Introduction: You may already know but, if you didn’t, the names Dumah, Seir, Dedan, Tema, and Kedar are the names of five of the grandsons of Abraham. Dedan from Abraham’s wife, Keturah, whom he married after Sarah died. The other four were Ishmael’s sons. Is the ‘One is calling to me from Seir,‘ calling from the tribe of Seir or from a city named after him? I guess it doesn’t matter but I tend to think from the town named after Seir.
11 The oracle concerning Dumah.
One is calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, what time of the night?
Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
come back again.” Comment: The Jews were under captivity in Babylon and it seems as if the enemies of the Jews were tauntingly crying out to the Jews, who were suffering in the calamity of their subjection to Babylon “how are you enjoying the situation?’ The ‘me‘ underlined in the second line of the oracle was presumably Isaiah, who answers, ‘relief is coming with the coming of the morning!’ Why did they cry out the same question twice? Perhaps it was something like, ‘And what about us?’ To which the reply was ‘the night is coming for you!’ Is there a slight taunt from Isaiah in the phrase ‘If you will inquire, inquire; come back again’? He then gives in some detail what is going to happen in Arabia (the area where all of this is centered.)!
13 The oracle concerning Arabia.
In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge,
O caravans of Dedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
meet the fugitive with bread,
O inhabitants of the land of Tema. (- Comment: The only very positive command in this oracle is given to the Grandson of Abraham who was not a descendant of Ishmael. They are told to be caring for the stricken Ishmaelites!)
15 For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the press of battle.
16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.” – I sometimes wonder if we are good at reading what is going on around us now! My safety is in the fact that God is in control!
Isaiah 21: 16 – For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
Prayer: Father would You require me to do more than sing “Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save”?
As I read it! 