1 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD’S land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: Comment: We tend to live in a world with many ups and downs! Prophetically Isaiah in chapters 13 and 14 puts the Babylonians on a roller-coaster ride! The victors are defeated and the slave-masters become slaves! ‘Taunt’ here is a noun referring to a remark (here a very lengthy and provocative remark) made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone – specifically here the King of Babylon.
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury ceased! Comment:- The tables have turned!
5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6 that struck the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution. – Action 1 -your. rule has ceased
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8 The cypresses rejoice at you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.’ – The result of action 1 – peace and rest.
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations. – Action 2 – the coverings are opened to welcome them!
10 All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers. – The result of action 2 – reversed roles and maggots!
This is powerful stuff. Please note that there are another 11 verses of this ‘taunt’ remaining to be considered tomorrow!
Proverbs 26: 27 – Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. – Remember that the Babylonians did dig the pit!
Prayer: Help me, please, to avoid the crippling stupid decisions which it is so easy to make. O Lord, I ask for Your sort of wisdom!
As I read it! 