A throne will even be established in lovingkindness,
And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David;
Moreover, he will seek justice
And be prompt in righteousness (Isaiah 16:5).

Throughout these oracles of judgment against the nations and Israel, there are glimpses of Messianic hope. Here is one of them, right in the midst of the oracle against Moab. Moab, unlike the other foreign nations mentioned, was a close relative to Israel, for the Moabites came from Lot, who was Abraham's nephew. 

A throne is mentioned and a judge, who will sit in the tent of David. This is an allusion to God's covenant with David, where David was promised an forever throne and kingdom:

Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

Isaiah wrote of this Davidic king earlier:

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Once again we see that this king will reign with justice and righteousness. He carries the title and authority of God. This is the Messianic king.

And His throne will not be established by the ways of men but by "the zeal of the Lord Almighty." Thus, in our text today, we read, "A throne will even be established in lovingkindness." The word translated "lovingkindess" is the Hebrew word hesed, which always points to God's absolute faithulness to keep His covenant promises. Thus, we understand that this throne is established on the basis of God's promise to David.

Friends, what is the basis of our hope? It is simply this: the promises of God. We believe that "He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it" (Philippians 1:6). We believe in the promise of John 3:!6, that "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." We believe in the promise of Romans 8:1, where Paul tells us, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." 

The people of Israel, who heard Isaiah's prophecy, also put their faith in this same promise:

A throne will even be established in lovingkindness,
And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent ofDavid;
Moreover, he will seek justice
And be prompt in righteousness (Isaiah 16:5).

In view of such great promises from the Lord Almighty, how then should we live today? Listen to Peter's counsel after he described the fiery judgment by which the present world would be destroyed:

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (2 Peter 3:11-14).

Let us live holy and godly lives, making every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him, so help us God!

One of things that I would like to do on this site is to clarify confusing texts and expose unbiblical teachings. One such passage that may fall within this scope is Isaiah 14, where God taunts the Babylonian monarch for his lofty arrogance. Many today presume that while the earthly king is immediately in view, Satan is also in view in light of a reference to "Lucifer" and boasts that exceed the realm of human experience. However, while this is a fascinating proposition, it may be untrue. Consider the following exchange on the site apologeticspress.org:

Is Satan "Lucifer"?

Q. 

Isaiah 14:12 mentions the name of "Lucifer." I’ve heard it said that this is Satan. Are Lucifer and Satan one and the same?

A.

It is sad, but nevertheless true, that on occasion Bible students attribute to God’s Word facts and concepts that it neither teaches nor advocates. These ill-advised beliefs run the entire gamut—from harmless misinterpretations to potentially soul-threatening false doctrines.

Although there are numerous examples from both categories that could be listed, perhaps one of the most popular misconceptions among Bible believers is that Satan also is designated as “Lucifer” within the pages of the Bible. What is the origin of the name Lucifer, what is its meaning, and is it a synonym for “Satan”? Here are the facts.

The word “Lucifer” is used in the King James Version only once, in Isaiah 14:12: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” The Hebrew word translated “Lucifer” is helel (or heylel), from the root, hâlâl, meaning “to shine” or “to bear light.” Keil and Delitzsch noted that “[i]t derives its name in other ancient languages also from its striking brilliancy, and is here called ben-shachar (son of the dawn)... (1982, 7:311). However, the KJV translators did not translate helel as Lucifer because of something inherent in the Hebrew term itself. Instead, they borrowed the name from Jerome’s translation of the Bible (A.D. 383-405) known as the Latin Vulgate. Jerome, likely believing that the term was describing the planet Venus, employed the Latin term “Lucifer” (“light-bearing”) to designate “the morning star” (Venus). Only later did the suggestion originate that Isaiah 14:12ff. was speaking of the devil. Eventually, the name Lucifer came to be synonymous with Satan. But is Satan “Lucifer”?

No, he is not. The context into which verse 12 fits begins in verse 4 where God told Isaiah to “take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, ‘How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!’” In his commentary on Isaiah, Albert Barnes explained that God’s wrath was kindled against the king because the ruler “intended not to acknowledge any superior either in heaven or earth, but designed that himself and his laws should be regarded as supreme” (1950, 1:272). The chest-pounding boast of the impudent potentate was:

I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High (vss. 13-14).

As a result of his egotistical self-deification, the pagan monarch eventually would experience both the collapse of his kingdom and the loss of his life—an ignominious end that is described in vivid and powerful terms. “Sheol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming,” the prophet proclaimed to the once-powerful king. And when the ruler finally descends into his eternal grave, captives of that hidden realm will taunt him by saying, “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?” (vs. 16). He is denominated as a “man” (vs. 16) who would die in disrepute and whose body would be buried, not in a king’s sarcophagus, but in pits reserved for the downtrodden masses (vss. 19-20). Worms would eat his body, and hedgehogs would trample his grave (vss. 11,23).

