to deny their use to the country that’s being swallowed up. There’s no more burning, and trampling, and so on from the Babylonian troops.
In verses 9-10, Hell is excited to meet Babylon. All the kings of the nations shall speak and say, Have you become like us? The dead are astonished. How is the king of Babylon here so soon? What a contrast! He who was so strong is in a moment completely powerless. He’s become like one of them.
Verses 11- 20 deal with those standing around the king’s corpse. He had looked quite impressive with his gold crown, with his gorgeous robes, and clothing, and all. But his impressive appearance has turned to maggots. The kings of Babylon did not consider themselves ordinary people, but gods. But their unbelievable pride is laid in the dust. Those standing around almost can’t believe what they see. Instead of an honourable burial, he is treated like a bag of rotting rubbish.
Questions
- What is the king like?
- How has he been brought low?
Prayer Points
- Pray that our nation would repent from its pride.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.