18. Isaiah Chapter Eighteen

Isaiah Chapter 18 The beginning of this chapter seems best understood with reference to the fact that Assyria was threatening the nations. The word rendered "Woe" is the same word as that rendered "Ho" in Isaiah 55:1, and is expressive of a summons to hear the word of God. Many interpretations have been suggested of the phrase "shadowing with wings." The most probable seems to be that indicating protection. The land is mentioned as beyond or outside the rivers of Ethiopia, and therefore may be regarded as a region outside the activities of the lands overrun by the powers that had attacked or would attack Israel and the surrounding nations. The idea of protecting care is confirmed by the command to the outside nation to go as swift messengers to Israel. Israel is "scattered and peeled" (other suggested renderings do not appeal as suitable). Israel was terrible to the Canaanites. Israel is "meted out" by God’s decrees and dealings of righteousness, and "trodden down" under divine judgments. Israel’s land was destined to be temporarily spoiled (or divided) by nations famed for their rivers, e.g., the Nile, the Euphrates, and even the Tiber, the "rivers" standing for the oppressing Gentile powers. The outside nations were to go with messages to Israel. They will take part in gathering the scattered outcasts of God’s people, as Isaiah’s prophecies declare, e.g., Isaiah 11:12, which speaks of the same ensign as here in Isaiah 18:3.

Isaiah 18:4 intimates that for the time being He will wait while, under His control, circumstances are developing until the actual time of His intervention, the time figuratively described as "harvest," before which the bud appears and the sour or unripe grape. In due course the Lord would do His pruning upon the foes of Israel and cut down their branches, for fowls and beasts to dwell among them. So it happened in the case of Sennacherib. So it has been, and will be, in every crisis of the strife of nations, and especially when efforts have been put forth to crush God’s chosen people. The passage gives us lessons of confident patience to await God’s time of direct interposition for deliverance, assured that in all our experiences everything is under His absolute control. "The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower." Trials and difficulties are sent to cast us upon God in simple and unwavering dependence upon Him. The nations outside Ethiopia (a comprehensive term) were to wait till God acts and will present Israel itself as an offering to Jehovah of hosts, a beautiful description of the combined act of Gentile nations in helping to assemble the people of Israel at the beginning of the Millennial period. This is confirmed by the closing sentence of the chapter, and the tremendous significance of the event is indicated by the repetition in verse 7 of the facts concerning Israel.