It was in this context that Isaiah referred to the king of Babylon as “the morning star” (“son of the morning”; “son of the dawn”) to depict the once-shining-but-now-dimmed, once-lofty-but-now-diminished, status of the (soon to be former) ruler. In his Bible Commentary, E.M. Zerr observed that such phrases were “...used figuratively in this verse to symbolize the dignity and splendor of the Babylonian monarch. His complete overthrow was likened to the falling of the morning star” (1954, 3:265). This kind of phraseology should not be surprising since “[i]n the O.T., the demise of corrupt national powers is frequently depicted under the imagery of falling heavenly luminaries (cf. Isa. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7), hence, quite appropriately in this context the Babylonian monarch is described as a fallen star [cf. ASV]” (Jackson, 1987, 23:15).

Nowhere within the context of Isaiah 14, however, is Satan depicted as Lucifer. In fact, quite the opposite is true. In his commentary on Isaiah, Burton Coffman wrote: “We are glad that our version (ASV) leaves the word Lucifer out of this rendition, because...Satan does not enter into this passage as a subject at all” (1990, p. 141). The Babylonian ruler was to die and be buried—fates neither of which Satan is destined to endure. The king was called “a man” whose body was to be eaten by worms, but Satan, as a spirit, has no physical body. The monarch lived in and abided over a “golden city” (vs. 4), but Satan is the monarch of a kingdom of spiritual darkness (cf. Ephesians 6:12). And so on.

The context presented in Isaiah 14:4-16 not only does not portray Satan as Lucifer, but actually militates against it. Keil and Delitzsch firmly proclaimed that “Lucifer,” as a synonym, “is a perfectly appropriate one for the king of Babel, on account of the early date of the Babylonian culture, which reached back as far as the grey twilight of primeval times, and also because of its predominate astrological character” (1982, p. 312). They then correctly concluded that “Lucifer, as a name given to the devil, was derived from this passage...without any warrant whatever, as relating to the apostasy and punishment of the angelic leaders” (pp. 312-313).

Barnes, Albert (1950 edition), Barnes’ Notes on the Old and New Testaments—Isaiah (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Coffman, James Burton (1990), The Major Prophets—Isaiah (Abilene, TX: ACU Press).

Jackson, Wayne (1987), “Your Question & My Answer,” Christian Courier, 23:15, August.

Keil, C.F. and Franz Delitzsch, (1982 edition), Commentary on the Old Testament—Isaiah (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

Zerr, E.M. (1954), Bible Commentary (Bowling Green, KY: Guardian of Truth Publications).

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Friends,

Chapters 13 through 35 may be kind of confusing. You may be wondering why there is so much emphasis on the other nations. Even in our present section, there is significant mention of Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab and Syria, which are both traditional and future enemies of Israel. Beyond the general observation that God is sovereign over all the nations (not just the nation of Israel), Isaiah's focus on these nations serve another purpose. As I mentioned in my comments yesterday, one of Isaiah's primary messages has to do with trusting in the LORD. As a historical backdrop to this message, chapters 7-12 detail the story of King Ahaz's failure to trust in the LORD. Later, chapters 36-39 will provide another backdrop to this message, namely, King Hezekiah's faithfulness to trust in the LORD. Both of these kings faced an international crisis as neighboring and distant nations were either threatening to overthrow them or to gain tribute from them. Would the king of Judah play international politics and entrust his fate to strategic alliances or would he entrust himself and the nation to the LORD? Ahaz did the former, while his son Hezekiah did the latter. These two generations of kings serve as bookends to chapters 13-35, where Isaiah will argue three main points:

1. Why trust the nations when they are under the judgment of God (Isaiah 13-23)?

2. Why trust the nations when all of history is in our God's hands (Isaiah 24-27)?

3. Those who counsel you to trust in flesh and blood rather than the Spirit of God are fools (Isaiah 28-35).

Sometimes, the reality of trust is proved only through crisis. Abraham's faith was proven when he did not hesitate to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God's command. The unfaith of the Israelites was proven during their forty years of hardship in the desert when they repeatedly tested God with their complaints and idolatrous inclinations. Ahaz's lack of trust was evident when he gave tribute to Assyria for protection against Israel and Syria rather than trusting in God's promises. Hezekiah's trust was evident when he prayed to the LORD rather than surrendering to Assyria. Let us understand that every crisis and every trial we face can be seen as an opportunity for faith. That is why James writes,

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4).

Dear friends, do not put your hope in anything in this life. Set your hope in heaven alone:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).

As long as you treasure any earthly thing, your faith will be divided. But if your entire hope is in heaven, neither losses nor gains will make any meaningful difference for you in this life. As you read Isaiah, and about God's judgment and sovereignty over the nations, keep in mind that this same God has chosen you for glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, let us live to glorify the One who glorifies us.